Power
System
Grounding
Introduction
Terminology
In Britain, people have 'earth' and in Northern America
they have 'ground'. They are exactly the same thing,
only different terms are used in different countries.
The subject of earthing may be divided into two.
General Equipment earthing
System neutral earthing
The main objects of earthing are to:
- Reduce the voltage stresses due to switching, lightning,
faults, etc
- Control fault currents to satisfactory values
Introduction
General Equipment Earthing
It is the practice of earthing the metallic
frames of electrical equipment
Purpose - Improve safety to
- operational staff
- the general public
- property in general and
- system electrical equipment
Introduction
System Neutral Earthing
It is the practice of earthing the star-point or
neutral of the electrical power system
The method of earthing employed affects the
system behaviour, the levels of currents and
voltages in the event of a fault
In general, a low grounding impedance leads to
higher earth-fault currents but lower overvoltage
Introduction
What is Grounding?
Grounding: the intentional and permanent
connection between neutral and ground
Over 90% electrical faults are ground
faults
Introduction
Contact between ground and an energized conductor
Unleashes large amount of electrical energy
Dangerous to equipment and people
Types of Power System
Grounding
System Neutral grounding
Arrangements
Isolated or Ungrounded Neutral
Solidly or Direct Earthing
Impedance Earthing
Arc-Suppression or Peterson-coil Earthing
Ungrounded Systems
No intentional connection to ground.
Used in industrial plants.
Operational Benefit Load continues
operating under a ground fault
Economic Benefit no neutral conductor
Ungrounded Systems
Ungrounded system
Ungrounded system
Each line conductor has a capacitance to the
earth and the magnitude of this capacitance is
the same in a perfectly transposed three phase
line. With balanced voltages applied to such a
line, the capacitance currents will be equal in
magnitude as shown above. Assume an earth
fault in conductor A. Hence no capacity
current flows between the phase A and earth.
But the voltage across the other two phases
rises to phase to phase voltage
Ungrounded system
Re-striking due to AC voltage waveform or loose wire caused by vibration
OCPDs do not trip because ground fault current is low due to high value
of Rf.
Ungrounded system
fault phase A supplied the currents ICGB and
ICGC. These being capacitive currents, no
current flows when the line capacitance is
charged. Hence, an arcing takes place at the
faulted point. During this period, the line
capacitance discharges and capacitive current
once again flows.
This repetitive cycle of charging and discharging
causes intermittent arcing at the point of fault
and also gives rise to abnormal voltages across
the healthy phases due to the capacitance effect.
Ungrounded system
If this ground fault is intermittent or allowed to
continue, the system could be subjected to
possible severe over-voltages to ground, which can
be as high as six to eight times phase voltage.
Such over- voltages can puncture insulation and
result in additional ground faults. These overvoltages are caused by repetitive charging of the
system capacitance or by resonance between the
system capacitance and the inductance of
equipment in the system. For these reasons, they
are being used less frequently today.
Solidly Grounded
Systems
Intentional connection of neutral to ground.
Solved system overvoltage problem of
ungrounded systems
Solidly Grounded
Systems
Advantages
Fixed line to ground
voltage
Permit line-to-neutral
loads
Disadvantages
Unscheduled service interruption
Strong shock hazard to personnel
Solidly Grounded
Systems
Solidly Grounded
Systems
Advantages
It is simple and inexpensive in that it
requires no extra equipment. The expense of
the earth-current limiting device such as
resistors, reactors, etc, is eliminated.
The neutral point is held at earth
potential under all operating conditions.
Consequently, the voltage of any
conductor to earth under earth-fault
conditions will NOT exceed the normal
phase voltage of the system.
Solidly Grounded
Systems
The protection of the system is simplified
by virtue of the fact that the ground fault
current compares in magnitude with
inter-phase fault currents, making
detection relatively easier
Hazard voltages are reduced to acceptable
levels. Power frequency, phase-earth
overvoltages are lowest, typically below 1.4
p.u., and this explains why HV systems are
solidly earthed.
Solidly Grounded
Systems
Disadvantages
A solidly grounded system produces the
greatest magnitude of fault current
when a ground fault occurs
The increased ground fault current results
in greater influence (interference) on
neighbouring communication circuits.
The increased ground fault current
produces more conductor burning.
Impedance Grounded
Systems
Impedance Grounded Systems
Impedance inserted between neutral and
ground.
Limits fault current, prevents arcing
ground faults.
Still limits transient overvoltage.
Impedance Grounded
Systems
Impedance Grounded
Systems
By suitable choice of the ohmic value of
the impedance, the lagging component of
the fault current can be made equal to or
more than the capacity current, so that no
transient oscillation due to arcing grounds can
occur.
However, if the ohmic value of the
impedance is sufficiently high so that the
lagging current is less than the capacity
current , then the system condition
approaches that of the ungrounded
neutral system with the risk of transient
overvoltages occurring.
High Impedance
Grounded
Advantages
Limits Ground Fault current to 10 Amps
or less
Allows faulted circuit to continue
operation
Disadvantages
Potential for nuisance alarming
Maintenance personnel may ignore
first fault
High Impedance
Grounded
High- Impedance grounding helps ensure a
ground-fault current of known magnitude,
helpful for relaying purposes. This makes it
possible to identify the faulted feeder with
sensitive ground-fault relays.
Low Resistance
Grounded
Limit ground fault current to a high level (25400A) in order to operate protective fault
clearing relays.
Limits damage to equipment
Prevents additional faults
Provides safety for personnel
Localizes the fault
Arc-Suppression Coil
Earthing
Arc-suppression-coil, also called Peterson coil
afterResonant
the inventor, is an attempt
to eliminate the
(or
Grounding)
fault current that could cause the arcing ground
condition.
Arc-suppression coil earthing can be seen as
special reactance earthing, whose inductance
can be adjusted to closely match the network
phase-earth capacitances, depending on the
system configurations.
Arc-Suppression Coil
Earthing
The inductance of the arc-suppression-coil is
adjusted such that the inductive current due to
(or
Resonant
Grounding)
the coil approximately neutralizes capacitive
current through the total network capacitance 3C,
at the fault.
The resultant earth-fault current is theoretically
suppressed and in any case inadequate to
maintain the arc. Hence the name arc
suppression coil.
Arc-Suppression Coil
Earthing
Voltage to earth of the faulty phase at the point
of fault becomes zero
(or
Resonant
Grounding)
Voltage on the healthy phases is increased to
1.732 times the normal value
A resultant capacity current I-ag equal to three
times the normal line to neutral charging
current flows through the fault. This leads the
voltage of the faulty phase by 90 deg .
Neutral Grounding Device
Definition
Neutral Grounding Device an impedance
device used to connect the neutral of an
electrical system to ground for the purpose of
controlling ground current and voltage-toground.
Earthing in a EHV
Substation
1. Objective:
The touch and step potential shall be
within limits under all conditions including
fault condition
Grounding resistance shall be lower.
Effective earthing system shall aim at
providing protection to life and property
against dangerous potentials under fault
conditions
Earthing System
Points to be earthed in a substation
The neutral point of each separate system
should have an independent earth, in turn
interconnected with the station grounding
mat.
Equipment frame work and other noncurrent parts
All extraneous metallic frame works not
associated with equipment .
Lightning
arrestors
should
have
independent earths, in turn connected to
the station grounding grid.
Earthing System
Over head lightning screen shall also be
connected to main ground mat.
Operating handles of Isolators with a auxiliary
earth mat underneath, if necessary.
Peripheral fencing
Buildings inside the switch yard.
Transformer Neutrals shall be connected
directly to the earth electrode
Design depends upon the following
parameters
Durational and magnitude of the fault current
Resistivity of the surface layer of the soil
Resistivity of the soil
Magnitude of current that the human body can
safely carry
Permissible earth potential raise that may take
place due to the fault conditions
Shock duration
Material of Earth- mat conductor.
Earth- mat geometry
Substation earthing
Design of Earth mat
Parameters for the calculation of
Maximum permissible step and touch
potential
Fault duration :- Fault clearing time of back up
protection is adopted
Modern protection systems provides for fast
acting back up protection
Considerable saving can be made by optimizing
the size of the conductor of earthing grid by
considering lesser fault duration.
These will change the earth potential raise due
to which Step and Touch potentials arise.
Substation earthing
Design of Earth mat
Earth mat parameters
Let
go safe
current
Maximum
current a person can tolerate
and still release grip of an energised object,
using muscles affected by the current
The magnitude of let go current adopted in
calculating maximum permissible step and
touch potentials (As per IEEE 80 1976)
for man
9 milli amps
for woman
6milli amps
Permissible resistance of earthing system
Primary requirements : Impendence to ground
(resistance of earthing system)
Small substations 2 Ohms
EHV substations up to 220 kV 1 Ohm
Power stations and 400 kV substations 0.5 Ohms
Distribution transformer - 5 Ohms.
In order to avoid abnormal shift of the neutral
potential, earth resistance of the station earthing
system shall be normally less than or equal to 1ohm.
Earthing System
Q&A
