CalculateNumbersofPlate/Pipe/StripEarthings(Part3)

APRIL1,2013

20COMMENTS

CalculateMin.CrossSectionareaofEarthingConductor:
CrossSectionAreaofEarthingConductorAsperIS3043

CrossSectionAreaofEarthingConductor(A)=(Ifxt)/K
Wheret=FaultcurrentTime(Second).
K=MaterialConstant.
Example:
CalculateCrossSectionAreaofGIEarthingConductorforSystemhas50KAFaultCurrentfor1second.Corrosionwillbe
1.0%PerYearandNoofYearforReplacementis20Years.
CrossSectionAreaofEarthingConductor(A)=(Ifxt)/K
HereIf=50000Amp
T=1Second
K=80(MaterialConstant,ForGI=80,copperK=205,AluminiumK=126).
CrossSectionAreaofEarthingConductor(A)=(500001)/80
CrossSectionAreaofGIEarthingConductor(A)=625Sq.mm
AllowanceforCorrosion=1.0%PerYear&NumberofYearbeforereplacementsay=20Years
Totalallowance=20x1.0%=20%
Safetyfactor=1.5
RequiredEarthingConductorsize=CrosssectionalareaxTotalallowancexSafetyfactor
RequiredEarthingConductorsize=1125Sq.mmsay1200Sq.mm
Hence,Considered1Nox12x100mmGIStripor2Nox6x100mmGIStrips

ThumbRuleforCalculateNumberofEarthingRod:
TheapproximateearthresistanceoftheRod/Pipeelectrodescanbecalculatedby

EarthResistanceoftheRod/PipeelectrodesR=Kx/L
Where=ResistivityofearthinOhmMeter
L=LengthoftheelectrodeinMeter.
d=DiameteroftheelectrodeinMeter.
K=0.75if25<L/d<100.
K=1if100<L/d<600
K=1.2o/Lif600<L/d<300

NumberofElectrodeiffindoutbyEquationofR(d)=(1.5/N)xR
WhereR(d)=Desiredearthresistance
R=Resistanceofsingleelectrode
N=No.ofelectrodesinstalledinparallelatadistanceof3to4Meterinterval.
Example:
CalculateEarthingPipeResistanceandNumberofElectrodeforgettingEarthingResistanceof1,SoilResistivityof
=40,Length=2.5Meter,DiameterofPipe=38mm.
HereL/d=2.5/0.038=65.78soK=0.75
TheEarthResistanceofthePipeelectrodesR=Kx/L=0.7565.78=12

Oneelectrodetheearthresistanceis12.
TogetEarthresistanceof1thetotalNumberofelectrodesrequired=(1.512)/1=18No

CalculatingResistance&NumberofEarthingRod:
Reference:AsperEHVTransmissionLineReferenceBookpage:290andElectricalTransmission&Distribution
ReferenceBookWestinghouseElectricCorporation,SectionIPage:570590.

EarthingResistanceofSingleRods:R=x[ln(2L/a)1]/(23.14xL)
EarthingResistanceofParallelRods:R=x[ln(2L/A]/(23.14xL)
WhereL=lengthofrodingroundMeter,
a=radiusofrodMeter
=groundresistivity,ohmMeter
A=(axS)
S=RodseparationMeter

FactoraffectsonGroundresistance:
TheNECcoderequiresaminimumgroundelectrodelengthof2.5meters(8.0feet)tobeincontactwiththesoil.But,
therearesomefactorthataffectthegroundresistanceofagroundsystem:
Length/Depthofthegroundelectrode:doublethelength,reducegroundresistancebyupto40%.
Diameterofthegroundelectrode:doublethediameter,lowergroundresistancebyonly10%.
Numberofgroundelectrodes:forincreasedeffectiveness,spaceadditionalelectrodesatleastequaltothedepthofthe
groundelectrodes.
Groundsystemdesign:singlegroundrodtogroundplate.

TheGIEarthingConductorsizesforvariousEquipments:
No

Equipments
1

HTswitchgear,structures,cabletrays&fence,rails,

EarthStripSize
55X6mm(GI)

gateandsteelcolumn
2
3
4

LightingArrestor
PLCPanel
DG&TransformerNeutral
TransformerBody

25X3mm(Copper)
25X3mm(Copper)
50X6mm(Copper)

50X6mm(GI)

25X6mm(GI)

Control&RelayPanel

25X6mm(GI)

LightingPanel&LocalPanel

25X6mm(GI)

DistributionBoard

4mm2(GI)

Motorupto5.5kw

10
11
12

25X6mm(GI)

Motor5.5kwto55kw

40X6mm(GI)

Motor22kwto55kw

55X6mm(GI)

MotorAbove55kw

SelectionofEarthingSystem:
Installations/Isc

IRValue

Capacity

Required

Household

8ohm

earthing/3kA

SoilType/Resistivity

EarthSystem

NormalSoil/upto50ohmmeter

SingleElectrode

SandySoil/between50to2000ohm

SingleElectrode

meter

Commercial

2ohm

premises,Office/5kA

RockySoil/Morethan2000ohmmeter

MultipleElectrodes

NormalSoil/upto50ohmmeter

SingleElectrode

SandySoil/between50to2000ohm

MultipleElectrodes

meter

Transformers,

lessthan1

substationearthing,

ohm

LTlineequipment/

RockySoil/Morethan2000ohmmeter

MultipleElectrodes

NormalSoil/upto50ohmmeter

SingleElectrode

SandySoil/between50to2000ohm

MultipleElectrodes

meter

15kA

LA,Highcurrent

lessthan1

Equipment./50kA

ohm

RockySoil/Morethan2000ohmmeter

MultipleElectrodes

NormalSoil/upto50ohmmeter

SingleElectrode

SandySoil/between50to2000ohm

MultipleElectrodes

meter

PRS,UTS,RTUs,

lessthan

Dataprocessing

0.5ohm

centreetc./5KA

RockySoil/Morethan2000ohmmeter

MultipleElectrodes

NormalSoil/upto50ohmmeter

SingleElectrode

SandySoil/between50to2000ohm

MultipleElectrodes

meter
RockySoil/Morethan2000ohmmeter

MultipleElectrodes

SizeofEarthingConductor:
RefIS3043&HandbookonBS7671:TheLeeWiringRegulationsbyTrevorE.Marks.
SizeofEarthingConductor
AreaofPhaseConductorS

AreaofEarthingconductor(mm2)

AreaofEarthingconductor(mm2)

(mm2)

WhenItisSameMaterialas

WhenItisNotSameMaterialas

PhaseConductor

PhaseConductor

S<16mm2

SX(k1/k2)

16mm2<S<35mm2

16mm2

16X(k1/k2)

S>35mm2

S/2

SX(k1/2k2)

K1isvalueofPhaseconductor,k2isvalueofearthingconductor
ValueofKforGI=80,Alu=126,Cu=205for1Sec

StandardEarthingStrip/Plate/Pipe/wireWeight:
GIEarthingStrip:
Size(mm2)

Weight

20x3

500gmPermeter

25x3

600gmPermeter

25x6

1/200KgPermeter

32x6

1/600KgPermeter

40x6

2KgPermeter

50x6

2/400KgPermeter

65x10

5/200KgPermeter

75x12

7/200KgPermeter

GIEarthingPlate:
Plate

Weight

600x600x3mm

10KgApp.

600x600x4mm

12KgApp.

600x600x5mm

15KgApp.

600x600x6mm

18KgApp.

600x600x12mm

36KgApp.

1200x1200x6mm

70KgApp.

1200x1200x12mm

140KgApp.

GIEarthingPipe:
Pipe

Weight

3meterLongBISE

5KgApp.

3meterrLongBISE

9KgApp.

4.5meter(15LongBISE)

5KgApp.

4.5meter(15LongBISE)

9KgApp.

4.5meter(15LongBISE)

14KgApp

GIEarthingWire:
Plate

Weight

6Swg

5meterin1Kg

8Swg

9meterin1Kg