Temporary Protective Grounding in High Fault Current Locations

RMEL Safety Conference
Temporary Protective Grounding
in High‐Fault Current Locations
29‐March‐2018
RMEL 2018 Safety Conference
Lone Tree, Colorado
Subject, Office or event
Temporary Protective Grounds
• Temporary Protective Ground cables (TPGs)
• Primary Purpose: Protect the worker from electric shock
hazards while working on de‐energized lines or
equipment.
• Are the most effective means of protecting against
electric shock if:
• Properly designed
• Correctly installed
RMEL 2018 Safety Conference 2
Gary Zevenbergen, Western Area Power March 28‐29, 2018
Administration, Electrical Engineer
1
Regulations
• OSHA 1910.269(n)
• Protective grounding equipment shall be capable of
conducting the maximum fault current that could flow at the
point of grounding for the time necessary to clear the fault.
• Note: ASTM F855–09, contains guidelines for protective grounding
equipment.
• ANSI C2‐2017: National Electric Safety Code
• The grounding device shall be of such size as to carry the
induced current and anticipated fault current that could flow
at the point of grounding for the time necessary to clear the
line.
• Note: Refer to ASTM F 855‐04 [B22] for specifications for protective
grounding equipment.
Specification: ASTM F 855
• Recognizes ground cables as an assembly
(clamps, ferrules, cable)
• Provides standardized materials
(size, material strength, & mechanical properties)
• Provides short‐time current ratings of all components
• Provides material testing requirements
2
Application Guides
IEEE Std 1048 IEEE Std 1246
Technical Papers
3
• Two Primary Objectives
1. TPGs must be capable of carrying the maximum
available fault current for the required clearing time.
• Applies to both thermal and mechanical energy.
2. TPGs must limit the exposure voltage at the work site
to safe levels.
• Proper grounding equipment in conjunction with proper work
practices must protect the worker from hazardous exposure
voltage levels.
It cannot be assumed that accomplishing one objective automatically
accomplishes both objectives
• Objective 1: Short‐time current rating
• ASTM F 855 provides short‐time current ratings: Table 1
A Withstand and ultimate short circuit
D Ultimate values are based upon
properties are based on performance with
application of Onderdonk’s equation to
surges not exceeding 20% asymmetry
98% of nominal circular mil area allowed
factor.
by Specification B172 and B173
20% Asymmetry ≈ (X/R ≤ 1.8)
4
Fault Current Characteristics
• A short circuit (fault) in an electrical circuit is a
sudden change in circuit impedance (usually much
lower) causing a sudden increase in current.
• Short Circuit Programs
• Used to predict the maximum available fault current
using a computer model of the power system.
Ifmax = 20,000 Arms
5
• How does the predicted fault current compare with
actual fault current.
Decay Time
Offset
• Fault Current Offset (DC Component)
• Determined by the point on the voltage sine wave when
fault occurs.
• Random, Unpredictable (Worst case occurs @ 90°)
• Decay Time: REQ XEQ Fault
Location
• Determined by the X/R ratio of the system
as seen from the fault location. Equivalent
Source
• High X/R ratios – Long Decay Times
• Increases the thermal energy the cable must absorb
• Imposes greater mechanical forces on the ground cable
6
Effect of X/R on Decay Time
Decay Decay
Time Time
Decay Time Decay Time
• Objective 1: Short‐time current rating for High X/R
• ASTM F 855 provides short‐time current ratings: Table 2
Correlate Grade Size
to Conductor Size
1H ‐> #2
2H ‐> 1/0
3H ‐> 2/0
4H ‐> 3/0
5H ‐> 4/0
6H ‐> 250 MCM or 2‐2/0
7H ‐> 350 MCM or 2‐4/0
7
• What is the basis for ASTM F 855
Table 2?
• ASTM F 855
• 1.6.1 Currents presented in Table 2
are based upon the values from EPRI
Project RP2446 Computer Program Ratings account for the
RTGC “A Desktop Computer Program mechanical energy/stress
for Calculating Rating of Temporary as well thermal energy.
Grounding Cables” and are to be used
in situations involving an asymmetry
value greater then 20 % (X/R > 1.8),
see Appendix X4.
• Based on the results Cable Size 1/0 2/0 4/0
Cross ‐Sec (Sq‐mm) (98%) 52.41 66.07 105.06
of EPRI Project Initial Temp (C) 50 50 50
Final Temp (C) 1,083 1,083 1,083
RP2446, Initiation Angle (deg) 90 90 90
• WAPA computed 15 Duration (cycles) Duration (cycles) Duration (cycles)

15 30 15 30 15 30
& 30 cycle Ultimate X/R
Ultimate Ultimate Ultimate Ultimate Ultimate Ultimate
cable ratings based 0
(A)
30,549
(A)
21,605
(A)
38,522
(A)
27,239
(A)
61,253
(A)
43,314
on the X/R ratio 1 30,083 21,438 37,923 27,025 60,303 42,973
2 29,990 21,404 37,807 26,983 60,118 42,906
• (0 – 50). 3 29,899 21,371 37,691 26,941 59,934 42,839
4 29,787 21,330 37,550 26,889 59,710 42,757
5 29,663 21,284 37,394 26,832 59,462 42,666
6 29,534 21,236 37,231 26,771 59,202 42,570
• Created Withstand 7 29,401 21,187 37,064 26,709 58,937 42,470
8 29,267 21,137 36,896 26,646 58,669 42,370
cable ratings based 9 29,133 21,086 36,727 26,582 58,400 42,268
on the new Ultimate 10
11
29,000
28,867
21,035
20,984
36,558
36,391
26,518
26,454
58,133
57,867
42,167
42,065
cable ratings. 12 28,736 20,994 36,225 26,390 57,603 41,963
13 28,605 20,883 36,061 26,326 57,341 41,862
14 28,476 20,833 35,898 26,262 57,082 41,760
15 28,348 20,782 35,736 26,199 56,826 41,660
8
• What about work sites with fault current that
exceeds the single cable rating?
Conductor Weights (lbs./ft.)
• Use a larger cable – 2/0 AWG – 0.424
• Works ok until you get larger than 4/0 – 4/0 AWG – 0.676 (+59%)
• Use more than one cable – 250 MCM – 0.802 (+19%)
– 350 MCM – 1.120 (+40%)
• Generally speaking for fault currents > 40,000 Amps
• Multiple ground cable assemblies per phase may be
needed.
Multi‐cable Considerations
• IEEE Standard 1048‐2016
• Identical Cable Assemblies
• Apply De‐rating factor to single‐cable rating
• Install cables close together
• Only full current testing can determine the actual short
circuit capability
• In the absence of actual test data, de‐rate the TPGs by at
least 10% when multiple cables are required.
9
• IEEE Standard 1246‐2011
• To be sure that balanced current flows through each
TPG, the following items can be made equal:
• Size and type of stirrups
• Size and type of clamp
• Length and ampacity of each conductor
• Similar connection of each conductor in the clamp
• Torque applied to each clamp
• Install cables close together
• To account for unequal current division, reduce the
thermal current rating by at least 10% of each TPG used
in the multiple assembly set
• ESMOL Technical Paper: “Factors in sizing Protective
Grounds”
• When it is essential that more than one cable be employed,
the following requirements should be observed:
• The cables shall be of equal length
• The cables shall be of equal cross‐section
• The cables shall be from the same material, stranding, and lay
distance.
• The same connecting parts and components shall be employed
• The cables shall be installed next to each other.
• De‐rate the cable ratings by
• 10% if the cables are restrained
• 20% if the cables are not restrained
10
• ASTM F 855‐2015
• To account for unequal current sharing, it is
recommended that the subsequent multi‐TPG per phase
rating be reduced by at least 10 %.
• Users seeking applications of multiple assemblies should
perform their own tests to determine the ratings for
multiple TPGs per phase for both low and high
asymmetry.
High‐Current Multi‐Cable Test
The Desired Outcome
11
• Successful deployment of multi‐cable grounding for
high‐current locations requires more than just
properly rating the cable assemblies.
• Special attention must be paid to:
• Cable Assembly Construction
• Cable Assembly Installation
Cable Assembly Construction
12
• Cable pulled out of the ferrule
• Crimping a ferrule onto the cable must be done
such that maximum strength is achieved.
• It may require a different crimping process.
Burndy Crimp Finn Power
• Any crimping
specification applies to
a specific cable/ferrule
combination.
• Perform pull tests on
conductor/ferrule
to validate strength
of crimping process.
13
Cable Assembly Installation
• Clamp Spacing and Current Distribution
• The more space
between the
clamps, the
more divergent
the current
distribution
becomes.
• More than 3
inches, usually
resulted in cable
failure.
Courtesy of Duke Energy
14
• Just because a clamp, ferrule, and
cable is rated 5H (47,000 Amps) as
a single assembly
• Does not guarantee that two such
assemblies will survive when
installed in parallel at 80,000
Amps.
15
• Clamp Spacing:
• Mechanical Torque on the Clamps.
• Placing clamps close
together reduces the
rotational torque due
Force Force Force Force
to the attractive force
applied to the cables.
• Best option: install the
clamps so they touch
each other.
16
• Multiple Ground Cables & Current Density
• The more TPGs that are paralleled,
• The current carried by the last TPG incrementally decreases
• The overall performance uncertainty of the parallel TPGs
increases.
• Minimizing the number of parallel cables increases the
probability of successful performance
Courtesy of Duke Energy
Cable Attachment Points
• IEEE Std 1246‐2011
• Fixed‐point protective grounding terminals attached to the
bus conductors, equipment terminals, or structures have
been gaining acceptance in the utility industry.
• These terminals provide an attachment point for protective
grounds that lends itself to the adaptability of standard
clamps.
• This avoids forcing these clamps to conform to a wide range
of conductor sizes and configurations.
• These fixed attachments (studs and stirrups) need to be able
to withstand, mechanically and electrically, the available
short‐circuit current.
• The corona protection of the attachment points needs to be
considered.
17
Custom Attachment Designed by DMC Power for WAPA
18
Summary
• Insure that ground cable assemblies are rated
properly.
• Most HV and EHV substations and lines exceed
ASTM F 855 Table 1, X/R ≤ 1.8
• Near power plants or large EHV transformers
• X/R ratios can exceed 30.
• If cable assemblies are not properly designed
• High‐current tests have validated that ground cable assembly
failure occurs within the first few cycles with high X/R locations
Summary
• Insure that ground cable assemblies are
constructed properly.
• Insure that the cable‐to‐ferrule crimping process
provides the necessary mechanical strength.
• Have a QA process in place to insure that the cable
assemblies meet the specification standards
• Only use clamps that have proven to survive multi‐cable
installations.
19
Summary
• Insure that ground cable assemblies are installed
properly.
• Pay attention to the spacing between the clamps.
• If possible include restraints to limit cable movement.
• Provide designated attachment hardware.
Questions?
20

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RMEL Safety Conference

• WAPA computed 15 Duration (cycles) Duration (cycles) Duration (cycles)

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