SERVICE BULLETIN

NOTICE: The Type of Change and Recommended Compliance specied reects Solars best judgment regarding the Service Bulletin. All questions should be directed to your Solar Field Service Representative. Solar, Saturn, Centaur, Taurus, Mercury, Mars, Titan, SoLoNOx, and Turbotronic are trademarks of Solar Turbines Incorporated. Cat and Caterpillar are trademarks of Caterpillar Inc. Specications subject to change without notice.

NUMBER: ISSUED: REVISED: PRODUCT: MODEL(S): Specifics: SUBJECT:

5.0/111C February 2003 December 2006 All All

TURBINE PACKAGE ELECTRICAL NOISE REDUCTION/GROUNDING PRACTICES REVISION NOTICE

This revision contains multiple enhancements to align or clarify Solar Turbines Incorporated terminology with NEC and IEEE codes.

Type of Change: Recommended Compliance: Purpose:

Product Information Information

Provide guidance concerning Solars recommended turbine package grounding practices and inspection criteria to minimize electrical and electro-magnetic interference issues while maintaining safety. This bulletin does not address lightning/surge protection nor does it suggest violating local codes. An effort has been made to clarify unique Solar terminology and to demonstrate how this terminology relates to NEC and IEEE terms. GENERAL INFORMATION: The use of electric actuators and adjustable speed drives (aka variable frequency drives or VFDs) is increasing on turbine packages, and electric fuel control valves are becoming commonplace. These and other devices, such as speed pickups, can provide valuable feedback signals that are key to Safety Critical Control Systems (SCCS). Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) can violate the integrity of these feedback signals. One of the most

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effective ways to reduce the effects of EMI and RFI is through proper system grounding. This document outlines recommended ground procedures for Solars turbine packages. The ve types of grounding systems* used for Solar equipment are dened as follows: FG (Frame Ground) NEC and IEEE equivalent is Equipment Grounding Conductor. FG refers to the interconnection of instrument chassis, instrument panels, doors and control consoles to a common frame ground. At Solar, this is the skid frame. The purpose of the frame ground is to reduce the possibility of electrical hazard to personnel. Frame ground should be tied in the most direct possible path to a common earth electrode. PE (Protective Earth) PE ground provides a route to dissipate the power line transients to earth potential. Protective Earth should be tied in the most direct possible path to a common earth electrode. IE (Instrument Earth) The Instrument Earth ground protects sensitive electrical and electronic devices, circuits, and wiring from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). IE should be what Solar refers to as a quiet ground, free from transient voltages and electromagnetic noise. It is, therefore, normally isolated from the PE ground. Instrument Earth should be tied in the most direct possible path to a common earth electrode. HAIE (Hazardous Area Instrument Earth) The hazardous area instrument earth is required for intrinsically safe 1701 vibration system applications. Other sensitive electrical and electronic devices may be connected to the HAIE bus. The HAIE bus is a copper bar inside the control console or box and is isolated from FG, PE, IE, and IS buses. The HAIE bus is to be connected in the most direct possible path to a common earth electrode. The measured impedance shall be one (1) ohm or less between the bus and earth electrode. IS (Intrinsically Safe Earth) IS is a special type of dedicated ground to be used in intrinsically safe controls. The IS bus should be isolated from FG, PE, IE, and HAIE buses. The IS bus is to be connected in the most direct possible path to a common earth electrode. *All grounding systems must terminate to a single earth point. ALL OF THESE MUST GO TO AN EARTH GROUND STAKE (ELECTRODE). THE PREFERRED SYSTEM IS AT LEAST 3 GROUND STAKES IN A TRIANGLE (See Figure 2 in the Control System Grounding Practices section).

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ACTION REQUIRED: Advisements within this section should be considered recommendations, only. Equipment currently functioning safely and properly need not be modied. These are optional improvements that may enhance safety, durability, and reliability of your equipment. Where applicable, local codes and ordinances shall prevail. Regular inspections to ensure safety and to identify potential sources of electrical and electro-magnetic interference are highly recommended. Annual Inspection: Visually inspect: All wiring connections to each ground bus and check to validate they are tight, dry, clean, and free of corrosion. Each grounding system to ensure that the ground bus bars are isolated and run to a common earth electrode.

Verify the ground buses are isolated: Before disconnecting the ground connections, assure that all electrical power sources are turned off. Disconnect PE, IE, HAIE, and IS ground conductors at each bus, that go to the earth ground electrodes as shown in Figure 1 in the Annual Inspection section. Due to the 1 megohm resistor network in the ControlNet adapters, connections between the following buses should be removed as shown in Figure 1. PE Bus and 24 VDC return line (0 VDC) for Generator sets. Frame Ground (FG) Stud and PE Bus.

Check resistance between each of the possible bus connections. None should be less than 1 megohm. After the isolation checks are completed, reconnect the grounding conductors to their respective ground points.

Verify the grounding resistance levels between grounds are within the required levels given below. FG should have a low resistance path to the common earth electrode of less than 5 ohms. PE should have a low resistance path to the common earth electrode of less than 5 ohms. IE should have a low resistance path to the common earth electrode of less than 5 ohms. However, the resistance from any 1701 Field Monitor Machinery Protection System grounding terminal should not exceed 1 ohm to the common earth electrode. IS should have less than 1 ohm from the farthest barrier to the common earth electrode.

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If the resistivity of the soil is poor and a new ground is to be established, consider the following: Concrete is an effective medium for ll around ground conductors for several reasons. Concrete is quite conductive because of the retained moisture and the alkalinity which provides free ions. Buried concrete has a resistivity of about 3000 ohm-cm, which is considerably less than the average earths resistivity of 6500 ohm-cm.

Figure 1 PE and IE Isolation Check

It should be noted when viewing Figure 1, that not all grounding systems have the same conguration. Whatever your existing grounding conguration is, it is important to break that connection to perform this test. If the turbine package is experiencing problems which may be related to electrical noise: Check to see that analog signals are shielded and appropriately connected per the guidelines in the Control System Grounding Practices section. Conrm that noise-sensitive signal wires are routed separately from cables with high noise potential.

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Review the installation and compare the grounding practices with those presented in this document to determine where corrections should be made. Control System Grounding Practices: General All control system grounds must be wired in a star or multiple star arrangement with the individual grounds balanced between them. That is: No daisy chaining of grounds. The primary ground from each control box must go directly to the Earth Grounding Stake. This means all ground buses and ground studs must go directly to their respective Earth Ground Stake. Routing should be accomplished by the most direct path possible. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

Bonding of Ground Connections To maintain a high integrity grounding system, all grounding connections need to be bonded. Bonding is a process, which includes: Creating a clean conductive surface (removal of all paint, anodic lm, grease, and lacquer).

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Coating the clean surface with an approved conductive lubricating compound to prevent corrosion. Connecting the ground lug rmly to the prepared surface directly or with an approved star washer. Utilizing hardware for the lugs and washers of galvanically similar materials or coatings to avoid galvanic interaction. For typical Solar applications this is achieved with the use of stainless steel hardware that has been passivated.

Frame Ground All frame grounds should be bonded per the Bonding of Ground Connections section above. This includes frame grounds to internal panels. DIN rails can only be tied to the frame ground if items attached to the DIN rail have no electrical connection to electronic circuits. Example: terminal strips. Interconnect cable armor/shields entering a terminal box/control box should be connected to FG unless they are grounded on the other end. Panel to panel grounding should be accomplished with a braided shield (braided shields provide better RFI protection). Skid motor frames should be connected to FG. VFD cases should be tied to FG. PECC High Force actuators should have their cases tied to FG. Individual component casings shall be tied to FG (generally skid components) except where the internal circuits or instrumentation is tied to the chassis (generally inside a control box). Examples are the 1771 Allen Bradley Racks and the 1756 Control Logix chassis that must be insulated from FG. Frame protection of components from an electro/magnetic eld must be established by isolating FG from PE, IE, HAIE, and IS grounds. On pipeline compressor sets, due to the desire to provide cathodic protection for the in-ground pipe: The on-skid frame ground must be isolated from PE, IE, HAIE and IS ground as shown in Figure 3. All frames mounted on the skid will be grounded to same.

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Figure 3

Protective Earth On generator sets, 120 VDC and 24 VDC power returns must be tied to the PE bus as near to the supply as possible. For pipeline compressor sets, however, 120 VDC and 24 VDC returns can be oating and isolated from the PE bus to avoid violating the integrity of any existing cathodic protection to the in-ground piping.

Instrument Earth DIN rails must be tied to the IE bus when control devices attached to the DIN rail have physical connections between the DIN rail and any electrical/electronic circuit. Examples include Allen Bradley Flex I/O modules. Signal shields should be connected to the IE bus. Signal shielding should be continuous from the source and tied directly, with no interruption, to the IE bus. Electronic module component internal power drains must be tied to the IE bus. Examples include the backup over-speed monitor and the 1771 Allen Bradley racks, and 1756 ControlLogix chassis.

Intrinsically Safe Earth Only the intrinsically safe barriers should be connected to the IS bus. The shield and the signal return of the intrinsically safe loop isolated by a zener intrinsically safe barrier are tied to the IS bus.

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The IS bus connects to the building intrinsically safe earth with two conductors no less than #12 AWG size wire each, and should be tied to one common ground stake. Galvanic isolators do not need to be tied to an IS bus. The signal shield should be tied to an IE bus.

Common Earth Electrode (Final ground termination) Figure 4 shows a typical arrangement to connect the ground buses to the ground electrode connections. This arrangement is typical on all generator sets and gas pipeline applications when the gas pipeline coming from the gas turbine compressor set is not isolated from earth. For some gas pipeline applications, the compressor skid may need to be isolated from earth for cathodic protection. Typically, grounding in this case is provided through a oating ground grid as shown in Figure 3. The key element here is the skid ground is tied to a oating ground and any off-skid component is tied to its respective Earth Ground.

Multi-Control Box Ground Ties All control box systems should be independently routed to the Common Earth Electrode System.

Bonding Grounding Electrodes All Earth Ground Electrodes shall be tied together using a system such as CadWeld. This bond shall be below the frost line.

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Figure 4

Exceptions Although separate PE bus and FG routing to earth is preferred, PE bus and FG may be tied together and connected to a single earth ground for generator sets. However, PE bus and FG grounding conductors should be routed separately on pipeline compressor sets. DIN rails withAllen Bradley IJ2 (speed) and IRT8 (T/C or RTD) modules should be tied back to their appropriate 0v dc return at power distribution terminals. Shielding on signals to Allen Bradley IJ2 and IRT8 modules should be connected directly to the module. The 1771 PLC rack, 1756 ControlLogix chassis, backup over-speed monitor, and component internal power drains should be tied to the IE bus. PECC high force actuators with internal power drains having a capacitive tie to casing will:

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Have their internal power drain tied though the casing ground to skid. Have the 120 VAC 0v oat with respect to the skid.

Where the Station Earth Ground method is a grid encased within the concrete slab and a single ground is present to attach to, Figure 5 provides a solution for termination of the PE, IE, FG and sometimes IS and HAIE. This Copper bus is then attached to the Station Earth Ground.

Figure 5 Alternate 0 Round Termination

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