An Auxiliary Differential Equation-Finite Element Method for 3D Transient Simulation of Currents in HVDC Insulation

Insulation is a crucial component for High Voltage electric equipment such as HVDC power cables. The accurate estimation of the electric stresses to which the insulation material is exposed in both transient and steady state conditions is of great importance for cable design and rating as well as for lifetime estimation. We present an Auxiliary Differential Equation-Finite Element Method (ADE-FEM) numerical model for the computation of transient electric field and currents in 3D insulation materials. The method is based on a formulation that uses (scalar) polarization charges rather that polarization vectors as unknowns in order to reduce the computational complexity, and on a space of low order hierarchical basis functions that allow for efficient local grid refinement.