Groundinsight: open-source software for modeling and analyzing earthing systems

Earthing systems are essential for ensuring the safety of electrical power grids by providing controlled paths for fault currents and maintaining voltage levels during earth faults. Traditional analysis methods often involve complex calculations and specialized software, which can impede effective design and maintenance. To address these challenges, we introduce Groundinsight, an open-source Python library specifically developed for the calculation and analysis of earthing systems within electrical power grids. Groundinsight features a modular architecture that includes data modeling, computation, and visualization layers, utilizing robust tools such as Pydantic for data validation, NumPy and SciPy for numerical computations, and Matplotlib for result visualisation. Additionally, the library integrates SQLite via SQLAlchemy for efficient data storage and retrieval, and supports advanced data manipulation with Polars DataFrames. We validated Groundinsight using a test network comprising 10 buses interconnected by 20 kV XLPE cables and overhead lines, analysing fault currents across multiple frequencies (50 Hz, 250 Hz, and 350 Hz). The validation demonstrated Groundinsight’s ability to quantify reduction factors in mixed cable and overhead line structures and to assess the significant impact of harmonics on earth fault currents. Groundinsight is an open-source software available on GitHub and PyPi, promoting accessibility and collaboration for enhancing the design and maintenance of safe and efficient electrical power grids.