Terrain based routing of distribution cables

Specifying the actual layout of all overhead power lines and underground power cables is one of the key tasks to be carried out in the design of electrical distribution networks. Voltage drop and other network calculations can be performed only after the length of each cable segment is determined. Although automatic cable routers are currently available, they are mainly for formally planned urban areas. These routers are not always appropriate for use in designing rural distribution networks, because they fail to account for some of the special circumstances found in rural areas. A more practical approach bases automatic cable routing on the terrain of a given area rather than on the layout of roads. The automatic distribution network router (DNR) finds the least-cost path (not merely the shortest one) connecting two nodes. This article briefly discusses methods currently used to determine cable routes for distribution networks, the unsuitability of these methods for routing cables in rural and informal urban areas, the proposed approach that relies on dividing the terrain into cost regions, and the benefits gained in its application. Emphasis is on the practical application of the new approach.