ADOPTION OF RESTRICTED NEUTRAL SYSTEM TO

RESTRICT TOUCH POTENTIAL WITHIN SAFE LIMITS

AJAY SINGH,
DIRECTOR OF MINES SAFETY (ELECTRICAL),
DGMS

INTRODUCTION: In order to control the hazards like shock voltage/potential and

ignition which have direct relation with human safety, need to be addressed in
effective manner. The most effective technique to control the risks associated with
above-mentioned hazards is to equip the electrical distribution networks with
restricted neutral system of power supply.
The Regulation 100(1) of Central electricity Authority Regulations, 2010, reads
as follows:
appropriate equipment shall be suitably placed in the mines for
automatically disconnecting supply to any part of the system, where a
fault, including an earth fault, occurs and fault current shall not be more
than 750 milliampere in installations of voltage exceeding 250 V and up
to 1100 V for below ground mines and oil fields and 50 ampere in
installations of voltage exceeding 1100 V and up to 11 kV in open cast
mines and the magnitude of the earth fault current shall be limited to
these specified values by employing suitably designed, RESTRICTED
NEUTRAL SYSTEM OF POWER SUPPLY.

PRINCIPAL OF OPERATION: By introducing an impedance/resistor between

neutral and earth, the shock voltage is reduced to a safer value so as to keep the
magnitude of current through body within safe limits as depicted below:
 The various parameters associated with the calculation of touch potential
are depicted below:
CONCEPT OF TOUCH POTENTIAL:

For a 550V system, per phase voltage is 317V and the value of NGR to
restrict earth fault current within 750mA will be 423 .
The magnitude of shock voltage ( or touch potential) will be calculated as
follows:
= (550/3) x 45 / (423 + 45) = 30.53 V which is well within safe limits.
---------- 45 is resistance of earth return path.
Accordingly, the touch potential may be calculated for the other electrical
networks.
The characteristics between touch potential and time as shown below shall
be referred so as to appropriately set the timing of earth leakage relay
(source: AS-4871), failing which the protective scheme wont be fool-proof
and may not offer desired protection.
It is evident from the foregoing discussion that in order to reduce the touch
potential either the magnitude of NGR (Neutral Grounding Resistor) shall be
increased or the resistance of earth return path shall be reduced.
Conclusion: Through this paper an effort is made to explain about the concept of
touch potential and means to reduce the same within safe limits for a particular
electrical installation. It was also demonstrated about the appropriate setting of
an earth fault relay for a particular touch potential so that the safety of persons
employed is not compromised.