The complex image method and its application in numerical simulation of substation grounding grids

In the simulation of electromagnetic fields produced by a point source located in multilayer media, the conventional image method requires an infinite number of images, while the method of complex images only needs a few ones to get an accurate solution. Based on the method of complex images, an approach for simulating grounding systems in multilayer soils is introduced in this paper, and the corresponding Green functions are derived. Software for simulating grounding systems in up to six-layer soils has been developed, and the grounding systems with any complicated structure can be located anywhere in multilayer earth models. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.