The electromagnetic behavior of a superconducting power cables consisting of a layered structure is described using a circuit model. Ingredients for the model are the voltage current characteristics of the tapes used to make the cable, and the self and mutual inductances of the layers. Current and voltage wave shapes are calculated numerically as a function of externally applied AC. This is shown, quantitatively for a 4 layer cable with alternating pitch of +/- 0.3 m. Saturation losses are computed simply by multiplying voltage and current. Due to the nonlinear VI characteristics of the layers, layer currents becomes nonsinusoidal in the vicinity of the layer critical current. However, if the current is below the critical current of the whole cable these nonlinearities appear to cancel and the overall current shape remains sinusoidal.
