TT-NETWORK + SOLIDLY GROUNDING

 TT-network is used, generator star point

(neutral point) and customer loads are
grounded separately.
 In TT-network, there could be flow of
current under normal condition through
customer earth pit then to source earth
pit via earth since because of high earth
fault loop impedance (resistance) so that
the magnitude of the earth fault current
is generally too small to operate
overcurrent relays or fuses.

 Earth fault loop impedance does not

influence the fault current if solidly grounded system is used. It affect the potential rise
of non-conducting metal parts during a fault.
 In TT-network, both electrodes may not depend electrically and their zones may
overlaps.

 Solidly grounded is used at generator end so that at any phase to ground fault high fault
current will flow therefore main circuit breaker will trip by overcurrent detection.

 If the ground fault is bolted, then the potential difference of the un-faulted phases
increases from a line-to-neutral voltage to a line-to-line voltage, an increase of 73
percent. However, most ground faults begin as irregular faults, and, as a result of this
arcing phenomena or re-striking, large transient voltages are generated on the un-
faulted phases that can lead to insulation breakdown thus converting ground to phase
fault into phase to phase fault.

 Usually In case of broken source’s earth OR high resistance source’s earth, there is no
problem under normal condition.

 If earthing resistance of source (generator/transformer) is high then less % of stator

winding is protected from phase-ground faults.

 Phase to ground faults on stator winding & transformer winding are common because of
insulation damage, high voltage stress/dielectric stress/voltage gradient.

 In case of broken source’s earth during ground fault condition, there is very small
capacitive fault current around 5A, the over-current protection device cannot detect.
Because of broken source’s earth during ground fault condition no flash (arcing)
 generate but underground cable does suffer high voltage stress and over-voltage
transient on insulation.
 Again, In case of high earthing resistance of source (generator/transformer) arcing can
be generated during ground faults which then further convert fault into phase faults

 If neutral point of generator (supply) is not earthed properly, then neutral will float,
However if the load is not balanced or if there is a line to ground fault in any phase, then
the floating neutral point would no longer be at ground potential. It will rise to a
potential greater than zero volts. This will result in the phase voltage of the remaining
healthy phases raising to abnormal values which will consequently result in dielectric
breakdown of insulation and arcing.

 If neutral is broke then it would create problem in case of unbalance loads called
neutral shift. It causes the phase voltages to increases up to line voltages depending
upon load.

 In case of broken neutral will not effect, if customer load site earth pit is healthy.

[Few machines are supplied 3-phase supply then further step down transformer used
(which takes 2 input phases and gives output single + neutral) and its neutral is
grounded as well to limit neutral shift for single phase loads therefore there always
single phase current flows through grounded neutral & also its neutral can be used up
by unbalanced 3-phase load because now 3-phase main supply of machine is used up
by balanced 3-phase load, unbalanced 3-phase load & single phase load thus RCD
cannot installed at main input because all time there is a significant current difference
in main 3-phase supply which causes RCD to trip]
 For above mentioned loads, it is very important to have good load site earth pit
otherwise in case of bad earth pit, leakage/ stray current will not easily flow to ground
thus causes voltage drop (step voltage), over-voltage transient, frequency interference
and arcing.
 VFD (variable frequency drive), SMPS (switch mode power supply), Capacitor bank,
servo & stepper inductive motors, battery charger, PCB (printed circuit board),
Fluorescent lighting, rectifiers etc are caused of un-wanted EMI/RFI noise, third
harmonic signal, high frequency interference input supply, stray voltages, stray leakage
charges, over-voltage transient.
 Charging capacitor bank and un-loading inductive load causes low-frequency and high
frequency over voltage transient for a short interval.
 (Isolation Transformer ) Transformer with center tap grounded OR one end of coil is
grounded at secondary side, this is used to suppress un-wanted EMI/RFI noise from the
system & third harmonic current signal.