CHAPTER – 26

Neutral Grounding
1.Describe ungrounded or isolated neutral system. What are its disadvantages?
In an ungrounded neutral system, the neutral is not connected to the ground i.e. the
neutral is isolated from the ground. Therefore, this system is also called isolated neutral system
or free neutral system. Fig.1 shows ungrounded neutral system. The line conductors have
capacitances between one another and to ground. The former are delta-connected while the
latter are star-connected. The delta-connected capacitances have little effect on the grounding
characteristics of the system (i.e. these capacitances do not effect the earth circuit) and,
therefore, can be neglected. The circuit then reduces to the one shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 1

Figure 2
Therefore, when single line to ground fault occurs on an ungrounded neutral system,
the following effects are produced in the system:

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(i) The potential of the faulty phase becomes equal to ground potential. However, the
voltages of the two remaining healthy phases rise from their normal phase voltages to full
line value. This may result in insulation breakdown.
(ii) The capacitive current in the two healthy phases increase to 3 times the normal value.
(iii) The capacitive fault current (IC) becomes 3 times the normal per phase capacitive current.
(iv) This system cannot provide adequate protection against earth faults. It is because the
capacitive fault current is small in magnitude and cannot operate protective devices.
(v) The capacitive fault current IC flows into earth.
2. What is neutral grounding?
The process of connecting neutral point of 3-phase system to earth (i.e. soil) either
directly or through some circuit element (e.g. resistance, reactance etc.) is called neutral
grounding.
3. What are the advantages of neutral grounding?
The following are the advantages of neutral grounding:
(1) Voltages of the healthy phases do not exceed line to ground voltages i.e., they remain nearly
constant.
(2) The high voltages due to arcing grounds are eliminated.
(3) The protective relays can be used to provide protection against earth faults. In case earth
fault occurs on any line; the protective relay will operate to isolate the faulty line.
(4) The overvoltages due to lightning are discharged to earth.
(5) It provides greater safety to personnel and equipment.
(6) It provides improved service reliability.
(7) Operating and maintenance expenditures are reduced.
4. What is solid grounding? What are its advantages?
When the neutral point of a 3-phase system (e.g. 3- phase generator, 3-phase
transformer etc.) is directly *connected to earth (i.e. soil) through a wire of negligible resistance
and reactance, it is called solid grounding or effective grounding.
Advantages
The solid grounding of neutral point has the following advantages :
(1) The neutral is effectively held at earth potential.
(2) When earth fault occurs on any phase, the resultant capacitive current IC is in phase
opposition to the fault current IF. The two currents completely cancel each other. Therefore,
no arcing ground or over-voltage conditions can occur. The capacitive currents flowing in the
healthy phases R and Y are IR and IY respectively. The resultant capacitive current IC is the
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phasor sum of IR and IY . In addition to these capacitive currents, the power source also
supplies the fault current IF.This fault current will go from fault point to earth, then to neutral
point N and back to the fault point through the faulty phase. The path of IC is capacitive and
that of IF is inductive.The two currents are in phase opposition and completely cancel each
other. Therefore, no arcing ground phenomenon or over-voltage conditions can occur.
(3) When there is an earth fault on any phase of the system, the phase to earth voltage of the
faulty phase becomes zero. However, the phase to earth voltages of the remaining two
healthy phases remain at normal phase voltage because the potential of the neutral is fixed
at earth potential. This permits to insulate the equipment for phase voltage. Therefore,
there is a saving in the cost of equipment.
(4) It becomes easier to protect the system from earth faults which frequently occur on the
system. When there is an earth fault on any phase of the system, a large fault current flow
between the fault point and the grounded neutral. This permits the easy operation of earth fault
relay.
5. What are the disadvantages of solid grounding?
Disadvantages
The following are the disadvantages of solid grounding :
(i) Since most of the faults on an overhead system are phase to earth faults, the
system has to bear a large number of severe shocks. This causes the system to
become unstable.
(ii) The solid grounding results in heavy earth fault currents. Since the fault has to
be cleared by the circuit breakers, the heavy earth fault currents may cause the
burning of circuit breaker contacts.
(iii) The increased earth fault current results in greater interference in the
neighbouring communication lines.

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 SELF - TEST
1. Fill in the blanks by inserting appropriate words/figures:
(i) When single line to earth fault occurs on an ungrounded neutral system, the voltages of the
healthy phases (other than the faulty phase) rise from their normal phase voltages to ...............
(ii) When single line to earth fault occurs on an ungrounded neutral system, the capacitive
current in the two healthy phases rises to ................... times the normal value.
(iii) When single line to earth fault occurs on an ungrounded neutral system, the capacitive
fault current becomes ................... times the normal per phase capacitive current.
(iv) In Peterson coil grounding, inductance L of the coil is related to line to earth capacitance
C as ...................
(v) When single line to earth fault occurs in solid grounding system, the phase to earth voltage
of the remaining two healthy phases remain at ................... .
2. Pick up the correct words/figures from brackets and fill in the blanks.
(i) The ungrounded neutral system cannot provide adequate protection against earth faults
because the capacitive fault current is ................... (small, very large)
(ii) In Peterson coil grounding, when inductive fault current becomes equal to capacitive

current of the system, then ................... (XC = 3XL; XL = 3XC)

(iii) In voltage transformer grounding ................... of single phase transformer is connected
between neutral and earth. (secondary, primary)
(iv) In equipment grounding, the enclosure is connected to ................... wire. (ground, neutral)
(v) The ground wire is coloured ................... . (black, green)
(vi) The neutral wire is coloured ................... . (black, green)
(vii) In Peterson coil grounding, the inductance of the coil is ................... . (fixed, variable)
(viii) In case of earth fault, the ungrounded neutral system ................. lead to arcing ground.
(does, does not)
(ix) Grounding transformer is used where neutral ................... available. (is, is not)
(x) Most of the faults on an overhead system are ...................faults.
(phase to earth, phase to phase)
ANSWERS TO SELF-TEST
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1. (i) line value (ii) 3 (iii) 3 (iv) L = (v) normal phase voltage
3𝜔2 𝐶
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2. (i) small (ii) XC = 3XL (iii) primary (iv) ground (v) green (vi) black (vii) variable
(viii) does (ix) is not (x) phase to earth