PROJECT TITLE :

On the Use of the Law of Times in Calculating Soil Thermal Stability and Underground Cable Ampacity

ABSTRACT:

The heat generated by underground cables may cause the soil around the cables to dry, increasing its thermal resistivity and probably causing the cables to overheat. The flexibility of soil to maintain a constant resistivity while being subjected to a heat supply is known as its “thermal stability.” A methodology using the Law of Times has been recommended by some sources to see soil stability. To take a look at whether this method will accurately predict soil thermal stability, an experiment was performed that tested the hypothesis fundamental to the Law of Times that the diameter of the warmth source affects the drying time of the soil surrounding it. This paper reports the results of that experiment and includes the statistical analysis of the information. The experimental evidence resulted in rejecting the Law of Times as an accurate predictor of the drying time of the soil surrounding a buried cable.