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EARTHING IN LV & MV SYSTEMS

1. SOURCE GROUNDED – EQUIPMENT UNGROUNDED

2. SOURCE GROUNDED – EQUIPMENT GROUNDED

3. SOURCES GROUNDED – EQUIPMENT GROUNDED

– WITH BONDING

4. LOW VOLTAGE (415V)

5. MV ( RESISTANCE GROUNDED SYSTEM )

6. MV ( UNGROUNDED SYSTEM )

7. ‘CLEAN’ EARTH

8. UPS SYSTEM EARTHING 2

 REFERENCES
• IEEE Std – 80 : GUIDE FOR SAFETY IN AC

SUBSTATION GROUNDING

• IEEE Std – 1100 : GUIDE FOR POWERING AND GROUNDING

ELECTONIC EQUIPMENT

• IS – 3043 : CODE OF PRACTICE FOR EARTHING

• EARTHING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES : R W RYDER

• ELECTRICAL EARTHING AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION

: EDITED BY M G SAY
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 EARTHING IN LV & MV SYSTEMS

1. SOURCE GROUNDED – EQUIPMENT UNGROUNDED

• FOR EASY CONCEPTUALIZATION, 1  NETWORK

SHOWN

• AB – SOURCE OF SUPPLY; C – EQUIPMENT

• B IS EARTHED TROUGH EARTH ELECTRODE 'E'

V C

B H

E1
4
• UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, R  VERY HIGH.
EVEN IF A PERSON TOUCHES THE BODY, NO CURRENT
FLOWS THROUGH HIM
• INSULATION FAILURE OF EQUIPMENT  R = 0
• CURRENT THROUGH PERSON
V 240
A C
H = ------------ = ------------  120 mA
RH + RE1 2000 + 1
• THIS CURRENT IS SMALL AND V RC
R
NOT SUFFICIENT TO X
BLOW THE FUSE B
RE1 RH
• BUT EVEN THIS SMALL
CURRENT CAN BE
DANGEROUS TO A PERSON ( IEEE STD - 116 mA FOR 1 Sec )
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2. SOURCE GROUNDED – EQUIPMENT GROUNDED

A C
• B & C ARE EARTHED
F
THROUGH EARTH
ELECTRODES 'E1' & 'E2' R
RC
V
• INSULATION FAILURE
X
OF EQUIPMENT  R = 0
B
• REQ = RE2 RH RE2 RH
RE1
= 1  2000 = 1

6
 • FAULT CURRENT A C
V F
F = ------------
REQ + RE1 R
RC
V
240
= ------------  120 A X
1+1 < 120 mA >
B
1 RE2 RH
H = ----------- x 120  60 mA RE1
1 + 2000 < 120 mA >

• F IS SIGNIFICANT BUT NOT VERY HIGH.

FUSE MAY OR MAY NOT BLOW
• H - CURRENT THROUGH PERSON LOW BUT
NOT INSIGNIFICANT
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3. SOURCE GROUNDED – EQUIPMENT GROUNDED –
WITH BONDING

• FIG_EA_20

• BONDING CONDUCTOR – SHOWN IN RED

• PHYSICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN EQUIPMENT CASING

AND SOURCE

• ALSO CALLED EARTH CONTINUITY CONDUCTOR

• BONDING CONDUCTOR RESISTANCE : RB  VERY SMALL

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• FIG_EA_20

• EVEN ASSUMING RB = 0.01 , FAULT CURRENT

240
 F = --------- = 24 kA
0.01
•  F IS VERY HIGH. FUSE WILL BLOW INSTANTANEOUSLY.

• HUMAN SAFETY INHERENTLY ACHIEVED

• CONCLUSION
DO NOT DEPEND ON 'MOTHER EARTH' FOR
RETURN OF FAULT CURRENT. DEPEND ON PHYSICAL
EARTH CONTINUITY CONDUCTOR (BONDING) THAT
RUNS FROM EQUIPMENT TO SOURCE.
IF FAULT CURRENT IS NOT DISCHARGED TO EARTH,
STEP & TOUCH POTENTIALS ARE IRRELEVANT.
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 1- F SUPPLY TO EQUIPMENT

A C
A

RC R
V C V

B H B X

RE1 RB RE2 RH
E1 E2

SOURCE EQUIPMENT
GROUNDED GROUNDED

WITH BONDING

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FIG_EA_20
 1- F SUPPLY TO EQUIPMENT

A C
A

RC R
V C V

B H B X

RE1 RB RE2 RH
E1 E2

SOURCE EQUIPMENT
GROUNDED GROUNDED

WITH BONDING

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FIG_EA_20
4. LOW VOLTAGE (415V)

• GENERALLY SOLIDLY GROUNDED

• IE RULES

• IF FOR ANY REASON, IF LV SYSTEM IS NOT SOLIDLY

GROUNDED, SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM ELECTRICAL

INSPECTOR REQUIRED

• MYTH : EARTH IS GOOD EQUIPMENT GROUNDING

CONDUCTOR
• REALITY : EARTH IS THE MOST UNRELIABLE
EQUIPMENT GROUNDING CONDUCTOR

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 EARTH : UNRELIABLE EARTHING CONDUCTOR

• BEST EARTH ELECTRODE RESISTANCE  1 

• ON 415 V SYSTEM, IF ONLY EARTH IS USED FOR RETURN OF

FAULT CURRENT,

MAX  (415/3) / 1

MAX  240 AMPS

• IF FAULT CURRENT IS LIMITED TO 240 A, NEITHER O/C RELAY

NOR FUSE WILL EVER OPERATE !

• FIG_EA_1
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SOLIDLY GROUNDED NEUTRAL

ACCIDENTAL CONTACT
SWITCHGEAR

VTOUCH
N

RE =
1 

E

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FIG_EA_1
• CONCLUSIONS

• EARTH SHALL NOT BE TREATED AS SOLE EQUIPMENT

GROUNDING CONDUCTOR FOR FAULT CURRENT

RETURN PATH

• MAKE AS MANY SUPPLEMENTARY CONNECTION TO

EARTH FROM EQUIPMENT AS YOU WISH

• BUT MAKE SURE THAT ALL EQUIPMENT ARE

CONNECTED TO GROUNDING GRID (EARTH

CONTINUITY) CONDUCTOR WHICH SHALL BE

CONNECTED TO SOURCE NEUTRAL 15

 LOW VOLTAGE (415V)

• MAJORITY OF FAULT CURRENTS SHALL BE CARRIED BY

GROUNDING GRID CONDUCTOR AND VERY LITTLE BY
'MOTHER' EARTH
• IF EARTH CURRENT IS LESS, TOUCH POTENTIAL IS ALSO
LESS
• EARTH CONDUCTOR MUST RUN ALL OVER THE PLANT
AND MUST CARRY RETURN CURRENT BACK TO SOURCE
NEUTRAL

• FIG_EA_26

• CORRECT METHOD FIG_EA_99A

• WRONG METHOD FIG_EA_99B

• IF NOT DONE  LEADS TO GROUND FAULT RELAYING
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PROBLEMS
 SOLIDLY GROUNDED SYSTEM

6.6 kV 415V

BKR
R

B
N
E

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FIG_EA_26
 EARTHING IN LV SYSTEM
CORRECT METHOD

6.6KV

E
415V
40 x 6
R Y B N E
PCC

E
MCC

M 18
FIG_EAR_99A
 EARTHING IN LV SYSTEM
WRONG METHOD

6.6KV
E

415V 40 x 6
R Y B N E E
PCC

E
MCC

M 19
FIG_EAR_99B
• UNSAFE EARTHING

• NO EARTH CONTINUITY
CONDUCTOR

• SAFE EARTHING

• WITH EARTH
CONTINUITY CONDUCTOR

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5. MV ( RESISTANCE GROUNDED SYSTEM )

• FIG_EA_27

• EVEN HERE THE EARTH CONDUCTOR MUST RUN ALL

OVER THE PLANT AND MUST CARRY RETURN CURRENT
BACK TO NGR

• DO NOT EARTH NGR BODY !

ANIMATION

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 RESISTANCE GROUNDED SYSTEM

16 kV 6.6 kV

BKR R

NGR
E

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FIG_EA_27
 CAUTION : DO NOT EARTH NGR CUBICLE !

FROM TRANSFORMER OR
GENERATOR NEUTRAL
BUSHING

SHEET STEEL
RESISTOR ENCLOSURE
STACKS

INSULATOR

TO TO
EARTH EARTH
GRID GRID

EARTH PIT EARTH PIT

NGR SUPPORT FRAME SOIL LEVEL 23
24
6. MV ( UNGROUNDED SYSTEM )

• FIG_EA_28

• EVEN FOR UNGROUNDED SYSTEM EARTH

CONTINUITY CONDUCTOR RECOMMENDED !

• FIG_EA_47

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 UNGROUNDED SYSTEM

132kV 6.6 kV

BKR

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FIG_EA_28
EARTHING CONDUCTOR IN UNGROUNDED SYSTEM

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FIG_EA_47
7. ‘CLEAN’ EARTH

❖ ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT EARTHING

• FIG_EA_51 - CORRECT METHOD

• FIG_EA_52 - WRONG METHOD

• FIG_EA_53 - MONITORING

• NEUTRAL CURRENT HIGH

• CURRENT THROUGH ISOLATED GROUND

HIGH

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 ‘CLEAN’ EARTH

• TWO CARDINAL PRINCIPLES

• NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR AND GROUND CONDUCTOR
CONNECTED ONLY AT THE SERVICE ENTRANCE. FROM
THIS POINT ON, NEUTRAL AND GROUND CONDUCTORS
SHOULD NOT BE BONDED TOGETHER. i.e. NEUTRAL AND
GROUND CONDUCTORS SHOULD NEVER TOUCH EACH
OTHER AFTER LEAVING SERVICE ENTRANCE PANEL
BOARD.
• UNBALANCED LOAD CURRENTS SHALL RETURN
ONLY THROUGH THE NEUTRAL BACK TO THE SERVICE
ENTRANCE. GROUND SHALL CARRY ONLY FAULT
CURRENT AND NOT UNBALANCED LOAD CURRENTS.
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 ‘CLEAN’ EARTH

• MYTH

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT REQUIRE A ‘CLEAN,

DEDICATED AND ISOLATED GROUND’ AND SHOULD BE

ISOLATED FROM DIRTY ‘POWER EARTH’. THIS IS A

FAIRY TALE AND NOT AS PER CODES.

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ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT EARTHING : CORRECT METHOD

SOURCE PANEL RECEPTACLE LOAD

N
N
N N
N

IG
IG
G
G
G

FIG_EA_51 31
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT EARTHING : WRONG METHOD
SOURCE PANEL RECEPTACLE LOAD

N
N
N N
N

IG
IG
G
G
G

POWER EARTH
CLEAN EARTH? FIG_EA_52 32
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT EARTHING- MONITORING

SOURCE PANEL RECEPTACLE LOAD

N
N
N N
N

IG
IG
G
G
G

FIG_EA_53 33
 SOLIDLY GROUNDED SYSTEM

6.6 kV 415V

BKR
R

B
N
E

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FIG_EA_26
 EARTHING IN LV SYSTEM
CORRECT METHOD

6.6KV

E
415V
40 x 6
R Y B N E
PCC

E
MCC

M 35
FIG_EAR_99A
 UPS SYSTEM EARTHING

NEUTRAL AND GROUND BOND AT SERVICE ENTRANCE

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 UPS SYSTEM EARTHING

UPS - SEPARATELY DERVIED SOURCE

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 UPS SYSTEM EARTHING

DISTRIBUTION BOARD - SEPARATELY DERIVED SOURCE

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