I have used it before for grounding studies. The software is powerful and has a lot of capabilities but is not the most intuitive when it comes to the user interface compared to some other programs. If you are also using the Smart Ground Meter for measurements that data also integrates into the program as well.
You best bet for technical questions and support is to contact Dr. Sakis Meliopoulos at his company Adavanced Grounding Concepts. The website is
Kiribanda, yes you can model the soil as a 2 layer model, it also has options to accept test results, such as the weener method.
umrpwr, I have sent Sakis a few questions, he has responded so far, I was just hoping to find some additional resources, such as a user group or similar, I am not sure such a thing exists though. If you don't mind answering, I have a simple model that I am trying to obtain a GPR on, basically it consists of a utility power source, 44/4.16 kv transformer, and grounding grid. I have a node on either side of the transformer and have connected the ground grid on the primary side. Now the odd thing is my results, the GPR does not seem to change no matter how I vary the grounding grid, my step and touch equipotential plots are in the pV range as well, this seems odd to me but I cannot figure out why.
Do you really mean picovolt (10^-12 volts)? What is the 44 kV Ø-grd fault current? How much flows in the grid?
I haven't used WinIGS, but have reviewed analyses done with it. One feature that I don't like is the way it calculates the current split between shield wires and ground grid. Instead of using the Ø-grd fault current calculated by a separate fault analysis program, you construct a system model and WinIGS calculates the fault current. You end up with a total fault current that is different from that calculated by your normal fault current program.
I prefer the method used by SES where you enter the fault current and the characteristics of the incoming lines and connected source substations.
Yes 10^-12. The 44kV fault is 5.5kA in my model. I'm getting no fault current into the grid from what I can tell, the earth current is also coming out as zero, my GPR on the node that the grid is connected to is always 0, on the node that is on the secondary side I get a GPR up around 16 kV if its unconnected, if I connect it the GPR also becomes zero. I am likely modeling something incorrectly, however being both new to grounding and the software I am unsure what I am doing incorrectly.
I am not sure if I understood your concern regarding the fault current calculated by the program.
The main point is that the program is able to calculate the injected current into the ground as required for grounding calc instead the total fault current.
This is a great advantage if compare with other grounding programs that the split factor is to be input (usualy assumed).
Other advantage is that the program determine the worst case scenario after many automatic iterations usually located somewere in the line outside the substation.
In addition to model concrete foundations, the program could take credit for modeling metallic fence and other structure in the facility.
My concern is that the calculated total fault current does not match the fault current obtained from the program normally used for calculating fault currents (Aspen one-liner in our case). With SES, you input the total fault from your fault analysis program, along with data on shield wires, tower grounds, source substation ground resistance, etc., and SES calculates the current split.
