Electrotechnik

Electrotechnik AI-powered Electrical Power Systems Design Software

ELEK Power Software products include:
Cable Pro
Cable HV
SafeGrid Earthing
Cable Pulling
LineRate

Visit our website to Download Trial Software, watch videos, read technical information and publications

(ELEK, CableCALC, SafeGrid and LineRate are trademarks of Electrotechnik Pty Ltd)

17/06/2026

The cable's weight necessitates a baseline force simply to pull it off the reel. Ignoring this may lead engineers to underestimate the cable's true pulling tension.

This underestimated initial pulling tension may cause peak tension limits to be exceeded further along the pull route, potentially resulting in cable damage and introducing safety concerns.

This becomes particularly critical for installations with strict tension limits, where failures can result in significant costs.

The reel back tension input in the ELEK Cable Pro Web Cable Pulling Calculator directly addresses this by allowing engineers to explicitly account for the additional reel back tension.

Using a defined model based on cable weight, length, gravity, and friction coefficient, the software:
• Includes reel back tension as part of the total pulling tension profile
• Ensures installation tension limits are evaluated more accurately
• Provides a more realistic representation of site conditions

By accounting for this tension, the model more accurately reflects real-world conditions, helping engineers make better-informed decisions and avoid costly failures.

This is a small detail with a measurable impact on the reliability of a cable pull plan.

Get the 14-day free trial of ELEK Cable Pro Web here:
AU - https://elek.com/electrical-software/elek-cable-pro-web/
UK - https://elek.com/electrical-software/elek-cable-pro-web-bs7671/

16/06/2026

Building cable models from scratch takes time and can lead to data entry errors. ELEK Cable HV reduces this effort with a large pre-loaded library of cable models built directly into the software.

Instead of copying values from PDFs, engineers can select from a wide range of pre-modelled cables and apply them to their studies in seconds.

Engineers can narrow down the correct cable using a structured selection workflow:
🔹 Voltage Level — Filter by rated voltage, with pre-modelled cables covering a wide range of HV and MV levels.
🔹 Number of Cores — Select the core configuration that matches the installation requirements.
🔹 Conductor Material — Choose between copper or aluminium conductor options.
🔹 Conductor Size — Select the conductor cross-sectional area that matches the project requirements.

No manual layer entry. No switching between PDF datasheets and the model. Just browse, select, and move straight into ampacity calculations within a single interface.

Get a 14-day free trial of ELEK Cable High Voltage by visiting:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/elek-cable-high-voltage/

15/06/2026

Touch voltage contour plots in earthing studies can become difficult to interpret when large amounts of data are displayed simultaneously.

Identifying safety limit violations often requires additional manual review and visual inspection.

The Exceeding Limit View in ELEK SafeGrid simplifies this process by highlighting only the areas that exceed the selected touch voltage safety criteria.
✅ Instantly identify unsafe touch voltage regions
✅ Reduce contour plot clutter
✅ Focus only on safety limit violations
✅ Improve earthing safety assessment efficiency

Why it matters:
Complex contour plots → Slower interpretation
Manual identification → Increased review time
Missed safety limit violations → Higher safety risk

With Exceeding Limit View, engineers can perform faster and clearer touch voltage safety analyses for earthing system studies with greater confidence and visibility.

Get a 14-day free trial of ELEK SafeGrid Earthing by visiting:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/safegrid-earthing/

12/06/2026

In HV cable systems, selecting the right bonding method is critical for controlling circulating currents, reducing losses, and maintaining reliable performance.

ELEK Cable HV simplifies this process by allowing engineers to define bonding configurations and automatically assess circulating currents, sheath losses, and voltage behaviour for accurate and efficient design verification.

✅ Why It Matters
• Reduces circulating current losses and improves efficiency
• Supports accurate cable sizing and thermal performance
• Eliminates manual analysis and reduces design risk
• Enables confident selection of bonding methods

Get a 14-day free trial of ELEK Cable High Voltage by visiting:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/elek-cable-high-voltage/

11/06/2026

Cable rating accuracy depends on the assumptions made during installation. Bonding arrangements, load conditions, and thermal limits directly influence ampacity and conductor temperature.

ELEK Cable High Voltage includes Installation Settings within the Cable Systems Navigator, enabling engineers to define real-world conditions for assessment.

Key parameters:
• Calculation basis: temperature limit or applied load
• Conductor temperature limit
• Daily load factor
• Sheath bonding arrangement
• Transposition and phase spacing

Engineering impact:
• Results aligned with actual installation conditions
• Ability to evaluate multiple operating scenarios
• Calculations that are technically defensible

ELEK Cable HV enables precise and transparent cable rating aligned with practical engineering design.

Start a 14-day free trial of ELEK Cable High Voltage:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/elek-cable-high-voltage/

10/06/2026

Earth faults in a network are rarely symmetrical events. A short-circuited section of the network often produces an asymmetrical response, including a decaying DC offset superimposed on the AC waveform.

The DC offset affects the current injected into the earthing grid, leading to higher fault magnitudes during the first few cycles before decaying.

Assuming there is no DC offset may produce inaccurate results compared to actual conditions. Completely excluding it may cause engineers to overlook:
• High initial current magnitudes before the DC offset decays
• Increased thermal and mechanical stress on the earthing system

The challenge lies in incorporating the transient effect caused by the decaying DC offset into the injected current calculation.

A common method is to apply a decrement factor that adjusts the symmetrical RMS current to account for the decaying DC offset over the fault duration.

With ELEK SafeGrid Earthing, this can be handled in the Design Settings module under Grid Energisation by:
• Inputting a user-defined decrement factor, or
• Calculating it from the system X/R ratio and fault-clearing time

This approach allows earthing calculations to more accurately represent real-world fault conditions without oversimplification.

Get the 14-day free trial of ELEK SafeGrid Earthing by visiting this link:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/safegrid-earthing/

09/06/2026

Multicore cable systems contain filler layers that play a critical role in the cable's overall thermal model.

These fillers often occupy a significant portion of the cable cross-section between the conductor cores and the outer sheath. Their thermal resistivity influences heat dissipation, conductor temperature, and ultimately, the current rating.

However, modelling filler layers in HV cables can be challenging due to:
• Irregular and non-uniform geometry
• Variations in material properties depending on composition and compaction

The ELEK Cable High Voltage software simplifies this modelling step by allowing engineers to explicitly model the filler layer and define its material properties. This enables:
• More realistic thermal resistance modelling
• Accurate modelling of heat transfer between the cores and the sheath
• Improved confidence in calculation results

By moving beyond simplistic assumptions, engineers can achieve more accurate and realistic cable ratings, particularly for complex multicore cable systems.

Get ELEK Cable High Voltage with a 14-day free trial by visiting this link:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/elek-cable-high-voltage/

08/06/2026

Determining the actual fault current injected into an earthing grid is essential for optimised design, as using the full prospective fault current often leads to overdesign.

The same applies to cross-bonded cable systems with transposed screens, which minimise induced voltages and circulating currents during normal operation.

While this bonding arrangement improves efficiency under normal conditions, it also introduces complexities during fault conditions, as the screens can serve as an alternative path for fault current.

During a fault, current may flow through the following:
• Local earthing grid
• Bonded metallic screen or sheath
• Earth continuity conductor (ECC), where applicable

The ELEK SafeGrid Earthing software addresses this challenge by allowing engineers to directly model a cross-bonded cable system in the Fault Current module:
• Accurately represent cross-bonded cable systems, with or without ECC
• Calculate the actual fault current injected into the earthing grid
• Account for the screen and ECC as alternative return paths without relying on assumptions

With this feature, engineers can reliably calculate accurate touch and step voltages, make informed decisions, and optimise earth system design.

Get the 14-day free trial of ELEK SafeGrid Earthing by visiting this link:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/safegrid-earthing/

05/06/2026

Reinforced concrete slabs and foundations not only provide structural support but can also play a major role in the earth-grid performance of a facility.

By bonding the steel reinforcement to the main earth grid, engineers can create a more equipotential surface and potentially reduce touch voltages around buildings.

The ELEK SafeGrid Earthing software enables engineers to model bonded reinforcement meshes directly within the earth-grid design, providing a straightforward and efficient approach with greater confidence in the results.

Get the 14-day free trial of ELEK SafeGrid Earthing by visiting this link:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/safegrid-earthing/

04/06/2026

Solid bonding is a common sheath bonding method in high-voltage cable systems, but it comes with trade-offs that directly impact cable performance and ampacity.

When cable sheaths are solidly bonded at both ends, induced voltages drive circulating currents through the metallic screens. These currents generate additional losses and heat, reducing the overall efficiency of the system.

Higher sheath losses also increase cable temperature and thermal stress. If not properly considered, this can result in overheating, reduced insulation life, and inaccurate cable sizing.

The ELEK Cable High Voltage software accounts for these effects.
✅ Calculates sheath circulating currents accurately
✅ Includes screen losses in ampacity calculations
✅ Helps compare bonding methods for optimal design
✅ Improves accuracy, safety, and compliance

Why it matters:
Circulating currents = extra losses → reduced ampacity
Higher screen losses → increased cable temperature
Ignoring bonding effects → undersized or inefficient designs

With accurate modelling of bonding methods, engineers can design HV cable systems that are safe, efficient, and fit for purpose.

Start a 14-day free trial of ELEK Cable High Voltage here:
https://elek.com/electrical-software/elek-cable-high-voltage/

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