CHAPTER 6

EARTHING SYSTEM
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This is the passage of current
through the body of such magnitude
as to have significant harmful effects.
Table 1 and Figure 1 illustrate the
generally accepted effects of current
passing through the human body.
How, then, are we at risk of electric
shock and how do we protect against
it?
ELECTRIC SHOCK
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ELECTRIC SHOCK
Table 1: Effects of Current Passing Through
the Human Body
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ELECTRIC SHOCK
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ELECTRIC SHOCK
1. Touching live parts of equipment or systems
that are intended to be live.
2. Touching conductive parts which are not
meant to be live, but which have become live
due to a fault.
There are two ways in which we can be at risk:
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Three earthing systems such as defined in IEC
364 are:
1) exposed-conductive parts connected to neutral
TN;
2) earthed neutral TT;
3) unearthed (or impedance-earthed) neutral IT
EARTHING SYSTEM
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PURPOSE OF EARTHING SYSTEM
regards protection of persons and property:
mastery of insulation fault effects.
They are considered to be equivalent with respect
to safety of persons against indirect contacts
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CLASSISFICATIONS
The extent of the earth fault and the consequences
deriving from the touching of live exposed-
conductive-parts are specifically related to the
neutral condition of the power system and to the
types of system earthing.
As a consequence, to select the proper device for
the protection against earth faults, it is necessary
to know the installation distribution system. The
International Standard IEC 60364-3 classifies the
electrical systems with the combination of two
letters.
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CLASSISFICATIONS
The first letter indicates the relationship of the
power system to earth:
>> T = direct connection to earth of one point,
usually the neutral, in ac systems;
>> I = all live parts isolated from earth or one point,
usually the neutral, connected to earth through an
impedance.

The second letter indicates the relationship of the
exposed-conductive- parts of the installation to
earth:
>> T = direct electrical connection of exposed-
conductive parts to earth;
>> N = direct electrical connection of the exposed-
conductive parts to the earthed point of the power
system.

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CLASSISFICATIONS
Subsequent letters, if any, indicates the
arrangement of neutral and protective conductors:
S = neutral and protective functions provided by
separate conductors
C = neutral and protective functions combined in a
single conductor (PEN conductor).

For TN-S, TN-C-S and TT systems the following
explanations should aid a full understanding of the
earthing arrangements and their scope of
application. The nomenclature of these system
types is as follows:
T =Earth (from the French word Terre)
N=Neutral
S=Separate
C=Combined


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TT SYSTEMS
This arrangement covers installations not provided
with an earth terminal by the Electricity Supply
Company.
Thus it is the method employed by most (usually
rural) installations fed by an overhead supply.
Neutral and earth (protective) conductors must be
kept quite separate throughout the installation, with
the final earth terminal connected to an earth
electrode by means of an earthing conductor.
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The earth fault current returns to the power supply
node through the soil. In this type of electrical
installations the neutral is usually distributed and its
function is making the phase voltage (e.g. 240 V)
available for the supply of the single-phase loads of
civil installations.
Effective earth connection is sometimes difficult.
Because of this, socket outlet circuits must be
protected by a residual current device (RCD) with an
operating current of 30 mA.
TT SYSTEMS
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TT SYSTEMS
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TN SYSTEMS
In TN systems, the neutral is directly earthed,
whereas the exposed-conductive-parts are
connected to the same earthing arrangement of
the neutral.
TN electrical systems can be divided into three
types based on the fact that the neutral and
protective conductors are separate or not:
1) TN-S
2) TN-C
3) TN-C-S

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TN SYSTEMS: TN-S
The neutral conductor N and the protective
conductor PE are separated
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TN SYSTEMS: TN-S
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TN SYSTEMS: TN-C
TN-C: the neutral and protective functions are
combined into a single conductor, called PEN.
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TN SYSTEMS: TN-C-S
TN-C-S: the neutral and protective functions are
partially combined into a single PEN conductor and
partially separated PE + N
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TN SYSTEMS: TN-C-S
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TN SYSTEMS
In TN systems the earth fault current returns to the
power supply node through a direct metal
connection (PE or PEN conductor) without
practically affecting the earth electrode
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IT SYSTEMS
The installation arrangements in the IT system are
the same for those of the TT system.
However, the supply earthing is totally different.
The IT system can have an unearthed supply, or one
which is not solidly earthed but is connected to earth
through a current limiting impedance.
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IT SYSTEMS
The total lack of earth in some cases, or the
introduction of current limiting into the earth path,
means that the usual methods of protection will not
be effective.
For this reason, IT systems are not allowed in the
public supply system.
An exception is in medical situations such as
hospitals. Here it is recommended that an IT
system is used for circuits supplying medical
equipment that is intended to be used for life-
support of patients.
The method is also sometimes used where a
supply for special purposes is taken from a private
generator.
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The earth fault current returns to the power supply
node through the earthing arrangement of the
exposed conductive parts and the capacities to earth
of the line conductors.
IT SYSTEMS
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EARTH FAULT LOOP IMPEDANCE
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Where:
Z
s
= total loop impedance
Z
e
= external loop impedance
R
1
= resistance of the circuit line conductor
R
2
= resistance of the circuit cpc
EARTH FAULT LOOP IMPEDANCE
Simplified
Version
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IT SYSTEMS
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EARTH ELECTRODE