EARTHING

Definition of Earthing :
• Earthing is the process of connecting an earth
conductor to the earth electrode. It helps to
prevent electric shocks by providing a low
impedance, low resistance, return path for any
fault current to get back to the distribution
panel. This high return fault current will cause
the circuit's breaker to trip and disconnect the
fault.

• Earthing means any connection given to the

earth mass by means of a conductor connected
to the earth electrode buried in soil.
QUALITIES OF GOOD EARTHING
The qualities of a good earthing system are :
• Must be of low electrical resistance (ideally zero but practically between 1
to 1.5 ohm)
• Must be of good corrosion resistance
• Must be able to dissipate high fault current repeatedly
NEED OF GOOD EARTHING
• To save human life from danger of electrical shock or death by blowing a
fuse i.e. To provide an alternative path for the fault current to flow so that
it will not endanger the user
• To protect buildings, machinery & appliances under fault conditions ie. To
ensure that all exposed conductive parts do not reach a dangerous
potential.
• To provide safe path to dissipate lightning and short circuit currents.
• To provide stable platform for operation of sensitive electronic
equipments i.e. To maintain the voltage at any part of an electrical
system at a known value so as to prevent over current or excessive voltage
on the appliances or equipment .
• To provide protection against static electricity from friction
 TYPES OF EARTHING:
There are various ways of doing Earthing.
• Conventional EARTHING
• Pipe Earthing,
• GI Plat Earthing,
• Cast Iron plat Earthing,
• Copper plat Earthing
• Maintenance Free EARTHING
CONVENTIONAL EARTHING
• The Conventional system of Earthing calls for digging of a large
pit into which a GI pipe or a copper plate is positioned amidst
layers of charcoal and salt.
• The Conventional system of GI pipe Earthing or copper plate
Earthing requires maintenance and pouring of water at regular
interval.
MAINTENANCE FREE EARTHING
• It is a new type of earthing system which is readymade,
standardized, scientifically developed. Its Benefits are
• Maintenance Free: No need to pour water at regular
interval- except in sandy soil.
• Consistency: Maintain stable and consistent earth resistance
around the year.
• More Surface Area: The conductive compound creates a
conductive zone, which provides the increased surface area
for peak current dissipation. And also get stable reference
point.
• Low earth resistance. Highly conductive. Carries high peak
current repeatedly.
• No corrosion. Eco Friendly.
• Long Life.
• Easy Installation.
TECHNICAL DETAILS OF MAINTENANCE FREE EARTHING

•Two ‘B’ class mild steel pipes, one inside the

other, are subjected to Hot dip Galvanization .
Back Fill Compound (B.F.C)"Ashlok" earthing
system comes with a compound named Back Fill
Compound (B.F.C) when has all the qualities of the
ideal backfill material for an earthing system.
It is easily compacted and when water is added to
it, it will absorb up to thirteen times its dry
volume.
This consistently holds its own shape and adheres
to any surface it touches.
These capabilities resolve the issues of
compatibility and soil / rod contact that are crucial
to an earthing system.
BFC absorbs whatever moisture is present and
maintains within itself, in contrary to surface
appearances.
Benefits of Back Fill Compound (B.F.C)

• Maintains moisture within the sphere of influence of

electrode. The B.F.C. will cause the low soil resistivity
around the electrode., which results in a significantly
lower earth resistance, that could not otherwise be
obtained using a conventional earth electrode
installation.
• Provides cathodic protection for the electrode
• Enhances the surrounding soil conductivity thereby
making it more effective for high fault, noise, ripples,
harmonics, neutral to earth unbalance and lightning
current dissipation.
• he enhancement backfill material has special
application with non-toxic enhancers to further
improve its durability and performance.
Measurement of Earth Resistance:

• Earth resistance is measured using Earth Tester. This meter

consists of 4 terminals E, P1, P2, and P3.
• E & P1 will be shorted & connected to grid or electrode & P2,
P3 are the reference electrode that will be kept on the Earth
surface at two different locations for taking ref resistance of
the earth.
• The meter shows the value of Earth resistance than is less
than 1 ohm.

Factors affecting earth resistance are

1. Shape & material of the earth electrode.

2. Depth of the electrode at which they are buried in soil.
3. Specific resistance of the soil surrounding the electrode
Methods of Earth Ground Testing

There are four types of earth ground testing

• Soil Resistivity (using stakes)
• Fall of potential (using stakes)
• Selective (using 1 clamp and stakes)
• Stakeless (using 2 clamps only)
Soil Resistivity measurement
Why determine the soil resistivity ?

• Soil resistivity is most necessary when determining the design of the grounding
system for new installation (green field application ) to meet ground resistance
requirement.
• The soil composition , moisture content, and temperature all impact the soil
resistivity .
• Soil is rarely homogenous and the resistivity of the soil will vary geographically
and at different soil depths.
• Since soil and water are generally more stable at deeper strata , it is
recommended that the ground rods to be placed as deep as possible into the
earth.
• Ground rods should be installed where there is stable temperature.
• For grounding system to be effective, it should be designed to withstand the
worst possible conditions.
How to calculate soil resistivity?

• Formula is as follows
ρ = 2ΠAR
ρ = average soil resistivity to the depth A in ohm-cm.
Π = 3.1416
A = distance between the electrodes in cm
R = measured resistance value in ohms from the test instrument.

Note: Divide ohm-centimeters by 100 to convert to ohm-meters.

• How do we measure soil resistance
• Fall of potential measurement
• Selective measurement
• Stakeless measurement
Thank you