Earthing and Lightning

Protection System
Prepared by Mohamed Minna Muslim
 EARTHING

• If there is a fault in your electrical installation you could get an electric shock if you
touch a live metal part.
• Your body is a conductor and touching a live part may lead to make a path for electricity
to pass to ground and current flow through your body more than the level your body can
conduct may lead to many severe cause.
• A human body can only withstand less than 10mA, if the leakage current is more than
that it may cause harmanes to your body.
 Why is earthing important?

• Earthing is done to avoid people from getting electric shocks.

• It protects appliances and equipment from getting damaged.
• Earthing provides the easiest path to the flow of the short circuit current even after the
failure of the insulation.
 Types of Earthing System

• TN-S
• TN-C-S
• TN-C
• TT
• IT
• Note: T = Earth (from the French word Terre) N = Neutral S = Separate C = Combined I
= Isolated (The source of an IT system is either connected to earth through a deliberately
introduced earthing impedance or is isolated from Earth.)
 TT

• In this type of Earthing System, connection

to the supply source is directly connected to
earth & load end or installation metalwork
is also directly connected to the earth.
Therefore, in case of an overhead line, the
mass of the earth will be the return path for
the line. The neutral and earthing conductor
must be separated through the installation
because the power distributor only provides
the supply neutral or protective conductor
for the connection to the consumer.
 IT

• The distributor system does not have any

connections to earth or it has only a high
impedance connection. The basic feature of IT
earthing system is that in the event of a fault
between phases and earth, the system can
continue to operate without interruption. Such
a fault is referred to as a “first fault”. Thus,
usual earthing protection is not effective for
this system and this type is not meant for
consumer power supply. The IT Earthing
System is used for power distribution systems
such as substations or generators.
 TN-S

• In this system, the Ground Conductor &

Neutral Conductor are separate
throughout the distribution system. The
protective conductor is the metallic
covering of the cable supplying the
installation. All the exposed conductive
parts of the installation are connected to
this protective conductor or via the main
earthing terminal of the installation.
 TN-C

• The Neutral and the protective earth are

combined into a single conductor
throughout the system. All the exposed &
conductive parts of the installation are
connected to the PEN conductor.
 TN-C-S

• The Neutral and the protective earth are

combined in a single conductor in a part of the
system. This type of earthing is also known as
multiple protective earthing. The supply system
PEN conductor is earthed at two or more
points and an earth electrode may be necessary
at or near the consumer’s installation. All the
exposed conductive parts of the
installation are connected to the PEN conductor
via the main earthing terminal & the neutral
terminal and these terminals are linked together.
 Soil resistivity test

• Soil resistivity test is done using the Ground tester.

• Four spikes is inserted in the ground with distance
of 3mtr from each other and connected to the
equipment.
• Press start the equipment will read the resistance
value of the soil.
• Depending upon the type of soil and soil
resistance value the type of pit to be used will be
selected.
• The resistance of earthing system shall not be
more than 1ohm.
 Earthing system calculation
• This calculation we will use the value obtained from soil resistivity test
and calculate the Earth mesh/Lattice size, numbers and how much depth it
should be placed to achieve the required resistance value.
• Based upon this calculation shop drawing will be made and specialist
should stamp the drawing.
• Special will recommend the size and number of conductor to be connected
to equipment from Earthing lattice.
 Elements of Earthing

• Earthing Mat / Earth lattice

• Earth bar
• Bare copper conductor
• PVC insulated single core cable/wire (yellow/green)
 Earth Mat/ Earth lattice

• Copper or Stainless Steel earth mats in the

form of lattice shall be provided instead of
earth rods at locations where rocky soil
conditions do not allow to drive the earth rod
easily into the ground. This shall be a
standard manufactured item from the
approved manufacturer and shall consist of
ten (10) numbers 3 mm thick bars in the form
of a 900 x 900 mm lattice mat.
Exothermic Welding
 Earth Bar

• Earth bars are used to provide a convenient

common earthing point for electrical
installations are available with single or
twin disconnecting links which means the
earthing bars can be isolated for electrical
testing.
• Earth bar are installed in MV room,
Transformer room, LV room, generator,
Mechanical room , Electrical room, and
ELV room to provide earthing connection
to panels and equipment's.
 Bare Copper Conductor

• Bare copper conductor is used to increase

the conductivity of the leakage current.
• It is installed embedded in slab
tightening with the rebar.
• It is used to make connection with
earthing network.
 PVC insulated copper cable/Wire

• PVC insulated copper cable is used to

connect the Equipment's to the earth bar
which will provide the continuous
earthing connection till the earthing
network.
• All the Equipment’s, LV / ELV panels,
final devices and metal parts are
connected using PVC insulated
cable/wire.
• This cable shall be LSZH in our project.
 Transformer neutral Earthing

• Transformer used in our project is Delta to star

Step down transformer, primary side of the
transformer is delta which has no neutral and
secondary side is star and neutral is taken from
the dedicated earthing lattice installed for
transformer.
• From this dedicated earthing lattice PVC
insulated cable is connected to Earth bar and
from Earth bar the neutral side of transformer is
connected.
• All cable connection should be done properly
using cable lugs.
 Lightning protection system

• Lightning protection system is used to minimize the effect caused by the lightning strike.
• When lightning strikes the building or the Equipment’s it always strikes the highest point
of the surrounding.
• To capture the lightning strike Air terminal/Lightning rod is installed surrounding the
roof at the highest point.
• The distance and number of air terminal to be installed is done by using mess area
calculation.
 Lightning

• Lightning is a giant spark of electricity in the atmosphere between clouds,

the air, or the ground. In the early stages of development, air acts as an
insulator between the positive and negative charges in the cloud and
between the cloud and the ground.
 Components of Lighting protection system

• Earth rod
• Test link
• Down conductor
• Copper tape / Bare copper conductor
• Air Terminal
 Earth rod

• Copper electrode is buried underground

vertically, connecting all the electrical
conductors to the earth. The depth of
Electrode depends on the conditions of
the soil.
 Test link

• The test link is a lighting protection

component designed to break the contact
between the top and bottom of a
lightning protection system. That is,
between the catching device (lightning
rod/ air terminal and Earth pit) and the
earth electrode, for measurement
purposes.
 Down conductor

• The air terminal and Test link is

connected using down conductor.
• The steel rebar/ copper conductor tied to
steel rebar is used as down conductor to
carry electrical current coming from
lightning.
 Copper tape and Bare copper conductor

• Copper tape and bare copper conductor

is used to provide electrical connectivity
from earth pit to Air terminal.
• This is connected by using lugs.
• They are installed in UPVC conduit /
directly tied in the rebar according to the
approved shop drawing.
 Air terminal

• Air terminal is installed in roof/ tallest

points.
• It is used to collect the lightning strike
and pass the electrical energy to the
ground.
 Lightning risk assessment

• Lightning Risk assessment Study is actually the measure of risk of a lightning

strike and probability of damages. It assesses the lightening risks to the facility according
to international standards requirements.
 Risk assessment will be based on the following factors

• Lightning Strike Density In That Particular Area

• Danger For People,
• Occupation Coefficient Of Structure,
• Relative Location Of Site,
• Fire Risk,
• Associated Services,
• Electrical Lines,
• Lightning Protection Level,
• Surge Arrestor And
• Dimensions Of Installation.
 Continuity test
• Continuity test is done after the installation of Lightning protection
system.
• The continuity from air terminal to earth pit shall provided to reach the
minimum resistance value.
• For Lightning Protection system the resistance value shall not exceed
10ohm Ground resistance test will be conducted for each pit to measure
the resistance value.
THANK YOU