EARTHING SYSTEM

Concept of Earthing Systems

All the people living or working in residential,
commercial and industrial installations, particularly
the operators and personnel who are in close
operation and contact with electrical systems and
machineries, should essentially be protected against
possible electrification. To achieve this protection,
earthing system of an installation is defined,
designed and installed according to the standard
requirements..
WHAT IS EARTHING

The process of connecting metallic bodies of all

the electrical apparatus and equipment to huge
mass of earth by a wire having negligible
resistance is called Earthing.
 WHAT IS EARTHING
The term earthing means connecting the neutral point of
supply system or the non current carrying parts of the
electrical apparatus to the general mass of earth in such a
manner that all times an immediate discharge of electrical
energy takes place without danger.
• Provide an alternative path for the fault current to
flow so that it will not endanger the user
• Ensure that all exposed conductive parts do not
reach a dangerous potential
• 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.
 QUALITIES OF GOOD EARTHING
 Must be of low electrical resistance
• Must be of good corrosion resistance
• Must be able to dissipate high fault current
repeatedly
PURPOSE OF EARTHING

• To save human life from danger of electrical

shock or death by blowing a fuse
• To protect buildings, machinery & appliances
under fault conditions
• To provide safe path to dissipate lightning
and short circuit currents.
• To provide stable platform for operation of
sensitive electronic equipment.
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 in the middle layers of
charcoal and salt.
 It requires maintenance and pouring of water at
regular interval.
FIGURE:.
CONVENTIONAL EARTHING
MAINTENANCE FREE EARTHING
• It is a new type of earthing system which is
Readymade, standardized and scientifically developed.
Its Benefits are
• MAINTENANCE FREE: No need to pour water at
regular interval.
• 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.
MAINTENANCE FREE EARTHING(CONTD.)

 LOW EARTH RESISTANCE: Highly

conductive. Carries high peak current repeatedly.
 NO CORROSION:

 LONG LIFE.

 EASY INSTALLATION.
METHODS OF CONVENTIONAL EARTHING

1. Plate Earthing
2. Pipe Earthing
3. Rod Earthing
4. Strip Earthing
 EARTHING ELECTRODE
It consist of three basic components:

1. Earth Wire
2. Connector
3. Electrode
PLATE EARTHING
 In this type of earthing plate either of copper or of
G.I. is buried into the ground at a depth of not less
than 3 meter from the ground level.
 The earth plate is embedded in alternative layer of
charcoal and salts for a minimum thickness of about
15cm.
 The earth wire(copper wire for copper plate
earthing and G.I. wire for G.I. plate earthing) is
securely bolted to an earth plate with the help of
bolt nut and washer made of copper, in case of
copper plate earthing and of G.I. in case of G.I.
plate earthing.
PLATE EARTHING
PIPE EARTHING
 Pipe earthing is best form of earthing and it is cheap also in this
system of earthing a GI pipe of 38 mm dia and 2meters length is
embedded vertically in ground to work as earth electrode but the
depth depend upon the soil conditions.
 But the wire is embedded upto the wet soil.
 The earth wire are fastened to the top section of the pipe with nut
and bolts.
 The pit area around the GI pipe filled with salt and coal mixture
for improving the soil conditions and efficiency of the earthing
system.
 The earth wire connection with GI pipes being above the ground
level can be checked as and when desired, while in plate earthing
it is difficult.
 In summer season to have an effective earthing three or four
bucket of water is put through the funnel for better continuity of
earthing.
PIPE EARTHING
 ROD EARTHING
 In this system of earthing 12.5mm diameter solid rods of
copper 16mm diameter solid rod of GI or steel or hollow
section of 25mm GI pipe of length not less than 3 meters are
driven vertically into the earth
 In order to increase the embedded length of electrode under
the ground, more than one rod section are hammered one
above the other.
 This system of earthing is suitable for area which are sandy in
character .
 This system of earthing is very cheap
 STRIP OR WIRE EARTHING
 In this system of earthing strip electrode of cross section not
less than 25mm*1.6mm of copper or 25mm * 4mm of GI or
steel are buried in horizontal trenches of minimum depth of
0.5m
 If round conductor are used their cross sectional area shall not
be smaller than three if copper is used and 6mm2 if GI or steel
is used.
 The electrode shall be as widely distributed as possible in a
single straight or circular trenches radiating from a point
 This type of earthing is used in rocky soil earth bed because at
such places excavation work for plate earthing is difficult
EARTHING SYSTEMS
NOMENCLATURE
 The first letter indicates the connection between earth and the
power-supply equipment (generator or transformer):
 T : direct connection of a point with earth
 I : no point is connected with earth (isolation),
 The second letter indicates the connection between earth and
the electrical device being supplied:
 T : direct connection with earth, independent of any other
earth connection in the supply system
 N : connection to earth via the supply network
TN NETWORK
 In a TN earthing system, one of the points in
the generator or transformer is connected with
earth. The body of the electrical device is
connected with earth via this earth connection
at the transformer
TN
 The conductor that connects the exposed
metallic parts of the consumer is called
protective earth PE
 The conductor that connects to the star
point in a three-phase system, or that
carries the return current in a single-phase
system is called neutral N
 Three variants of TN systems are
distinguished:
 TN-S : PE and N are separate conductors
that are only connected near the power
source

 .TN-C : A combined PEN conductor fulfills

the functions of both a PE and an N
conductor
 TN-C-S : Part of the system uses a combined
PEN conductor, which is at some point split
up into separate PE and N lines. The
combined PEN conductor typically occurs
between the substation and the entry point
into the building, whereas within the building
separate PE and N conductors are used.
TN-S :separate protective earth (PE) and
neutral (N) conductors from transformer to
consuming device, which are not connected
at any point after the building distribution
point.
 TN-C :combined PE and N conductor all the
way from the transformer to the consuming
device .
.
 TN-C-S earthing system :combined PEN
conductor from transformer to building
distribution point, but separate PE and N
conductors in fixed indoor wiring and flexible
power cords .
TT NETWORK
 In a TT earthing system, the protective earth
connection of the consumer is provided by a
.
local connection to earth, independent of
any earth connection at the generator.
IT NETWORK
 In an IT network, the distribution system has
no connection to earth at all.
PROPERTIES
 TN networks save the cost of a earth connection at
the site of each consumer. Such a connection (a
buried metal structure) is required to provide
protective earth in IT and TT systems .
 TN-C networks save the cost of an additional
conductor needed for separate N and PE
connections. However to mitigate the risk of broken
neutrals, special cable types are needed.