BEST MAINTENANCE PRACTICE

RIL-CoMEE/BPD/E/017

EARTHING

Reliance

9 Specifications for Earthing system (Generic)

9.1

Specifications

The specifications for Earthing system shall include the following

Fig 15:
1.

2.

2nd Letter

1st Letter

Situation of installation frames

Situation of supply

T = Exposed frames directly earthed

T = Direct connection of
Transformer Neutral with the earth
I = Neutral unearthed or
High Impedance-earthed

N = Frames connected to the supply point

which is earthed,

either by a separate Protective Earth

conductor (S).

Or combined with the Neutral (C)

a) TN system - has one or more points of the source of energy directly earthed, and the exposed
and extraneous conductive parts of the installation are connected by means of protective
conductors to the earthed point(s) of the source, that is, there is a metallic path for earth fault
currents to flow from the installation to the earthed point(s) of the source. TN systems are
further sub-divided into TN-C, TN-S and TN-C-S systems.
Prepared by:Uma

Rev No: 00

Visvanathan

Date of Issue:

Reviewed by:
H.K.Moorthy

Centre of Maintenance & Engineering Excellence

(For Internal Circulation Only)

27/07/2010
Page 50 of 65

Approved by:
A.Venkatraman
The copyright of this document is vested in Reliance Industries Ltd, Mumbai. All rights reserved. Neither the whole nor any part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical reprographic, recording or otherwise) without the
prior written consent of the copyright owner.

BEST MAINTENANCE PRACTICE

RIL-CoMEE/BPD/E/017

EARTHING

Reliance

b) TT system - has one or more points of the source of energy directly earthed and the exposed
and extraneous conductive parts of the installation are connected to a local earth electrode or
electrodes are electrically independent of the source earth(s).
c) IT system - has the source either unearthed or earthed through a high impedance and the
exposed conductive parts of the installation are connected to electrically independent earth
electrodes.
In practice, a system may be an admixture of the above types, which may be designated as
follows.
TN-S System (for 240 V single phase domestic/commercial supply) - Systems where there
are separate neutral and protective conductors throughout the system. A system where the
metallic path between the installation and the source of energy is the sheath and armouring of
the supply cable
Indian TN-S System (for 415 V three phase domestic commercial supply) - An independent
earth electrode within the consumers premises is necessary
Indian TN-C-System - The neutral and protective functions are combined in a single
conductor throughout the system (for example earthed concentric wiring.
TN-C-S System - The neutral and protective functions are combined in a single conductor but
only in part of the system
T-TN-S System (for 6.6/11 kV three-phase bulk supply) - The consumers installation, a TN-S
system receiving power at a captive substation through a delta connected transformer
primary
TT System (for 415V three-phase industrial supply) - has one or more points of the source of
energy directly earthed and the exposed and extraneous conductive parts of the installation
are connected to a local earth electrode or electrodes are electrically independent of the
source earth(s).

Prepared by:Uma

Rev No: 00

Visvanathan

Date of Issue:

Reviewed by:
H.K.Moorthy

Centre of Maintenance & Engineering Excellence

(For Internal Circulation Only)

27/07/2010
Page 51 of 65

Approved by:
A.Venkatraman
The copyright of this document is vested in Reliance Industries Ltd, Mumbai. All rights reserved. Neither the whole nor any part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical reprographic, recording or otherwise) without the
prior written consent of the copyright owner.

BEST MAINTENANCE PRACTICE

RIL-CoMEE/BPD/E/017

EARTHING

Reliance

IT System - has the source either unearthed or earthed through a high impedance and the
exposed conductive parts of the installation are connected to electrically independent earth
electrodes.

9.2

Marking on the Earthing Conductor

The earthing and protective conductor shall be marked as given in Table below.

Table 6:
Designation of
conductor

Identification by
Alpha numeric

Colour

Graphical symbol

notation
Earth

No colour other than

the colour of the bare
conductor

Protective conductor

PB

Green & Yellow

Use of Bi-Colour Combination - Green and Yellow - The bi-colour combination, green and yellow
(green/yellow), shall be used for identifying the protective conductor and for no other purpose. This is
the only colour code recognized for identifying the protective conductor, as per IS 3043.
Bare conductors or bus bars, used as protective conductors, shall be coloured by equally broad green
and yellow stripes, each 15 mm up to 100 mm wide, close together, either throughout the length of
each conductor or in each compartment or unit or at each accessible position. If adhesive tape is used,
only bi-coloured tape shall be applied.
Prepared by:Uma

Rev No: 00

Visvanathan

Date of Issue:

Reviewed by:
H.K.Moorthy

Centre of Maintenance & Engineering Excellence

(For Internal Circulation Only)

27/07/2010
Page 52 of 65

Approved by:
A.Venkatraman
The copyright of this document is vested in Reliance Industries Ltd, Mumbai. All rights reserved. Neither the whole nor any part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical reprographic, recording or otherwise) without the
prior written consent of the copyright owner.

BEST MAINTENANCE PRACTICE

RIL-CoMEE/BPD/E/017

EARTHING

Reliance

For insulated conductors, the combination of the colours, green and yellow, shall be such that, on any
15 mm length of insulated conductor, one of these colours covers at least 30 percent and not more
than 70 percent of the surface of the conductor, the other colour covering the remainder of that
surface.
NOTE - Where the protective conductor can be easily identified from its shape, construction or
position, for example, a concentric conductor, then colour coding throughout its length is not
necessary but the ends or accessible positions should be clearly identified by a symbol or the bi-colour
combination, green and yellow.

10 Failure Modes Analysis

The integrity of the Earthing system may get affected on account of the following Improper Design
Inadequate capacity of Electrodes
Improper Installation
Corrosion
Exposure to chemical / solvents
Mechanical damage
Loose connection
Exposure to undue vibration
Human error
Unauthorized modification, repair or adjustments
Inappropriate maintenance

Prepared by:Uma

Rev No: 00

Visvanathan

Date of Issue:

Reviewed by:
H.K.Moorthy

Centre of Maintenance & Engineering Excellence

(For Internal Circulation Only)

27/07/2010
Page 53 of 65

Approved by:
A.Venkatraman
The copyright of this document is vested in Reliance Industries Ltd, Mumbai. All rights reserved. Neither the whole nor any part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical reprographic, recording or otherwise) without the
prior written consent of the copyright owner.