Potential field of earthing in karstic soil

Abstract

The calculation of the electric field of a mesh earth electrode in karst soil was performed using the finite element technique with a combination of differential and integral problem formulation. The combined formulation enabled us to divide the calculation area into a small number of large finite elements, and the openness of the calculation area was solved using a mapped infinite element. The source contribution was included in the potential approximation function per finite element. A sufficiently good approximation was achieved with a small number of source images obtained by local mapping of the source within the element on its boundary surfaces. The calculation results were tested on simple examples solvable by the potential method, based on the integral problem formulation. The calculation procedure implemented is simple enough and applicable to a wide range of earth electrodes encountered in practice.

Slavko Vujević

Professor Emeritus

An expert in electrical engineering, particularly known for his contributions to numerical modeling of electromagnetic phenomena, lightning protection, and grounding. Throughout his career, he was a key member of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Naval Architecture in Split, where he taught, mentored students, and actively participated in scientific research and international professional organizations.