Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The process of electrically connecting to the earth itself is often called "earthing", particularly in Europe where the term "grounding" is used to describe the above ground wiring.
The main reason for doing earthing in electrical network is for the safety. When all metallic parts in electrical equipments are grounded then if the insulation inside the equipments fails there are no dangerous voltages present in the equipment case. If the live wire touches the grounded case then the circuit is effectively shorted and fuse will immediately blow. When the fuse is blown then the dangerous voltages are away.
Purpose of Earthing
(1) Safety for Human life/ Building/Equipment
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. 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 .
The earth is the most omnipresent conductive surface, and so it was adopted in the very beginnings of electrical distribution systems as a nearly universal standard for all electric systems.
Top
Generally for plate type earthing normal Practice is to use Cast iron plate of size 600 mm x600 mm x12 mm. OR Galvanized iron plate of size 600 mm x600 mm x6 mm. OR Copper plate of size 600 mm * 600 mm * 3.15 mm Plate burred at the depth of 8 feet in the vertical position and GI strip of size 50 mmx6 mm bolted with the plate is brought up to the ground level.
These types of earth pit are generally filled with alternate layer of charcoal & salt up to 4 feet from the bottom of the pit.
Excavation on earth for a normal earth Pit size is 1.5M X 1.5M X 3.0 M. Use 500 mm X 500 mm X 10 mm GI Plate or Bigger Size for more Contact of Earth and reduce Earth Resistance. Make a mixture of Wood Coal Powder Salt & Sand all in equal part Wood Coal Powder use as good conductor of electricity, anti corrosive, rust proves for GI Plate for long life. The purpose of coal and salt is to keep wet the soil permanently. The salt percolates and coal absorbs water keeping the soil wet. Care should always be taken by watering the earth pits in summer so that the pit soil will be wet. Coal is made of carbon which is good conductor minimizing the earth resistant. Salt use as electrolyte to form conductivity between GI Plate Coal and Earth with humidity. Sand has used to form porosity to cycle water & humidity around the mixture. Put GI Plate (EARTH PLATE) of size 500 mm X 500 mm X 10 mm in the mid of mixture. Use Double GI Strip size 30 mm X 10 mm to connect GI Plate to System Earthling. It will be better to use GI Pipe of size 2.5 diameter with a Flange on the top of GI Pipe to cover GI Strip from EARTH PLATE to Top Flange.
Cover Top of GI pipe with a T joint to avoid jamming of pipe with dust & mud and also use water time to time through this pipe to bottom of earth plate.
Maintain less than one Ohm Resistance from EARTH PIT conductor to a distance of 15 Meters around the EARTH PIT with another conductor dip on the Earth at least 500 mm deep.
Check Voltage between Earth Pit conductors to Neutral of Mains Supply 220V AC 50 Hz it should be less than 2.0 Volts.
Top
(3) Moisture
Moisture has a great influence on resistivity value of soil. The resistivity of a soil can be determined by the quantity of water held by the soil and resistivity of the water itself. Conduction of electricity in soil is through water. The resistance drops quickly to a more or less steady minimum value of about 15% moisture. And further increase of moisture level in soil will have little effect on soil resistivity. In many locations water table goes down in dry weather conditions. Therefore, it is essential to pour water in and around the earth pit to maintain moisture in dry weather conditions. Moisture significantly influences soil resistivity
resistivity. Thus in dry weather resistivity will be very high and during rainy season the resistivity will be low.
(11) Obstructions
The soil may look good on the surface but there may be obstructions below a few feet like virgin rock. In that event resistivity will be affected. Obstructions like concrete structure near about the pits will affect resistivity. If the earth pits are close by, the resistance value will be high.
(12)
Current Magnitude
A current of significant magnitude and duration will cause significant drying condition in soil and thus increase the soil resistivity.
Top
For measuring soil resistivity Earth Tester is used. It is also called the MEGGER. It has a voltage source, a meter to measure Resistance in ohms, switches to change instrument range, Wires to connect terminal to Earth Electrode and Spikes.
It is measured by using Four Terminal Earth Tester Instrument. The terminals are connected by wires as in illustration. P=Potential Spike and C=Current Spike. The distance between the spikes may be 1M, 2M, 5M, 10M, 35M, and 50M. All spikes are equidistant and in straight line to maintain electrical continuity. Take measurement in different directions. Soil resistivity =2LR. R= Value of Earth resistance in ohm. Distance between the spikes in cm. = 3.14 P = Earth resistivity ohm-cm. Earth resistance value is directly proportional to Soil resistivity value
Top
In this method earth tester terminal C1 & P1 are shorted to each other and connected to the earth electrode (pipe) under test. Terminals P2 & C2 are connected to the two separate spikes driven in earth. These two spikes are kept in same line at the distance of 25 meters and 50 meters due to which there will not be mutual interference in the field of individual spikes. If we rotate generator handle with specific speed we get directly earth resistance on scale. Spike length in the earth should not be more than 1/20th distance between two spikes. Resistance must be verified by increasing or decreasing the distance between the tester electrode and the spikes by 5 meter. Normally, the length of wires should be 10 and 15 Meter or in proportion of 62% of D. Suppose, the distance of Current Spike from Earth Electrode D = 60 ft, Then, distance of Potential Spike would be 62 % of D = 0.62D i.e. 0.62 x 60 ft = 37 ft.
Top
As per IS 3043, the resistance of Plate electrode to earth (R) = (r/A) X under root(P/A). Where r = Resistivity of Soil Ohm-meter. A=Area of Earthing Plate m3. The resistance of Pipe electrode to earth (R) = (100r/2L) X loge (4L/d). Where L= Length of Pipe/Rod in cm d=Diameter of Pipe/Rod in cm. The resistivity of the soil and the physical dimensions of the electrode play important role of resistance of Rod with earth. The material resistivity is not considered important role in earth resistivity. Any material of given dimensions would offer the same resistance to earth. Except the sizing and number of the earthing conductor or the protective conductor.
Top
Suppose Copper Plate having of size 1.2m x 1.2m x 3.15mm thick. soil resistivity of 100 ohm-m, The resistance of Plate electrode to earth (R)=( r/A)X under root(/A) = (100/2.88)X(3.14/2.88)= 36.27 ohm Now, consider a GI Pipe Electrode of 50 mm Diameter and 3 m Long. soil resistivity of 100 Ohm-m, The resistance of Pipe electrode to earth (R) = (100r/2L) X loge (4L/d) = (100X100/2X3.14X300) X loge (4X300/5) = 29.09 Ohm. From the above calculation the GI Pipe electrode offers a much lesser resistance than even a copper plate electrode. As per IS 3043 Pipe, rod or strip has a much lower resistance than a plate of equal surface area.
Top
conductive in water solution but the additive substance would reduce the resistivity of the soil, only when it is dissolved in the moisture in the soil after that additional quantity does not serve the Purpose. 5% moisture in Salt reduces earth resistivity rapidly and further increase in salt content will give a very little decrease in soil resistivity. The salt content is expressed in percent by weight of the moisture content in the soil. Considering 1M3 of Soil, the moisture content at 10 percent will be about 144 kg. (10 percent of 1440 kg). The salt content shall be 5% of this (i.e.) 5% of 144kg, that is, about 7.2kg.
Top
The usual practice is to select a diameter of earth electrode, which will have enough strength to enable it to be driven into the particular soil conditions without bending or splitting. Large diameter electrode may be more difficult to drive than smaller diameter electrode. The depth to which an earth electrode is driven has much more influence on its electrical resistance characteristics than has its diameter.
Top
Major power station= 0.5 Ohm. Major Sub-stations= 1.0 Ohm Minor Sub-station = 2 Ohm Neutral Bushing. =2 Ohm Service connection = 4 Ohm Medium Voltage Network =2 Ohm L.T.Lightening Arrestor= 4 Ohm L.T.Pole= 5 Ohm H.T.Pole =10 Ohm Tower =20-30 Ohm
Top
Remove Oxidation on joints and joints should be tightened. Poured sufficient water in earth electrode. Used bigger size of Earth Electrode. Electrodes should be connected in parallel. Earth pit of more depth & width- breadth should be made.