Fundamentals of Earthing

What standards say

The NEC, National Electrical Code, Article 100 defines a ground as: a conducting connection, whether intentional or accidental between an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth, or to some conducting body that serves in place of the earth. In European countries-Earthing In American countries-Grounding

Purpose of Earthing
Protection of buildings and installations against lightning Safety of human and animal life by limiting touch and step voltages to safe values Fast clearing of faults Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) i.e. Static electricity.

Grounding/Earthing
Earth grounding (System earthing)-Neutral grounding for safety of equipment Equipment grounding (Commonly called earthing/equipment earthing)-For safety of human.

Illustration of Equipment Earthing

Illustration of Equipment Earthing

GPR
The maximum electrical potential that a grounding grid may attain relative to a distant grounding point assumed to be at the potential of remote earth. This voltage, GPR, is equal to the maximum grid current times the grid resistance.

Remote Earth
A point on earth located at an effectively infinite distance from the location being analyzed. The remote earth potential is the reference voltage for ground potential rise and other voltages developed during fault conditions

Step and touch potential

Step and touch potential

If the maximum GPR calculated above does not exceed either of the touch and step voltage limits, then the grid design is safe. Grounding grid buried in homogeneous soil with resistivity of 200.m. The maximum step and touch voltages are 547 and 1481 V respectively If the surface material is not used, and the limits of step and touch voltages are 316 and 187 V. Step and touch voltages exceed their respective limits. If a granite layer is used, the limits of tolerable step and touch voltages are 9131V and 2390 V

Method of earthing

Factors affecting earth resistance

Soil resistivity Moisture Temp. Length and no. of electrode Hygroscopic mineral contents (like-NaCl, NaCO3, MgSO and CuSO4 etc.)

Resistivity measurement-Wenner method

Resistivity measurementSchlumberger method

if b is small compared to a and c, and c>2a, the apparent soil resistivity value is:

Values of Earth resistance

As per article 250-84 of NEC-25 for single earth pit. As per IEEE Green Book [3], For large electrical substations 1 . As per IR ACTM appendix III, TSS- 0.5 , Switching station- 2 , Booster or aux. transformer stn. 10

Type of metal for electrode-Not matter

For plate R=/AX/A For pipe/rod R=100 /2 lx loge 41/d
where, R = Resistivity of the soil in Ohm-m l = Length of the Rod or Pipe in cm d = Diameter of the Rod or Pipe in cm. For strip/conductor electrode R=R=100 /2 lx loge 21sq. /depth

Material matters for..

For corrosion etc. For short time current rating

Resistivity Vs Moisture

Resistivity Vs Salt content

Resistance Vs Length of rod

Effect of diameter
Diameter of the ground electrode Increasing the diameter of the ground electrode has very little effect in lowering the resistance. For example, you could double the diameter of a ground electrode and your resistance would only decrease by 10 %.

Multiple Electrodes
For additional electrodes to be effective, the spacing of additional rods need to be at least equal to the depth of the driven rod. Without proper spacing of the ground electrodes, their spheres of influence will intersect and the resistance will not be lowered.

Multiple Electrodes
Very often when two, three or four grounding electrodes are being used, they are driven in a straight line; when four or more are being used, a hollow square configuration is used and the grounding electrodes are still connected in parallel and are equally spaced In multiple electrode systems, the 62% method electrode spacing may no longer be applied directly. The distance of the auxiliary electrodes is now based on the maximum grid distance

Multiplying factor for multiple electrodes

NUMBER OF RODS X

2 3 4 8 12 16 20 24

1.16 1.29 1.36 1.68 1.80 1.92 2.00 2.16

Measurement of earth resistance

Fall of potential method/3 point measurement (reliable, accurate & flexible) 62% method Attached rod technique Stakeless method (Quick and easy) Methods for large system like substations.

Fall of potential method

Accurate Requires electrode under test to be disconnected Preferred during commissioning.

Fall of potential method

62% Method

Effect of auxiliary electrode spacing

R ohm Distance of aux. electrode

APPROXIMATE DISTANCE TO AUXILIARY ELECTRODES USING 62% METHOD

For electrode of 1" in diameter. (For a diameter of 1/2", reduce the distance by 10%; for a diameter of 2" increase the distance by 10%; for a diameter of 3/8", reduce the distance by 8%.)

DEPTH DRIVEN

DISTNACE to P Probe

DISTANCE to C Probe

6 ft 8 ft 10 ft 12 ft 18 ft

45 ft 50 ft 55 ft 60 ft 71 ft

72 ft 80 ft 88 ft 96 ft 115 ft

20 ft 30 ft

74 ft 86 ft

120 ft 140 ft

Stakeless method through clamp on earth tester

Easy to use (disconnection not required) Time and manpower saving Safe Not applicable for isolated earth pit Not as accurate as fall off technique Erroneous result if current exceeds 5A.

Attached rod technique-ART

Combines best features of fall off and clamp on technique Yet accurate Disconnection not required Uses clamp and stakes

For substations
Problem: Most critical location as step and touch potentials have to fall with in range.. Concentric shells are big so requires long lead for auxiliary electrodes for accurate measurement. Not possible through ordinary fall of technique.

Methods for substation

Intersecting curve method Slope method Four potential method Star delta method

How to lower earth resistance

By adding water By adding water/humidity retaining compounds (wood coal, salt-NaCl, NaCO3, CuSO4 etc.) but it is corrosive and wash away in rain Backfill compound like-Bentonite, activated carbon etc. Increase depth of electrode or provide additional electrodes

References
Getting down to earth by Megger corporation. Understanding ground resistance testing by AEMC Instruments. Earthing technique by Lightning and surge technologies IS 3043 Earth ground resistance by Fluke corporation Earthing Myths and Facts by Jayanta Khan L&T Ltd. IR ACTM Paper-Ground testing in difficult installation by Mr. Jeffrey R. Jowett Grounding Consideration by Mr. Ruwan Weerasundara Member IEEE.

THE END