Single Earthed Neutral and Multi Earthed Neutral.

September 6, 2011 3 Comments Single Earthed Neutral and Multi Earthed Neutral: In Distribution S stem !hree "hase load is unbalan#e and non linear so !he Neutral pla s an important role in Distribution s stem$ %enerall , distribution net&or's are operated in an unbalan#ed #on(iguration and also ser)i#e to #onsumers$ !his #auses #urrent (lo&ing through neutral #ondu#tor and )oltage dropping on neutral &ire$ !he unbalan#e load and e*#essi)e #urrent in neutral &ire is one o( the issues in three phase (our+&ire distribution s stems that #auses )oltage drop through neutral &ire and ma'es tribulations (or #ostumers$ !he e*isten#e o( Neutral earth ,oltage ma'es unbalan#e in three phase )oltages (or three phase #ustomers and redu#tion o( phase to neutral )oltage (or single phase #ustomers$ M-.!I+%/0-NDED three+phase (our+&ire ser)i#e is &idel adopted in modern po&er distribution s stems due to ha)ing lo&er installation #osts and higher sensiti)it o( (ault prote#tion than three+phase three+&ire ser)i#e$ !he neutrals pla an important role in po&er 1ualit and sa(et problems$ !he multi grounded neutral s stem is the predominant ele#tri#al distribution s stem used in the -nited States$ It allo& an un#ontrolled amount o( ele#tri# #urrent to (lo& o)er the earth unrestrained, posing the potential o( harm to the publi# and to animals #ausing ele#tri# sho#'s and is presumed responsible (or undete#ted ele#tro#utions$ !he prote#ti)e grounding used in lo& )oltage,600+)olt and belo&, appli#ations &ill be des#ribed and used to e*plain the ha2ards in)ol)ed &ith the present da multi grounded neutral distribution S stem, used in the -nited States$ !his &ill allo& the reader to see the parallels bet&een the sa(e lo& )oltage distribution s stem and the dangerous medium )oltage multi grounded neutral distribution s stem$ !he reasons (or the de)elopment o( the three phase, (our+&ire, multi+ grounded s stems in)ol)e a #ombination o( sa(et and e#onomi# #onsiderations$ !he three+phase, (our+&ire multi+grounded design has been su##ess(ull used (or man ears and is &ell do#umented in the standards in#luding the National Ele#tri#al Code 3NEC4$ It is Cru#ial de#isions to adopt Multi %rounded Neutral S stem 5sa)e mone 6 b the adoption o( the multi grounded neutral ele#tri#al distribution s stem in the #ost o( the publi#7s sa(et $

Multi %rounded Neutral S stem 3MEN4:

8ig sho&s the multi+grounded neutral s stems #ommonl used b the ele#tri# utilities in North 9meri#a$ !he neutral grounding rea#tor is used b some utilities to redu#e the a)ailable ground (ault #urrent &hile at the same time still maintaining an e((e#ti)el grounded s stem$ !he multiple earthed neutral 3MEN4 s stem o( earthing is one in &hi#h the lo& )oltage neutral #ondu#tor is used as the lo& resistan#e return path (or (ault #urrents and &here its potential rise is 'ept lo& b ha)ing it #onne#ted to earth at a number o( lo#ations along its length$ !he neutral #ondu#tor is #onne#ted to earth at the distribution trans(ormer, at ea#h #onsumer7s installation and at spe#i(ied poles or underground pillars$ !he resistan#e bet&een the neutral #ondu#tor o( the distribution s stem and the earth must not e*#eed 10 ohms at an lo#ation$ NEC Article 250 Part X Grounding of Systems and Circuits !" and #$er %&igh "oltage' 394 Multiple %rounding: !he neutral o( a solidl grounded neutral s stem shall be permitted to be grounded at more than one point$ 3:4 Multi+grounded Neutral Condu#tor: %round ea#h trans(ormer, %round at ;00 m inter)als or less, %round shielded #ables &here e*posed to personnel #onta#t$

Single %rounded Neutral:

8ig Sho& Single %rounded Neutral <hi#h is di((erent (rom Multi %rounded S stem $8igure sho&s the neutral also #onne#ted to earth, but the neutral #ondu#tor is e*tended along &ith the phase #ondu#tors$ !he #on(iguration sho&n in (igure allo&s ele#tri#al loads, trans(ormers to be pla#ed bet&een an o( the three phase #ondu#tors, phase+to+phase and=or phase+to+neutral$

!his #onne#tion, phase to neutral &ill (or#e ele#tri# #urrent to (lo& o)er the neutral ba#' to the trans(ormer$ So (ar, this ele#tri#al #onne#tion is a##eptable, as long as the neutral is insulated or treated as being potentiall energi2ed, but modi(i#ations &ill be made in the (uture that &ill negate sa(et (or the publi# and animals$ !he ground #onne#tion &ould t pi#all be lo#ated in the distribution substation$ !his ma appear insigni(i#ant, but the di((eren#es are signi(i#ant

9d)antages o( Multiple %rounded Neutral S stems: 314 0ptimi2e the Si2e o( Surge 9rrestor: Surge arresters are applied to a po&er s stem based on the line+to+ground )oltage under normal #ondition and abnormal #onditions$ -nder ground+(ault #onditions, the line+to+ground )oltage #an in#rease up to 1$>3 per unit on the t&o, un (aulted$ 9ppli#ation o( surge arresters on a po&er s stem is dependent on the e((e#ti)eness o( the s stem grounding$ !he o)er )oltage #ondition that #an o##ur during a ground (ault #an be minimi2ed b 'eeping the 2ero se1uen#e impedan#e lo&$ !here(ore, optimi2ation in si2ing the surge arresters on the s stem is dependent on the s stem grounding$ 9n e((e#ti)el grounded po&er s stem allo&s the use o( a lo&er rated surge arrester$ !he lo&er rated surge arrester pro)ides better surge prote#tion at a lo&er #ost$ 9n e((e#ti)el grounded s stem #an onl be a##omplished using a properl si2ed, multi+grounded s stem neutral$ <ith Single %rounded Neutral S stem re1uire the use o( (ull line+to+line )oltage rated arresters$ !his in#reases the #ost o( the surge arresters &hile at the same time redu#es the prote#tion pro)ided b the surge arrester$ In addition, i( the (ourth &ire neutral is not multi grounded, it &ould be good pra#ti#e to pla#e surge arresters at appropriate lo#ations on that #ondu#tor$

324 !he 2ero se1uen#e impedan#e is lo&er (or a multi grounded s stem than the single point grounded neutral s stem$ 334 8ree2ing and ar#ti# #onditions ha)e an ad)erse impa#t on the 2ero se1uen#e impedan#e$ 9 multi+grounded s stem neutral &ill still lo&er the 2ero se1uen#e impedan#e o)er a single point ground$ In (a#t, &ithout the multi+grounded s stem, it is more probable that insu((i#ient (ault #urrent &ill (lo& to properl operate the ground (ault prote#tion$ 3;4 Cost o( E1uipment (or the multi+grounded s stem is lo&er$ 3?4 Sa(et Con#erns on Cable Shields$ Medium )oltage and high )oltage #ables t pi#all ha)e #able shields 3NEC re1uirement abo)e ? ',4 that need to be grounded$ !here are se)eral reasons (or this shield: o !o #on(ine ele#tri# (ields &ithin the #able o !o obtain uni(orm radial distribution o( the ele#tri# (ield o !o prote#t against indu#ed )oltages o !o redu#e the ha2ard o( sho#'

I( the shield is not grounded, the sho#' ha2ard #an be in#reased$ <ith the shield grounded at one point, indu#ed )oltage on the shield #an be signi(i#ant and #reate a sho#' ha2ard$ !here(ore, it is #ommon pra#ti#e to appl multiple grounds on the shield to 'eep the )oltage limited to 2? )olts$ !his pra#ti#e o( multi grounding #able shields in#ludes the grounding o( #on#entri# neutrals on po&er #ables thereb e*tending the need (or multi grounding o( neutrals on the po&er s stem$ Disad)antages o( Multiple Neutral %rounding: 314 .ess Ele#tri#al Sa(et in "ubli# and "ri)ate "ropert $ <ith a multi grounded neutral distribution s stem it is ne#essar to ha)e an ele#tri#al #onne#tion to earth at least ; times per mile to 'eep the )oltage on the multi grounded neutral (rom e*#eeding appro*imatel 2? )olts ma'ing it sa(e (or the linemen should the #ome into #onta#t &ith the neutral and the earth$ 9s per NESC /ule 0@6 C in the se#tion &ith the multi grounded neutral #ondu#tor #onne#ted to earth at least ; times per mile and at ea#h trans(ormer and lightning arrester there are no& multiple paths o)er and through the earth that the ha2ardous ele#tri# #urrent #an (lo& o)er #ontinuousl , un#ontrolled$ !he path that this #urrent (lo& ta'es through the earth #annot be determined$ <e #annot put an isotope on ea#h ele#tron and tra#e its path as it (lo&s un#ontrolled through the earth$ It is irresponsible to permit stra un#ontrolled ele#tri# #urrent to (lo& into and o)er pri)ate propert $ !he National Ele#tri#al Code 3NEC4 re1uires the neutral in the ser)i#e dis#onne#t and o)er #urrent panel board to be #onne#ted to the earth also$ No& the se#ondar neutral is #onne#ted to earth a se#ond time$ 9 parallel #onne#tion o( the neutral to earth no& e*ists permitting ha2ardous ele#tri# #urrent to (lo& #ontinuousl un#ontrolled o)er the earth$

324 Earth 8ault "rote#tion /ela setting is #ompli#ated$ 9d)antages o( Single %rounded Neutral S stem: 314 More /eliable and Sa(e S stem$ 324 "rote#tion /ela Setting is more eas in Single %rounded Neutral: "rote#ti)e rela s need to sense abnormal #onditions, espe#iall those in)ol)ing a ground (ault$ !he single point grounded s stem, &ith or &ithout a neutral #ondu#tor, #urrent (lo&ing into the ground should be #onsidered abnormal 3e*#luding normal #harging #urrent4$ 8or sensing o( ground (aults are:

9 #urrent trans(ormer in the lo#ation &here the neutral is grounded #an be used to sense the ground (ault 32ero se1uen#e4 #urrent$ 9 2ero se1uen#e C! en#losing the three phase and neutral #ondu#tors$

8our C! residue #ir#uit 3!hree C! residual &ith neutral C! #an#ellation4$ "rote#ting against ground (aults on a multi+grounded neutral s stem is more di((i#ult than the single point grounded s stem sin#e both neutral and ground (ault #urrents must be #onsidered$ Neutral #urrent and li'e&ise ground (ault #urrent #an (lo& in both the neutral and the ground$ So, <e ha)e must #al#ulate both #urrent as the amount o( neutral #urrent &hi#h ma (lo& in the #ir#uit, and the ground (ault setting must be abo)e this neutral #urrent$ !his is sel( e*planator (rom 8ig$

334 Sensing o( %round 8ault #urrent : <hile the sensing o( the ground (ault #urrent in the single point grounded s stem is less #omple* than the multi grounded s stem, the amount o( ground (ault #urrent on the single+point grounded s stem ma be greatl limited due to the (a#t that all ground (ault #urrent must return through the earth$ !his is espe#iall true &here the earth resisti)it is high, the soil is (ro2en or the soil is e*tremel dr $