Summary
In the world of electrical engineering, particularly within grounding, earthing, electromagnetic fields (EMF), and interference studies, finding a robust, integrated software solution can make all the difference in design safety, accuracy, and regulatory compliance. The CDEGS Suite, developed by SES & Technologies Ltd. (SES), answers this need by combining multiple modules and tools to address a wide variety of problems involving current distribution, electromagnetic fields, grounding systems, soil-structure interactions, lightning and transients, and interference in one unified platform.
The name “CDEGS” stands for Current Distribution, Electromagnetic Fields, Grounding, and Soil-Structure Analysis. It is a fully-integrated software suite offered by SES that encompasses a variety of specialized packages (AutoGround, MultiGround, MultiFields, MultiLines, etc.) and computation modules (RESAP, MALT, MALZ, TRALIN, SPLITS, HIFREQ, FFTSES) designed to tackle grounding/earthing analyses, electromagnetic interference (EMI), lightning and transients, and line and cable parameter calculations. The suite is positioned as an “all-in-one” solution for both conventional and complex environments where engineers need to model the conductive, inductive, capacitive, and transient phenomena in power systems and infrastructure.
Why CDEGS Matters in Engineering Practice
1. Enhanced Safety and Compliance
When designing grounding systems, substations, renewable-energy plants, or any facility where fault currents, soil resistivities, electromagnetic coupling, and lightning surges matter, engineers must ensure that the infrastructure protects not only the equipment but also people and the environment. The CDEGS Suite supports safety criteria such as step and touch voltages, and fault current distribution, allowing realistic modelling of these phenomena to meet standards like IEEE Std 80, 81, IEC 61936, and other international frameworks.
2. Addressing Real-World Soil and Conductor Complexity
One of the strengths of CDEGS is its ability to model complex soil structures (multi-layer, horizontally or vertically layered, cylindrical inclusions, etc.), buried and overhead conductors, coating effects, and various network configurations. Rather than relying on simplified assumptions, CDEGS allows engineers to simulate realistic geotechnical and electromagnetic environments, improving accuracy and reducing the risk of over-design or unexpected behaviour in the field.
3. Covering EMI and Lightning Problems
In modern infrastructure, railways, pipelines, renewable plants, HVDC links, communications cables, and more, electromagnetic interference, surges, grounding interactions, and lightning pose serious challenges. CDEGS has modules tailored to EMI (capacitive, inductive, conductive coupling), transients (faults and lightning), and electromagnetic field analyses (EMF, corona, shielding). By enabling these analyses in one environment, engineers can optimise designs, mitigate risk, and reduce material or labour costs.
Core Modules of the CDEGS Suite
1. RESAP (Soil Resistivity Analysis)
This module is used for interpreting soil resistivity measurements (e.g., Wenner, Schlumberger) and deriving layered soil models. Engineers can then feed these models into grounding analyses to ensure a realistic representation of geotechnical conditions.
2. MALT / MALZ (Grounding / Earthing Analysis)
MALT handles low-frequency grounding/earthing analyses, while MALZ addresses frequency domain grounding/earthing issues. They allow the modeling of current distribution in soil and conductors under fault, steady, or AC conditions.
3. TRALIN / SPLITS (Line & Cable Constants and EMI)
TRALIN computes line and cable parameters, while SPLITS handles fault current distribution and EMI analysis in complex networks. These modules support the coupling of conductors, metallic paths, cables, pipelines, etc۔
4. HIFREQ & FFTSES (EM Fields / Transient Analysis)
These modules perform electromagnetic field analysis and fast Fourier transform‐based transient modelling for lightning, switching events, and other high-frequency phenomena.
5. Tools and Utilities
Beyond the computation modules, CDEGS includes a large suite of utilities and automation tools: CAD interface (SESCAD), results viewers, graphing, scripting, batch processing, conductor databases, import/export (DWG, DXF, KML), enabling flexible workflows and integration with other engineering systems.
Grounding/Earthing Design in Substations
For substation expansions, wind/solar farms, HVDC stations, or industrial plants, engineers must design grounding grids, evaluate step/touch voltages, soil resistivity impacts, and conductor sizing. CDEGS supports all of these. For example, through modules like MultiGround or AutoGround, engineers can model the ground grid and evaluate safety metrics.
Electromagnetic Interference in Pipelines
When buried pipelines, fibre-optic cables, or rail systems are located near high-voltage lines or substations, induced voltages, stray currents, corrosion risks, and EMI become major concerns. CDEGS modules such as MultiFields and SPLITS help assess these risks and design mitigation solutions.
Lightning & Surge Studies
Lightning strikes, switching surges, and fault transients require modelling of transient current flows, electromagnetic field propagation, and grounding interactions. Using HIFREQ and FFTSES within CDEGS, engineers can simulate such transient events and design protective measures like lightning masts, bonding, surge arrestors, and shielding.
Line & Cable Parameter Computation
For overhead lines, buried cables, or mixed conductor systems, knowing accurate impedance, admittance, and electromagnetic coupling parameters is essential for simulation in tools like PSCAD or ETAP. The TRALIN and MultiLines modules support this within CDEGS.
Benefits and Unique Features of CDEGS
- Integrated Platform: Instead of using separate software for grounding, EMF, lightning, or EMI, CDEGS brings them together.
- Realistic Modelling: With support for complex soil structures, 3-D conductor layouts, coated/uncoated pipes, steel structures, etc., CDEGS allows refined modelling beyond typical simplifications.
- Regulatory Alignment: Many major utilities and referential standards recognise or reference CDEGS in grounding, EMI, and interference work.
- Automation & Scripting: Features like batch processing, scripting, and CAD import/export help engineers to streamline workflows and tackle parametric studies or optimisation.
- Support and Validation: SES boasts continuous scientific validation of its modules, publication in peer-reviewed journals, and longstanding use in the industry.
- Upgradeable and Scalable: Engineers can begin with a subset of modules and upgrade to the full suite or add special packages as necessary.
Considerations Before Adoption
While CDEGS is a powerful tool, there are some practical aspects to consider:
- Learning Curve: Because it covers complex grounding and EMI/EMF phenomena, engineers may need training to use it effectively and interpret results correctly.
- Licensing & Support Costs: The suite is a professional-grade software and comes with license fees and optional support/maintenance services (ETS-AEU-MI) from SES.
- Hardware Requirements: For 3-D modelling, transient simulation, or large networks, sufficient computational resources will be required.
- Data Quality: Accurate modelling depends on reliable field measurements (soil resistivity, fault currents, conductor properties). Without good input data, even powerful software may produce misleading results.
- Integration with Other Tools: While CDEGS allows import/export of some formats, workflows may still involve interfacing with other simulation or CAD tools; planning how it integrates into your engineering stack is beneficial.
SES CDEGS Suite Crack Proof
