EE537 Advanced Power System Protection EE537 Advanced Power System Protection Tutorial: Earthing

1) What are the purposes of earthing in electrical power systems?

Dr C Booth

To provide a sufficiently low impedance to facilitate satisfactory protection operation under fault conditions and ensure fault current can return to source in a controlled manner. Earthing also ensures that voltage (potential difference) does not rise with respect to earth on faulty equipment and ensures that persons in the vicinity of substations are not exposed to unsafe potentials under steady state or fault conditions. To retain system voltages within reasonable limits under fault conditions (such as lightning, switching surges or inadvertent contact with higher voltage systems), and ensure that insulation breakdown voltages are not exceeded. 2) Briefly describe impedance earthed, solidly earthed and isolated (unearthed) systems what are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Impedance earthed system: Impedance (resistor/reactor) connected in series with the earth connection (usually at transformer/generator neutral) limits fault currents to acceptable level. Used in UK distribution systems and at generators to limit fault currents + reduces fault current while earth faults still easily detected - cost, consequence of failure of series impedance Low impedance (solidly) earthed system: Most common fault currents high, voltage remains suppressed. Used at LV and transmission in the UK + faults easily detected - excessively high fault current, consequence of broken neutral (overcome by PME) Unearthed/isolated systems: No deliberate, formal connection to earth. There may be some high impedance connections for instrumentation, for example the coil of a measuring device. Used in low voltage and hazardous installations. + safety - difficult to detect earth faults and potential dangers with capacitive coupling to earth

March 2010

EE537 Advanced Power System Protection

Dr C Booth

3) How can earth faults on solidly earthed three phase systems be detected? You may wish to use a diagram to support your answer. Earth faults on such systems may be detected using simple overcurrent protection and/or dedicated earth fault protection, which may look for significant unbalance across all three individual phase currents and/or for current flow in the earth connection itself. Diagrams of various forms of earth fault protection shown below:

I1A

I1B I1C

50 51 50N 51N

50 51

50 51

Dedicated phase and earth fault protection

Dedicated earth-fault protection

Economic phase and earth fault protection (note only three relays in total).

4) If there is an earth fault and current is flowing through an earth connection in a substation, what are the potential risks to personnel or livestock in the vicinity of the earth connection through which current is flowing? How can these risks be reduced? When current flows into or out of the earth at a particular location, there will be a potential rise at the point of entry as shown in the diagram below. This manifests as a

March 2010

EE537 Advanced Power System Protection

Dr C Booth

step and touch voltage on the ground around the earth connection (step potential) and possibly on earthed equipment (touch potential). The risks of this are obvious to personnel and livestock these risks can be reduced by reducing the resistance to true earth by making a better connection reducing the resistance decreases the touch and step potentials.
Equipment (e.g. earthed transformer tank)

Current

Voltage Gradient

Voltage Rise

Resistance

0V (true earth)

5) Draw a circuit diagram for a single phase non-PME TN-C-S system. What would be the potential consequences of a broken supply neutral in such a system? Circuit diagram below:

Non PME system

L

240V

Supply Transformer

Consumer load N Combined E/N E

Consumers earths connected to supply neutral (TN-C-S)

The broken neutral could lead to dangerous voltage rises on all earthed equipment as the overall circuit would be open at the point of the neutral break no current flow so no voltage drop across live and the neutral on the consumer-side of the break in the neutral. Therefore all exposed metalwork on all consumers devices connected to that circuit (presuming at least one device was switched on, which is extremely likely) could be energised to as much as the full supply voltage an undesirable situation presenting a severe risk of electric shock to anyone (that is connected to earth through their feet, for example) touching the exposed metalwork.. Earth faults would not be detected as there would be no current flowing in the circuit neither overcurrent/fuse nor RCDs would be capable of detecting this situation.

March 2010

EE537 Advanced Power System Protection

Dr C Booth

6) Describe PME systems and show how they can reduce consumer earth potential rises in the event of a break in the supply neutral. Why is it important to keep a low earth resistance in the earth connections in PME systems? PME is the practice of physically earthing the combined neutral and earth conductor at various places along the length of the conductor (between consumers premises and the supply point normally the earthed star point of the 3-phase distribution transformer). If the neutral breaks, then the earth connections at each side of the neutral will divert current through actual earth and this return path should act to limit consumer earth potential rises in the event of a break and to provide a return path for load and fault current. The resistance of the earth connections should be kept as low as possible as this will act to limit the rise of the consumers earthed equipment in the event of a broken neutral and will also facilitate higher currents during fault conditions. Diagram below (not asked for) describes this:
I=64A +176V L 1.25 Supply Transformer

240V

80V

-64V 64V
Combined earth resistance = 1

N/E

+96V
Combined earth resistance = 1.5

96V

0V

System with broken neutral (no earth fault) consumer earth at 96V with respect to true earth reducing combined earth resistances would limit this voltage rise. 7) Draw a single phase 240V PME TN-C-S system with a single load resistance of 22 , a supply line impedance of 1 and a combined neutral/earth return conductor impedance of 1 . Circuit:
1 L

240V

Supply Transformer

Consumer load 22 N
1
Consumers earths connected to supply neutral (TN-C-S)

a) Under normal conditions (no fault and no break in the neutral), what is the current flowing in the system and the voltage across the consumers load terminals? (Ans:10A, 220V) Simple circuit analysis with V=240V, total resistance = 1 each serially-connected resistor. +22 +1 , V drop across

March 2010

EE537 Advanced Power System Protection

Dr C Booth

b) What is the fault current if there is an earth fault that completely short circuits the load (assume 0 fault resistance and that the neutral is not broken)? (Ans:120A) Simple circuit analysis with V=240V, total resistance = 2 . c) If the neutral breaks at the half way point (but there is no earth fault) and the net resistance to earth at each side of the break is 1.5 per side, what current flows in the circuit and what is the voltage across the consumers terminals? What is the voltage at the consumers earth terminal with respect to true earth? (Ans:9.2A, 203V, 13.8V) Simple circuit analysis with V=240V, total resistance = 1 +22 +1.5 +1.5 , V drop across each serially-connected resistor. Remember true earth (0V) is between the 1.5 resistances, so V at bottom of transformer will be equal to (9.2 x 1.5) = 13.8V voltage at top of transformer winding = 226.2V. d) For the situation described in part c), assume that there is also an earth fault that completely short circuits the load (assume 0 fault resistance). What current flows in the circuit and what is the voltage across the consumers terminals? What is the voltage at the consumers earth terminal with respect to true earth? (Ans:60A, 0V, 90V) Simple circuit analysis with V=240V, total resistance = 1 +0 (load/fault short circuited)+1.5 +1.5 , V drop across each serially-connected resistor. Remember true earth (0V) is between the 1.5 resistances, so V at bottom of transformer will be equal to (60 x 1.5) = -90V voltage at top of transformer winding = 150V. 8) Briefly describe the operation of a residual current earth fault protection device (RCD). Why are they better than fuses or overcurrent protection from a safety perspective? RCDs operate by comparing the current entering the protected circuit via the live conductor with the current leaving the protected circuit via the neutral. These currents should essentially be equal. If they are not, then this may indicate the presence of an earth fault, where the fault current is returning via the consumers earth connection and not via the neutral. In such cases, the live and neutral current would not be equal and the device would operate. The device uses a number of simple electromagnetic coils to enable operation as shown below (diagram not asked for):

Fault current path shown in red

March 2010

EE537 Advanced Power System Protection

Dr C Booth

RCDs do not require overcurrent to operate; they are therefore more sensitive (and usually faster) than fuses or simple overcurrent protection. 9) Would an RCD operate for an earth fault in its protected circuit if the neutral (on the utility supply cable outside the premises) was broken and there was no PME arrangement? No there would be no current flowing as there is no return path to the supply transformer. 10) What is bonding and why is it important? Any exposed conductive metalwork which can be touched is connected together via bonding conductors. Bonding is used to ensure that the potential on all exposed conductive metalwork is virtually the same (and should be close to zero if all effectively earthed). This means that the chance of someone touching a live and an earthed conductor is reduced/eliminated as there should be no (or very little) potential difference between bonded equipment. 11) For the system arrangement shown below:
L 20 20 15 10 15 Supply Transformer Location of break N
Combined earth resistance = 0.5 Combined earth resistance = 0.5

240V

5 individual consumers from common supply

Consumers earths connected to supply neutral (TN-C-S)

a) What is the total current flowing in the circuit when there is no earth fault and the neutral is intact? (Ans:80A)

Simple circuit analysis with V=240V, total resistance = 20 //20 //15 //10 //15 =3 , I=80A

b) What would the earth fault current be for a solid earth fault in one of the consumers premises, when the neutral is unbroken and a fault loop impedance of 0.3 is assumed (neglecting the source and transformer impedances)? (Ans: 800A) Simple circuit analysis with V=240V, total resistance = 0.3 , I=80A c) If the neutral were to break at the location shown (with no earth fault), what electrical potential would the consumers earths be with respect to true earth?

March 2010

EE537 Advanced Power System Protection

Dr C Booth

What voltage would be available across all consumers load devices? What total current would flow in the circuit? (Ans: 30V, 180V, 60A) Simple circuit analysis with V=240V, total resistance = 3 +0.5 +0.5 (I=60A) V drop across each serially-connected resistor. Remember true earth (0V) is between the 0.5 resistances, so V at consumer neutral will be equal to (60 x 0.5) = 30V.

d) If there was a solid earth fault and the neutral was broken as shown above, what
electrical potential would the consumers earths be at with respect to true earth? What total current would flow in the circuit? (Ans: 120V, 240A) Simple circuit analysis with V=240V, total resistance = 0 (load/fault short circuited)+0.5 +0.5 , (I=240A) V drop across each serially-connected resistor. Remember true earth (0V) is between the 0.5 resistances, so V at consumer neutral will be equal to (240 x 0.5) = 120V.

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EE537 Advanced Power System Protection

12) For the system arrangement shown below:

Dr C Booth

L (0.2+j0.4 )

240V

Supply Transformer Location of break N (0.2+j0.4 )

Combined earth resistance = 2

(10+j1 )

5 individual consumers from common supply

Consumers earths connected to supply neutral (TN-C-S)

Combined earth resistance = 2

a) What is the magnitude of the current flowing in the circuit when there is no earth fault and the neutral is intact? (Ans:22.75A) Calculate Z for circuit (10.4+j1.8), I=V(240V)/Z =22.7A

b) What would the earth fault current be for a solid earth fault (no fault impedance) in one of the consumers premises, when the neutral is unbroken (neglecting the source and transformer impedances)? (Ans: 268A) Calculate Z for circuit (0.4+j0.8), I=V(240V)/Z =22.7A c) If the neutral were to break at the location shown (with no earth fault), what electrical potential would the consumers earths be with respect to true earth? What voltage would be available across all consumers load devices? What total current would flow in the circuit? (Ans: 33.6V, 169V, 16.82A) Calculate Z for circuit (14.2+j1.4), I=V(240V)/Z =16.82A V at top of transformer winding = -(16.82x2)+240=206.36V, drop across line = 16.82x0.447 (magnitude of supply line impedance)=7.52V, drop across consumer device = 16.82x10.05(magnitude of load impedance)=169V. V at consumer neutral/earth=0(voltage at true earth+(Vdrop across 2 earth resistance) = 16.82x2=33.6V

d) If there was a solid earth fault and the neutral was broken as shown above, what
electrical potential would the consumers earths be at with respect to true earth? What total current would flow in the circuit? (Ans: 113.8V, 56.9A) Calculate Z for circuit (4.2+j0.4), I=V(240V)/Z =56.9A V at consumer neutral/earth=0(voltage at true earth+(Vdrop across 2 resistance) = 56.9x2=113.8V

earth

March 2010