EARTHING

Earthing means connecting non-current carrying parts of electrical equipment such as metallic frame, metallic covering of cables, electric motor body etc to the earth for immediate and safe discharge of electric energy due to leakage or fault

Necessity of Earthing
To provide safety to the operator To avoid risk due to leakage current To protect tall structures, buildings from atmospheric lightening To maintain line voltage constant To provide return path in communication system To protect apparatus

Applications of Earthing
Protect human against lightning and earth fault condition Protect the premises against lightning and earth fault condition Provide low resistance and safe path for lightning and fault current All metallic enclosure and extraneous conductive parts are at equi-potential LV System Earth

Functions of Earthing
Equipment Earth : Path for fault current, lower touch voltage, protection against electric shock Lighting Earth : Low resistance path to diverse the current under lightning attack. Telecom Earth : reduce noise and interference, stabilize DC supply voltage and prevent electric shock Computer Earth : reduce interference, maintain supply voltages

Factors affecting the earth impedance

Soil Weather Electrode type Electrode size Near by utilities Electrode in parallel Distance between electrode

Soil Resistivity
The resistivity of earth may vary over extremely wide limits, depending on the composition of the soil and the moisture content. Factors that affect resistivity Type of earth (eg, clay, loam, sandstone, granite) Stratification; layers of different types of soil (eg, loam backfill on a clay base) Moisture content Temperature Chemical composition and concentration of dissolved salt

Points to be earthed
Earth pin of three pin lighting plug socket and 4 pin power plug socket All equipments, devices, apparatus where metallic parts are involved Neutral conductor of 3 4 wire system and middle conductor of 2, 3 wire system If cable/wire is drawn in metallic conduit, conduit must be earthed. Structural steel work of substation Stay wires provided for overhead lines

Types of Earthing
Rod Earthing Strip Earthing Pipe Earthing Plate Earthing

Pipe Earthing

Plate Earthing

Application of pipe Earthing

Domestic installation such as heater and cooler 11kV/400V distribution transformer Induction motors upto 100 Hp Distribution poles conduit pipes

Application of plate Earthing

Transmission towers Substations Generating stations

Estimation
Estimation is an art of determining the necessary materials required for a particular work and computation of the cost or expenditure likely to occur in the execution of that work before actually it is carried out

Purpose of Estimation
Approximate budget Reduces wastage of material Time management

Data required for estimation of electrical wiring

Type of wiring, materials used Transportation, stock details, unseen expenditure Standard materials Plans and drawings Complete schedule of the points IE rules