Earthing & Grounding

For
Ultra High Voltage Laboratory-BHEL R&D

D Sumadeep

Earthing & Grounding System for Ultra High Voltage Laboratory

Introduction:
We McML Protection Technologies have taken up the project for executing
Earthing and Grounding system for Ultra High Voltage Laboratory at BHEL-R&D, Hyderabad.
This grounding work is a two stage process, in the first stage it is the construction
of grid and driving the earth rods. In the second stage lying of copper mesh in the test bay and the
control cubicle. After the two stages the grid resistance should be less than 1 ohm.

Practices involved in the Execution of work.

1) Silver Brazing: It is the back bone of the complete project execution; this method is
adopted to obtain better contact resistance and proper conductivity.
2) Drilling: This method was adopted for installing the earth rods.
3) Earth Resistance Measurement: This process was adopted to measure the grid resistance
at the end of each stage and for individual pits as well.
4) Contact Resistance Measurement: This process was carried out to measure the contact
resistance for the brazed joints.

Silver Brazing:
Items Required For Brazing:
1) Silver Alloy (Rod or Foil) / Filler material
2) Flux
3) Brazing Torch (Safire 2)
4) Oxygen cylinder
5) Fuel Cylinder (Acetylene or LPG)
6) Oxygen Regulator
7) DA regulator (Either Acetylene or LPG regulator)
8) Non return valve (2 Nos)
9) Hose pipes (2 Nos of min 5 Mtr length)
10) Hose clips (6 Nos)

11) Teflon tape

12) Wire Brush/emery paper

Description:
Select Proper Flux :
Flux is a chemical compound applied to the joint surfaces before brazing. Its use is
essential in the brazing process, because heating a metal surface accelerates the formation of
oxides, the result of chemical combination between the hot metal and oxygen in the air. These
oxides must be prevented from forming or they'll inhibit the brazing filler metal from wetting and
bonding to the surfaces. A coating of flux on the joint area, however, will shield the surfaces from
the air, preventing oxide formation. And the flux will also dissolve and absorb any oxides that
form during heating or that was not completely removed in the cleaning process. When using
White Silver Flux, apply it only with a brush. To prevent excess flux residue inside refrigeration
lines, apply a thin layer of flux to only the male tubing and, if possible, rotate the fitting once or
twice on the tube to ensure uniform coverage.
Silver Brazing Procedure:
Before actually starting the process the below points are to be fulfilled.
1) Make ready all the items those were mentioned above.
2) Fix the non return valve to the torch for the safety of the person and to stop the back fire.
3) Now fix the one end of the hose pipe to the non return valve and the other end to the
regulator ensure the hose pipe to be fixed properly for this purpose use Teflon tape and the
hose clips.
4) One the torch the marking will be there for the oxygen and DA separately so ensure
yourself connecting the right cylinder at the right place.
5) Now fix the regulator to the appropriate cylinders, before connecting the regulators ensure
that the cylinders were in off conditions.
6) After fixing the regulators to the cylinders ON the cylinders and by using the regulators fix
the pressure for weld i.e. 5psi.
7) After turning ON the cylinders we need to regulate the fire at the brazing torch
8) During the process first open the DA valve ignite it and then regulate the oxygen pressure,
ensure the flame to be blue color which is ideal for the silver brazing process.

Proper Clearances / Proper Joint Design :

Joint clearance is a principal factor in determining the mechanical strength of

brazed joints. It is also a factor in eliminating harmful voids in the joint area and in
establishing the capillary force required to fill the joint.
During the brazing process, two closely fitted surfaces or parent metals are heated and a
filler metal is introduced. As the filler metal becomes liquid, a pulling force draws the molten filler
between the surfaces of the parent metals. This is known as capillary action. The coalescence of
materials when cooled is a strong, void-free braze joint. With this input a joint is designed with as
little stress and the greatest strength possible. The joint integrity will be maximized by maintaining
good fits or clearances between the parent metals.
All metals expand/contract upon heating/cooling. When joining dissimilar metals, the
expansion rate of each parent metal must be calculated and introduced into the joint design. If this
is not included, a joint may be too tight or too wide during the heating process leading to lower
strength conditions.

Cleaning of Metals to be welded:

The joint surface areas should be clean and free from oil, grease, or oxide contamination.
Surfaces may be properly cleaned for brazing by brushing with a stainless steel wire brush, or by
a stiff rubbing with emery cloth. If oil or grease is present, clean with a commercial solvent.
Remember to remove small foreign particles, such as emery dust, by wiping with a clean, dry
cloth. The joint surfaces MUST be clean.

Assembly and Fixturing:

After cleaning, maintaining alignment of the base metals during the heating cycle will
assist capillary action. The easiest method is using gravity. In most cases the parts are selfsupporting. More intricate methods might include fixtures such as clamps or vises. If you have a
number of assemblies to braze and their configuration is too complex for self-support or clamping,
it may be a good idea to use a brazing support fixture. In planning such a fixture, design it for the
least possible mass and the least contact with the parts of the assembly.
Try to use materials in your fixture that are poor heat conductors, such as stainless steel, Inconel
or ceramics. Since these are poor conductors, they draw the least heat away from the joint. Choose
materials with compatible expansion rates so you won't get alterations in assembly alignment
during the heating cycle.

Fluxing of Parent Metals:

Since most of flux from Rupatam A is conventionally made in a paste consistency, it's
usually most convenient to brush it on. But as production quantities increase, it may be more
efficient to apply the flux by dipping. When using White Silver Flux, however, apply it only with
a brush. To prevent excess flux residue inside refrigeration lines, apply a thin layer of flux to only
the male tubing and, if possible, rotate the fitting once or twice on the tube to ensure uniform
coverage.

Brazing the Assembly:

This is the point where heat is introduced. Torch Brazing using a fossil fuel such as oxyacetylene is a reliable method. This is most common in single assemblies or smaller production
levels. It involves heating the assembly to brazing temperature, and flowing the filler metal through
the joint. In larger operations, multiple station turntables with multi-tip torches can increase
production levels. The heat must be applied uniformly. Mass differences and conductivity of the
base metals will affect the amount of heat and how much time is required. The heat is directed
to a broad area surrounding the joint. Because filler metals follow the greater heat source, the key
is getting the interior facing surfaces to proper temperature If you're brazing a small assembly, you
may heat the entire assembly to the flow point of the brazing filler metal. If you're brazing a large
assembly, you heat a broad area around the joint. DO NOT direct heat solely on the joint surface
as it can lead to premature flow of the alloy but not necessarily into the length of the joint. The
joint might look adequate but it will have little strength. When using performs, the alloy is
preplaced as close as possible to the joint.

Safety Precautions:
The first is foremost thing is safety while performing the silver brazing activities.
1) The person who involved in brazing should be dressed in full sleeves.
2) Must use goggles, gloves, shoes.

Drilling:

It is defined by the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) as an

adaptive drilling process used to more precisely control the annular pressure profile throughout the
wellbore." The objectives of drilling are to ascertain the down hole pressure environment limits
and to manage the annular hydraulic pressure profile accordingly."

Earth Resistance Measurement:

1. The most popular and effective Fall of Potential method shall be used for
measuring earth resistance of earth electrode. This method is also called a three
point or 3- pole test method.
2. This procedure is mostly followed when a new earthing system is designed and
installed at the intended site.
3. To achieve the highest degree of accuracy when performing a 3pole ground
resistance test, it is essential that the probe is placed outside the sphere of influence
of the ground electrode under test and the auxiliary earth. If you do not get outside
the sphere of influence, the effective areas of resistance will overlap and invalidate
any measurements that you are taking.
4. The following pictorial diagram shall be used as an acceptable test set up:

5. The following table is a guide for appropriately setting the probe (inner stake) and
auxiliary ground (outer stake) for different lengths of earth electrodes:

6. Connect the ground tester as shown in the picture. Press START and read out the RE
(resistance) value. This is the actual value of the ground electrode under test. If this
ground electrode is in parallel or series with other ground rods, the RE value is the
total value of all resistances.
7. Take a minimum of three reading in the presence of customers representative by
varying the spacing of inner stake and as well as in different directions. The average
value can be taken as effective earth resistance.
The above method was followed to take the earth resistance value of individual pits, but in order
to find out the total grid resistance similar method can be adopted just by varying the distance of
inner stake and outer stake. The distance of outer stake to be taken min 40 mtrs and the inner
stake to be taken around 20 mtrs.

Contact Resistance Measurement:

This is one of the crucial measurements i.e. to be carried out in order to ensure the
contact resistance between the joints that we brazed using silver electrode. The meter we used
here is the micro ohm meter.
The principle used in this meter is that, by pumping constant current over the joint and
then measuring the voltage across the same and by using the formula V=IR, the resistance can be
obtained.
The acceptable range of values is less than 53 micro ohm.