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Lecture 2 GROUNDING SYSTEMS Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

Reference: High Voltage Engineering Theory and Practice, Text Book, Marcel Dekker Inc Inc. . NY, USA, 2000 2000. . Mazen AbdelAbdel-Salam, Hussein Anis, Ahdab Elmorshedy, Roshedy Radwan Radwan. . Grounding Systems, Chapter (13) 13). Overvoltages on Power Systems , Chapter (14) 14). HighHigh -Voltage Cables Chapter (12 12) ).
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Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

The objective of a grounding system are: 1. To provide safety to personnel during normal and fault conditions by limiting step and touch potential. 2. To assure correct operation of electrical/electronic devices. 3. To prevent damage to electrical/electronic apparatus.

4. To dissipate lightning strokes. 5. To stabilize voltage during transient conditions and to minimize the probability of flashover during transients. 6. To divert stray RF energy from sensitive audio, video, control, and computer equipment.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

A safe grounding design has two objectives: 1. To provide means to carry electric currents into the earth under normal and fault conditions without exceeding any operating and equipment limits or adversely affecting continuity of service. 2. To assure that a person in the vicinity of grounded facilities is not exposed to the danger of critical electric shock.
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The PRIMARY goal of the grounding system throughout any facilities is SAFETY. Why ground at all? PERSONNEL SAFETY FIRST EQUIPMENT PROTECTION SECOND

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What are the three main types of grounding? The three main types are: EQUIPMENT GROUNDING (SAFETY) SYSTEM GROUNDING LIGHTNING/SURGE GROUNDING

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

The soil resistivity is the single most important factor affecting the resistance of the ground system. system. Most soils behave both as a conductor of resistance R, and as a dielectric dielectric. .

For high frequency and steep steep-front waves penetrating a very high resistive soil, the earth may be represented by a parallel connection of resistance R, capacitance C, and a gap gap. . For low frequencies and dc the charging current is negligible comparing to the leakage current, and the earth can be represented by a pure resistance R.
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Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

Soil Characteristics
Soil type. Soil resistivity varies widely depending on soil type, from as low as 1 OhmOhm -meter for moist loamy topsoil to almost 10, 10,000 OhmOhm-meters for surface limestone limestone. . Moisture content is one of the controlling factors in earth resistance because electrical conduction in soil is essentially electrolytic electrolytic. .

The resistivity of most soils rises abruptly when moisture content is less than 15 to 20 percent by weight, but is affected very little above 20 percent percent. . The moisture alone is not the predominant factor influencing the soil resistivity resistivity. . If the water is relatively pure, it will be of high resistivity and may not provide the soil with adequate conductivity conductivity. .
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Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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The influence of moisture content

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The influence of temperature

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Typical variations in soil resistivity as a function of moisture, temperature and soil content
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The soluble salts, acids or alkali presented in soil influence considerably the soil resistivity resistivity. . The most commonly used salting materials are sodium chloride (common salt), copper sulfate and magnesium sulfate sulfate. .

Resistivities of different solutions

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Different types of salts have varying depletion rates. rates. The temperature effect on soil resistivity is almost negligible for temperatures above the freezing points points. .

When temperature drops below water freezing point, the resistivity increases rapidly. rapidly . Compactness and granularity affects soil resistivity in that denser soils generally have lower resistivity resistivity. .

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Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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The two factors - moisture and salt content -are the most influential ones on soil resistivity for a given type of soil soil. . The chemical treatment of soil surrounding ground rods is preferable and in some cases the only economically sound solution in obtaining low impedance of the ground system system. .

TYPES OF GROUND ELECTRODES Ground electrodes must penetrate into the moisture level below the ground level level. . They consist of a metal (or combination of metals) which do not corrode excessively for the period of time they are expected to serve. serve .

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Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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Because of its high conductivity and resistance to corrosion, copper is the most commonly used material for ground electrodes. electrodes . Other popular materials are hothot-galvanized steel, stainless steel and lead lead. . Ground electrodes may be rods, plates, strips, solid section wire or mats mats. .

Three types of copper rods are available. available. Solid Copper Copper-Copper -clad steel rod (copper shrunk onto the core)core)-Copper bonded steel core (copper is molecularly bonded to nickel plated steel rod) Solid copper rods not prone to corrosion, but are expensive and difficult to drive into hard ground without bending bending. .

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A steel cored copper rod is used for this reason, however those rods that are simply clad are prone to the cladding tearing away from the core when driven in rocky ground, or when bent bent. . This exposes the internal steel core to corrosion. corrosion . The most cost effective solution is the molecularly bonded steel cored copper rod rod. .
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There are three components affecting grounding electrode resistance resistance: : (1) The resistance of the electrode which is negligible. negligible . (2) the resistance of the electrodeelectrode-to to-soil interface area which is negligible (3) the resistance of the body of earth immediately surrounding the electrode. electrode. The main part of any electrode resistance is that of the body of earth surrounding the electrode. electrode .
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Components of a Ground Electrode System (The Grounding

Chain)
GROUND CONDUCTOR CONNECTOR ELECTRODE SOIL

GROUND RESISTANCE OF AN ELECTRODE Grounding point electrode The equations for the resistance of any complex system of ground electrodes can be developed from the fundamental principles principles. . The starting point for such a development is the use of a buried metallic electrode with a hemispherical base of radius r. It is assumed that the hemispherical base is completely buried in the soil soil. .
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When a current I enters the ground through such an electrode, due to its hemispherical base, the current flows radial outward as shown in the sketch below. below .

dR =

dx 2x 2
Current flow from a hemisphere in a uniform earth
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A Hemispherical electrode
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If is the resistivity of the soil, the resistance offered by a hemispherical shell of thickness dx at a radial distance x from the electrode is given by
r1

If r1 is made , the total resistance of the ground electrode will be

r1

R=
a

dx 2x 2

Hence, the resistance encountered by the ground electrode up to the depth of r1 is 1 1 R= 2 a r1

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2a This is the maximum resistance of the ground electrode electrode. . The general equation of the resistance shown above can be modified to a suitable form. form . If a current I enters the ground electrode, the potential drop up to the shell radius of r1 will be given by
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R =

R=

1 1 2 a r1

R=

a 1 2a r1

The general equation for the electrode resistance: resistance : R = 2C Where C is the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode and its image above earth. earth.
V sphere = Q 4 0 r

a V = IR = IR 1 r 1
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Q = C = 4 0 r V
r in cm = C of a sphere in cgs units units. .
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At very high values of r1, the resistance value will approach the value R , beyond which true ground can be assumed to be present. present . The figure below shows the plots of R, V and Vabs, Vabs, the absolute potential with respect to the true ground against the radial distance r1 from the electrode. electrode.
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a V = IR = IR 1 r 1

a Vabs = IR r 1
Vabs = I a 2a r1

Vabs =

I 2r1
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Step and touch voltages

Step and touch voltages

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Step and Touch voltages near a grounded structure: E electrostatic stress (voltage gradient)

E x = i =
r1

I 2x 2

Vr1 =

I I 1 1 dx = 2 a r 2 2 x 1 a
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Step potential Step potential is the voltage between the feet of a person standing near an energized grounded object object. . It is equal to the difference in voltage, given by the voltage distribution curve, between two points at different distances from the electrode. electrode.

A person could be at risk of injury during a fault simply by standing near the grounding point point. .

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Touch potential
Touch potential is the voltage between the energized object and the feet of a person in contact with the object. object . It is equal to the difference in voltage between the energized object and a point some distance away away. . The touch potential could be nearly the full voltage across the grounded object if that object is grounded at a point remote from the place where the person is in contact with it it. .

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Step Potential
Personnel protection Foot to foot potential difference

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