Calculation of magnetic shielding of a substation at power frequency using FEM

The finite element method (FEM) is used for analyzing the shielding effectiveness of an eddy current shield applied to a 10/0.4 kV substation. The influence of the shield extension is studied, and a calculated magnetic field attenuation of 30 dB is obtained for a 5 mm aluminum shield applied on the ceiling and the walls. With a 3D model, the eddy current distribution in the shield is studied, giving guidance for door positioning. Here, the insertion of a door in the shielded wall off the paths of the main eddy currents is found to create only a locally elevated magnetic field. With a simplified 2D model, the influence of shield conductivity is also analyzed. An increase of the conductivity over that of aluminum here gives a limited shielding improvement