PRESENTATION TO IEEE PES, ORLANDO CHAPTER:

GROUNDING & BONDING CONSIDERATIONS FOR

SUBSTATION COMMUNICATIONS AND SMART
GRID

Developed and Presented By:

Adrian G Zvarych, PE
Principal Engineer
TRC Engineering
Member, IEEE
24 September 2009
azvarych@trcsolutions.com
Additional Contributions & Peer Review By: Michael Cunningham, Senior Engineer - TRC
 Class Objectives

1. Understand Substation Grounding/Bonding Design Goals to Satisfy Communications

Requirements
2. Review of Typical Substation Control House Grounding/Bonding Practices
3. Review Typical Telecom Room Grounding/Bonding Practices
4. Necessary Grounding & Bonding Elements for a Smart Grid Friendly and
Communications Ready Substation Control House
5. Look-Ahead for other opportunities
6. Review

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Change Has Been Happening

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Part 1: Substation Communications
Evolution

Communications migration path:

Analog to digital
Discrete to multiplexed
Local Information decision needs to remote and diverse needs
Lower Reliability to High Reliability (design and need)
Minimal regulation (self- on inter-industry regulation to increased scrutiny and
regulation by others)

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
Pilot Wire Interface
& Isolation Transformers
 Circa 1900s
Distribution Breakers

1912 Manufactured
GE Oil Break
Switch
STILL IN SERVICE!!!!
 Legacy Substation Communications Systems

PEOPLE/OPERATIONS
Station Operators with all local indication
Communications to Control Center via Power Line Carrier or Telephone Company Copper Circuits
(SCADA)
Radio Dispatch for Crews

RELAY PROTECTION
Power Line Carrier (first digital form of substation communications ON-OFF)
Copper Based Pilot Wire
All analog meters and electromechanical relays
Needs driven by electric utility operations & reliability

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Advancements in Legacy Substation Relaying and
Communications

Driven by build out of high voltage and EHV transmission grid

Need for high speed and reliable/secure relaying
Need for remote and central monitoring and control of station equipment
First discrete component solid state relaying deployed in substations in the 1970s
Single Side-Band Power Line Carrier more channels, more functionality
Analog Point-To-Point Microwave
Optical Networks

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Development of Non-Copper Substation
Communications Systems

Analog Microwave (circa 1960s)

Digital Microwave (circa 1980s)
Spread Spectrum 900MHz (circa 1980s)
Fiber (circa 1990s)

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Advancements of Components/Technology

Protective Relaying
Electromechanical Relays Solid State Relays
Solid State Relays Microprocessor Relays

Communications
Copper
Analog Microwave
Digital Microwave
900MHz Licensed & Spread Spectrum/Unlicensed
Fiber
Discrete Analog Digital Multiplexed IP

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 TELECOMMUNICATIONS CIRCUIT HIERARCHY
Phone lines
per circuit type

1 24 672 2,016 8,064 32,256 129,024 oo

DS0-1
DS0-2
DS1-1
DS0-3
DS0-4 OC1-1
.
DS1-2 OC3-1
.
.
OC12-1 OC48-1
DS1-3 OC1-2 OC192 DWDM
DS0-24 OC3-2

DS1-4 OC1-3 OC12-2

OC48-2
.
OC3-3
.
. OC12-3
OC3-4
DS1-28 OC48-3
OC12-4

IMUX OC48-4

JMUX

JUNGLEMUX EXPANDABLE
TO OC48 BANDWIDTH

BROADBAND CARRIER CLASS NETWORKS

And Now Smart Grid!
 Effects of Smart Grid and Communications Technology

Higher density of low-signal voltage circuits (RS-232, RS-485) over copper in the control
house
More fiber in the control house
More non-substation hardened devices entering the control house
IT-Telecom teams becoming more involved in substation control houses
Organizational awareness of substation environment vs data center/telecom room
requirements

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Users of Substation Information

System Operators
P&C Engineering
Asset Management
Customer Service Center
Field Maintenance Personnel (line trucks, P&C, substation, etc.)
Electric System Customers (indirectly)
Personnel Managers
Corporate Security (access management, surveillance)
IT-Security Cyber-Security Teams
Utility Interchange (Where Transmission Tammy draws the line)
Others

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Substation Communications: Change Is Here

Traditional
Telemetry Watts, Vars, Volts, Amps
Status Open, Closed, Major, Minor
Control Open, Close, Raise, Lower
Voice
SCADA Analog/4 Wire AC Data

Present Day
All of the above, plus
Temperature Outdoor Ambient, Control House
Transformer Telemetry Winding Temps, Dissolved Gas, Tap Position
Battery Voltage

40
Years of Service
IP Services


Security Surveillance, Door Access Control
High Speed Remote Access for IEDs
1969 Syncrophasors
2009 Local Employee LAN Access
SCADA
 Change Is Here

Increased data flow (to 27 TB/day or higher in larger utility systems) from substations
Not just SCADA
Non-Traditional organizations using or managing substation systems and information
Increased deployment of non-station hardened equipment, despite efforts by IEEE to
develop standards such as IEEE-1613

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
PART 2: NAVIGATING THE TRANSITION

GOALS OF GROUNDING/BONDING SUBSTATION AND TELECOM

BASICS AND DEFINITIONS
REAL WORLD CASE STUDY
 Grounding and Bonding Basics

Substation Goals
Safety
Step and Touch
Ground Potential Rise
Reliability
Lightning Mast/Shielding
Minimize Electrical System Damage and Outages
Lightning/Transient Suppression Equipment
Equalize potential differences across the station grid & in the control
building
Systems redundancy emphasized on Bulk Power and system-significant

40
Years of Service
generation

1969
2009
 Grounding and Bonding Basics

Telecommunications Goals
Safety
Bonding of metallic components
Reliability
Lightning protection and mitigation outdoor
Single Point Ground Location for all attachments (Main Ground Bus)
Minimize equipment damage
Minimize telecom circuit outage time
Equipment and systems redundancy emphasized on Broadband
Reduce electrical noise
Reference for DC voltage

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Substation Grounding A Great Start!

All outdoor metallic components are bonded to earth ground

Breakers
Transformers
Structures
Static Wires/OPGW
Distribution Neutrals
Station Service
Lightning Shielding (masts, overhead shield wires, etc.)

Control House
4/0 copper grounding conductors brought in from grid (multiple places typically) CAUTION!!!
4/0 conductors snaked through cable trench/cable tray system, reduced to AWG #6 as

40
Years of Service

needed for rack/panel connection
Relay/Metering/Control Panels tied to bond snake running through the trench or tray cable
management system
1969
2009
 ANSI/IEEE Substation Grounding Standards

IEEE 80: Guide for Safety in AC Substation Grounding

Technical Target: Outdoor AC substations

Purpose:
Establish safe limits of potential differences human body interface
Substation grounding practices review for safety/safe design practices
Provide a procedure for the design of practical grounding systems based on
the above
Develop analytical methods to aid in the understanding of gradient problems

40
Years of Service
DOES NOT PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR TELECOM RELIABILITY!!!
1969
2009
 Telecom Friendly Aspects of IEEE 80

Core benefits of an IEEE 80 ground grid design for Telecommunications

Excellent low net ground grid resistance, ohm is possible, depending on final
design
Site specific ground grid design
Human safe design, from a step-and-touch perspective
Ground Potential Rise voltage is typically limited and affected by step-and-touch
design criteria

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Grounding and Bonding Goals For Telecom

Safety minimize potential differences between metallic paths

Reliability ensure proper comm circuit operation despite transient conditions
Eliminate ground loops
Establish single point ground reference point in any one defined area (such as
a control building room)
Provide an engineered design for grounding and bonding in an area with
telecom equipment

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Fundamental Differences Between Substation
& Telecom Grounding (Control House)

SUBSTATION TELECOM SITE

1. Not engineered by site, 1. Engineered on a site basis (can be
considered a standard practice.
templatized)
2. Grounding conductors can enter
the control house in multiple 2. Single point connection to ground
locations and are tied to the field
station ground grid at different 3. Racks are isolated from the floor
points and from each other
3. Racks bolted directly to the floor 4. DC (+) is grounded
and to each other
5. Floor materials are conductive/anti-
4. Floating DC
static
5. Floor materials vary
6. Minimum Bend Radius Specified for
6. No minimum ground/bond
40
Years of Service
conductor radius typically
specified
transient flow

1969
2009
 Telecom Grounding & Bonding

Definitions
Grounding providing an engineered, low impedance path to earth
Bonding the permanent joining of metallic parts to form an electrically
conductive path which will assure electrical continuity and the capacity to safely
conduct any current likely to be imposed, including 60Hz and transients
Grounded Conductor a system or circuit conductor that is intentionally
grounded (these normally carry current)
Example: Electrical neutral wire, the DC (+) cable in 48 V DC Telecom supplies
Grounding Conductor a conductor used to connect equipment or the
grounded circuit of a wiring system to a grounding electrode or electrodes
(these do not normally carry current)
Example: AC Circuit electrical ground wire (the green wire), grounding wires used to

40
Years of Service
interconnect racks, equipment bonding jumpers

1969
2009
 Telecom Grounding & Bonding

Definitions (contd)
Solid Ground an intentional connection to a grounding system, using a grounding
wire in which there is no additional impedance imposed
Incidental Ground an unplanned grounding connection. Example a conductive
cabinet attached to a concrete surface via Tapcon screws can be said to be
Incidentally Grounded
Earthing Electrode a copper or copper-clad steel rod driven into the earth to
provide a lower impedance path to true earth ground. Other types of earthing
electrodes are steel well casings, structural steel ground grids, metallic piping
for water, sewer, etc.
True Earth Ground a virtual location beneath the earths surface, where electrical
resistance and impedance is zero, and ground currents run freely, whether
40
Years of Service
man-made or natural
Skin Depth a frequency and materials dependent calculation which determines
1969 the penetration of current flow density into the surface of a conductor.
2009 http://www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedia/calsdepth.cfm
 Telecom Grounding & Bonding

Components of a Telecom Grounding & Bonding System at a Substation

CHPGP: Control House Principal Ground Point
A ground bus bar located near the cable connection to the substation ground grid. It serves as
the central connection point for all main grounding conductors and earthing electrode
Horizontal Equalizer
An insulated grounding conductor which has its origination point at the CHPGP, with the
function of connecting conductive equipment in a home run fashion to the principal
grounding point in the room
Halo Ground
A grounding conductor, supported on insulated stand-offs around the perimeter of the room,
typically installed at seven feet or higher elevation, to which all peripheral equipment are
bonded (HVAC, Heaters, Junction Boxes, etc.). The Halo is a radial connection, and not a
complete electrical loop.
Mechanical and Exothermic Connections
Cable-to-device or cable-cable connections. Outdoor connections are typically exothermic, in-
building connections are typically mechanical compression, with two-hole lugs.
40
Years of Service
Hardware & Miscellaneous
Insulated stand offs, cable management, plexiglas or Lexan shields, stainless steel nuts &
1969 bolts, no-oxide grease, exothermic weld molds, mechanical connectors, etc.
2009
 Case Study: Wind Farm Control House Application

Attributes:
Collector Station (34kV-230kV) yard adjacent to transmission switching station
Transmission switching station has microwave tower for Primary relaying channel,
SCADA, and internal voice communications
Copper leased entrance cable, with isolation, at Transmission control house
Transmission control house has PRIMARY and SECONDARY rooms
Communications racks and telco isolation equipment in PRIMARY room
PA System in place to cover the switchyard (copper connections to yard corners)

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
 Grounding-Bonding
Communications Tower & Outside Facilities

Wireless communications for Smart Grid

Requires lightning protection @ top
Proper bonding along feedline route
Bond @ antenna
Bond prior to horizontal transition
Bond prior to CH entry
Center conductor protection just inside CH
Driven rods @ tower & feedline entrance

40
Years of Service

1969
STATION GROUND GRID
2009
Case Study
Substation
Overall Communications Elementary
Control House Floor Plan
 Ice Bridge Detail

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
40
Years of Service

1969 Inside Wall Elevation

2009
 Cross Section Elevation

40
Years of Service

1969
2009
Control House Bonding Connections
 Grounding-Bonding Inside The Control House

Key Design Features:

Single Point Ground Bus (no ground loops)
Discrete (insulated preferred) home-run bonding connections to all equipment
connections:
Cable tray & rack taps
AC System Neutral @ AC Panel
Telecom Reference Ground point
Substation ground grid connection
Building steel
Microwave feedlines

Departure From Telecom Practice

Racks directly bolted to floor and each other without isolation
Cable trays may not be bonded across joints

40
Years of Service
Grounding conductors not insulated

1969
2009
A Few Images
SCADA Master 900 MHz Transceiver 900 MHz SCADA Remote 900
MHz Transceiver Indoor Mount
Smart Recloser Master Tower
Tower Leg Bonding
 Simple Feedline
Halo Ground Entrance
Outdoor Main Ground Bus Mounting

Insulated Stand-Off
Feedline Entrance
Ground Bus Bar Example
1. Main Ground Bus
Producers and Absorbers Separated
Clear separation of power, grounding, and data cables
DC (+) Ground Reference
A and
B
Battery
Strings

Separately
Grounded
Isolation pads under rack
Anti-Static floor tiles
Look-Ahead Other Opportunities

Cable Management
Low Voltage Serial Connections: RS-232/485, GPS
Ethernet
Fiber Optic Entrance and Patch Cables
Non-Substation Hardened Equipment
Security (card access, surveillance, etc.)
Working with teams outside Transmission Engineering
Summary

Communications Grounding-Bonding practices

require safety, but also reliability
Control House equipment connects to a single
point ground bus bar to which all metallic elements
are bonded
Soft radius bends for all grounding and bonding
connections
Minimize or eliminate ground loops
THE ROAD TO THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR POWER AND
SMART GRID COMMUNICATIONS
Are you ready?