Grounding Ceseeps Congress

CHOICE OF SYSTEM
GROUNDING…
1
◼ GROUNDED SYSTEM
Vs.
UNGROUNDED
SYSTEMS
2
OVERVOLTAGES IN EVENTS OF GROUND
FAULTS IN AN UNGROUNDED SYSTEM
For Delta Systems: 5 to 6 times the normal

voltage on the unfaulted phase
For Wye Systems: 15 - 16 times the normal

voltage on the unfaulted phase
Despite this, the ungrounded system will

not trip any breaker or fuse during Single-
Line-to- Ground Faults
3
Unlike the Ungrounded System,
the Grounded System will:
1) Activate Breakers or Fuses to trip in

events of Single-Line-to-Ground Faults.
2) Voltages are stable during single-line-

to-ground faults.
4
Since the late 1930’s, the use of
ungrounded systems in the USA were
already discouraged.
Today, installations in the USA are all

grounded systems.
5
Grounded System - a system in which at
least one conductor or point (usually the
middle wire or neutral point of transformer
or generator windings) is intentionally
grounded either solidly or through an
impedance.
Ungrounded System - a system without

intentional connections to ground.
6
SYSTEM GROUNDING
MUST NOT BE MISTAKEN WITH
EQUIPMENT GROUNDING.
7
System Grounding - is a connection to ground
from one of the current-carrying conductors
of a distribution system or of an interior
wiring system.
Equipment Grounding - is a connection to

ground from one or more of the non-current
carrying metal parts of the wiring system or
apparatus connected to a system.
8
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS
DELTA-DELTA OR WYE-DELTA IN
EUROPE !!!
The wye secondary is not only the

predominant choice,
but because it is the STANDARD

itself!
9
IN THE US & EUROPE, THE NEUTRAL
IS A MAJOR CURRENT CARRYING
CONDUCTOR…
IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE NEUTRAL

IS NOT EVEN CONSIDERED AS A
PLAYER IN THE SYSTEM (pang-gulo
lang iyan!!!)
10
THREE-PHASE, 4 WIRE SYSTEM
Delta Primary Wye Secondary

a Phase: A
A
n b Phase: B
B
c Phase: C
C
n Protective Earth/Neutral
PE/N
POWER TRANSFORMER
Earthing Conductor
Earth ...
Earth Electrode
11
Three-Phase Four-Wire System - a
system of alternating current supply
comprising four conductors, three of
which are connected as in a three-phase
three-wire system, the fourth being
connected to the neutral point of a wye
secondary and intentionally grounded.
The 4th wire serves as the return path

for ground fault current and also acts as
equipment ground.
12
THREE-PHASE, 5 WIRE SYSTEM
Delta Primary Wye Secondary

a Phase: A
A
n b Phase: B
B
c Phase: C
N Phase: Neutral
N
POWER TRANSFORMER
Protective Earth
Conductor
Earthing Conductor
Earth ...
Earth Electrode
13
Three-Phase Five Wire System - a system
of alternating current supply comprising
five conductors, three of which are
connected as in a three-phase three-wire
system, the fourth being connected to the
secondary neutral point of a wye-
connected transformer and is intentionally
grounded.
The 4th wire (N) is used as a current-

carrying conductor, while the fifth wire as
the equipment ground (PE). This system
needs 4 pole circuit breakers.
14
WIDELY-USED
NORTH
AMERICAN &
EUROPEAN
SYSTEMS
15
TYPICAL GROUNDING SYSTEM OF AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT
Grounding System 1:
1 GROUNDED
Grounding System 2: GROUNDED
Grounding System 3: UNGROUNDED
Grounding System 4: UNGROUNDED
16
PRIMARY ELEKTRIKS & POWER
SPECIALIST CORPORATION
Suite 201, Basubas Bldg., A. del Rosario St., Tipolo
Mandaue City, Philippines
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
DEFINITION OF STANDARDIZED EARTHING

SCHEMES PER IEC
1) I T 2) T T 3) T N
a) T N C
b) T N S
c) T N C - S
17
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
1.1) IT Scheme With No Earthing at the Source

(IMPEDANCE TERRA)
A
B
C
Load
Center PE
18
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
In the IT Scheme, there is no intentional

connection of the neutral to earth. Exposed
and extraneous conductive parts of
electrical equipment at the load side of the
system are connected to an earth electrode
through protective conductor PE.
19
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
1.2) IT Scheme With High Impedance Earthing at the Source
A
B
C
Z
LOAD
CENTER
PE
20
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
The neutral of the source in the IT Scheme maybe

permanently grounded through high impedance
(approximately equivalent to ungrounded system) in the
order of 1000 Ohms to 2000 Ohms. The reason for this is to
fix the potential of the network with respect to earth to
reduce the level of overvoltages brought by surges.
21
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
2.0) THE TT SCHEME OF EARTHING (TERRA-TERRA)
Secondary
Of supply
Transformer
PE
22
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
According to IEC Electrical Installation Guide, “One point

at the supply source (generally the neutral point of a star-
connected transformer or generator) in a TT scheme is
connected directly to earth. All exposed and extraneous
conductive parts are connected to separate earth
electrode at the installation site. This electrode may be or
may not be independent of the source electrode; the two
zones of influence may overlap, without affecting the
operation of protective devices.
In other words, in the TT Scheme, the neutral is earthed at

the source and the exposed or conductive parts
(frames/chassis) of electrical equipment are earthed
through separate protective conductors, PE.
23
PRI MARY ELEKTRI KS & POWER
SPECI ALI ST CORPORATI ON
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
The TT diagram shows the following characteristics:
1) Customer and utility areas of responsibility may be

separated, in particular for monitoring the earth connections
quality,
2) According to GIMELEC’s ‘Electrical Power Systems

Reference Guide, 1998 Edition, “the foregoing diagram is
based on the assumption that the earths of the customer
plants and the utility’s network are not connected. In the TT
diagram, earthing of the customer plant installation is
electrically separated from the neutral conductor”.
24
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
3) The effects of a breakdown on the neutral only affect

equipment by causing over-voltage on the lowest charged
phase. There is no effect on safety of persons.
4) Use of a main RCD (Residual Current Devices or Earth

Leakage Devices) ensures that persons are protected when
direct contact between an active conductor and an earth
occurs by cut and disconnection from the mains. This active
safety protection is insensitive to possible changes to the
distributor's or customer's equipment. It also allows to limit
phase-earth fault currents at less than 1 A, thus reducing the
risk of fire.
25
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
5) In the TT system, the neutral is considered as an active conductor

and the cut-off devices must also cut the neutral pole. The TT could
also be a 5 wire system.
6) The TT system does not, however ensure equi-potentiality along

the utility distribution network and therefore encourages the
propagation of over-voltage.
7) In France, in some north European countries and in most of

southern Europe, customer industrial plants are connected to
public distribution networks in accordance with TT system.
26
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
3) THE T N (TERRA-NEUTRAL) SCHEMES:
The source is earthed as of the TT scheme. At the customer

industries installation site, all exposed and extraneous
conductive parts are connected to the neutral of conductor.
TN Schemes could be: TN-C, TN-S or TN-C-S. The several

versions of the TN Schemes are shown on the next slides:
27
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
3.1) The TN-C (TERRA - NEUTRAL COMBINE) SCHEME
C A
B B
C
PE/N
LOAD
CENTER
NOTE: Circuit Breaker shall be 3-Poles (the neutral must never be disconnected/interrupted).
28
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
The TN-C SCHEME
1) The neutral conductor (the 4th wire) is also used as a protective

conductor and referred to as the PE/N (Protective Earth & Neutral)
conductor. The TN-C scheme establishes an efficient equi-potential
environment within the installation with dispersed earth electrodes
spaced as regularly as possible along with the PE conductors. at as many
points as possible.
2) The PEN in the TNC scheme must never be interrupted or opened under
any circumstances. Breakers in this scheme must therefore be 3 poles. In
other words, the PEN must always be present even if breakers are open.
3) The PE/N conductor must be connected directly to the earth terminal

before being looped to the neutral terminal of the electrical equipment.
The PEN therefore takes priority in this scheme.
29
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
The TN-C SCHEME

4) Exposed conductive parts of equipment and extraneous
conductive parts are connected to the neutral conductor. The PE
& neutral conductors are combined in the PE/N conductor.
5) Given the high fault currents and touch voltages, automatic

disconnection is mandatory in the event of insulation faults. This
disconnection must be provided by circuit breakers or suitable
fuses.
6) Residual Current Devices (RCD or Earth Leakage Devices) can

not be used for this purpose since an insulation fault to earth
also constitutes a phase-to-neutral short circuit.
30
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
The TN-C SCHEME
7) TNC Scheme is a common practice in

Power Utility Distribution Systems.
8) TNC Scheme requires only 3-Pole Circuit

Breaker and the neutral must never be
interrupted.
31
Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
3.2) The TN-S (TERRA – NEUTRAL SEPARATE) SCHEME
A
CB B
C
N
PE
LOAD
CENTER
NOTE: Circuit Breaker shall be 4-Poles (the neutral must be disconnected/interrupted

together with the other phases).
32
The TN-S SCHEME
1) The neutral point of the transformer (or the
power supply system) is earthed just once at the
upstream of the installation. The neutral of the
downstream TNS can not be earthed to avoid
creating a TNC. It means no dispersed electrodes.
2) Exposed conductive parts of equipment and

extraneous conductive parts are connected to the
Protective Earth conductor (PE), which are in turn
connected to the transformer neutral & ground.
3) The PE conductors are separate from the neutral

conductors and are sized for fault current that can
occur.
33
The TN-S SCHEME
4) The N & the PE are separate. Like TT, the Neutral N is a major
current carrying conductor. Except at the neutral of the source
where N & PE are interconnected to earth, the N & PE must be
insulated from each other downstream the installation.
5) Given the high fault currents and touch voltages, automatic

disconnection is mandatory in the event of insulation faults. This
disconnection must be provided by 4-Pole Circuit Breakers.
Interruption included the neutral conductors but never the PE.
6) Residual Current Device (RCD) or Earth Leakage Device can be

used since the protection against indirect contact can be
separated from the protection against phase-to-phase or phase to
neutral short circuit.
7) TNS is recommended for electronics devices & others

vulnerable to disturbance. TNS is also recommended for fire
sensitive environments.
34
From IEC: Earth Electrodes
In general, it is preferable, where physically

possible, to separate the electrode provided for
earthing exposed conductive parts of HV
equipment from the electrode intended for
earthing the LV neutral conductor.
This is commonly practised in rural systems

where the LV neutral-conductor earth electrode
is installed at one or two spans of LV distribution
line away from the substation.
35
Earth Electrodes
In most cases, the limited space available

in urban substations precludes this
practice, i.e. there is no possibility of
separating a HV electrode sufficiently from
a LV electrode to avoid the transference of
(possibly dangerous) voltages to the LV
system.
36
Earth-fault current levels at high voltage are
generally (unless deliberately restricted)
comparable to those of a 3-phase short circuit.
Such currents passing through an earth electrode
will raise its voltage to a high value with respect to
“remote earth” (the earth surrounding the
electrode will be raised to a high potential;
“remote earth” is at zero potential).
For example, 10,000 A of earth-fault current

passing through an electrode with an (unusually
low) resistance of 0.5 ohms will raise its voltage to
5,000 V.
37
Providing that all exposed metal in the substation
is “bonded” (connected together) and then
connected to the earth electrode, and the electrode
is in the form of (or is connected to) a grid of
conductors under the floor of the substation, then
there is no danger to personnel, since this
arrangement forms an equipotential “cage” in
which all conductive material, including personnel,
is raised to the same potential.
38
Transferred Potential
A danger exists however from the problem known as

Transferred Potential. If the neutral point of the LV winding
of the HV/LV transformer is also connected to the common
substation earth electrode, so that the neutral conductor, the
LV phase windings and all phase conductors are also raised to
the electrode potential.
Low-voltage distribution cables leaving the substation will

transfer this potential to consumer installations. It is
probable, then, that the insulation between phase and earth
of a cable or some part of an installation would fail.
39
40
Solutions
A first step in minimizing the obvious dangers of

transferred potentials is to reduce the magnitude of HV
earth-fault currents. This is commonly achieved by
earthing the HV system through resistors or reactors at the
star points of selected transformers*, located at bulk-
supply substations.
A relatively high transferred potential cannot be entirely

avoided by this means, and so the following strategy has
been adopted in some countries.
The equipotential earthing installation at a consumer's

premises represents a remote earth, i.e. at zero potential.
However, if this earthing installation were to be connected
by a low-impedance conductor to the earth electrode at the
substation, then the equipotential conditions existing in the
substation would also exist at the consumer's installation.
41
Case A Case B
42
Case C Case D
43
Case E Case F
44
PROTECTING
THE NEUTRAL
45
AN IEC - BASED
INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM
SHOWING THE
COMPLETE
GROUNDING LOOP
Note: TNS Scheme
46
FLOW OF NEUTRAL
CURRENTS FOR TNS
vs. TNC.
NOTE: Because of Neutral

Currents flowing through
extraneous conductive parts
of a building in the TNC system,
the TNC is not recommended for
fire sensitive environments & IT
applications.
47
A TYPICAL
INDUSTRIAL
INSTALLATION
EMPLOYING TT –
ONE OF THE WORLD
ACCEPTED
STANDARD OF
SYSTEM
GROUNDING.
48
FIG. 9.10: TYPICAL SYSTEM EARTHING SCHEME OF AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT WITH
MV/MV RECEIVING SUBSTATION, MV MOTORS & MV/LV POWER CENTERS
4160 V
NOTE: IN THIS SCHEME, THERE ARE NO LINE-TO- Other Other MOTORS
M’s
NEUTRAL LOADS AT THE 4160 V SIDE Loads Loads
A, B, C A, B, C
3 Cables 3 Cables
A, B, C
3 Cables
4th Cable 4th Cable 4th Cable
5.0 MVA TRAFO PE/N PE/N PE/N
69-4.2 KV, DY
A, B, C
3 Cables
(4,160 V, 3P, 4 BUS, TT, 60 HZ) A, B, C

3 Bus
LA’s
4th Bus
PE/N
A, B, C A, B, C
4th Cable 3 Cables A, B, C
Earth 3 Cables 3 Cables 4th Cable
PE/N Earth PE/N
4th Cable 4th Cable

PE/N PE/N
Other
Loads
1.5 MVA TRAFO 500 KVA TRAFO

4.2-0.48 KV DY 4.2-0.40 KV DY
A, B, C A, B, C + N
4 th Bus 5th Bus PE
3 BUS 4 BUS
Earth PE/N Earth
(400/230 V, 3P, 5W TNS SYSTEM)
(480 V, 3P, 4 W, TT SYSTEM) 4 th Bus 5th Bus

PE/N PE
4 th Cable 5 th Cable
PE/N (PE)
A, B, C A, B, C + N
3 Cables 4 Cables 49
NOTE: 230 V, 1P, L-N can be derived here

Tel No: (032) 345-4531 / (032) 346 –3029 Fax No. (032) 343-6936
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
50

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CHOICE OF SYSTEM

For Delta Systems: 5 to 6 times the normal

For Wye Systems: 15 - 16 times the normal

Despite this, the ungrounded system will

1) Activate Breakers or Fuses to trip in

2) Voltages are stable during single-line-

Today, installations in the USA are all

Ungrounded System - a system without

MUST NOT BE MISTAKEN WITH

Equipment Grounding - is a connection to

The wye secondary is not only the

but because it is the STANDARD

IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE NEUTRAL

Delta Primary Wye Secondary

The 4th wire serves as the return path

Delta Primary Wye Secondary

The 4th wire (N) is used as a current-

Grounding System 2: GROUNDED

Grounding System 3: UNGROUNDED

Grounding System 4: UNGROUNDED

DEFINITION OF STANDARDIZED EARTHING

1.1) IT Scheme With No Earthing at the Source

In the IT Scheme, there is no intentional

1.2) IT Scheme With High Impedance Earthing at the Source

The neutral of the source in the IT Scheme maybe

2.0) THE TT SCHEME OF EARTHING (TERRA-TERRA)

According to IEC Electrical Installation Guide, “One point

In other words, in the TT Scheme, the neutral is earthed at

The TT diagram shows the following characteristics:

1) Customer and utility areas of responsibility may be

2) According to GIMELEC’s ‘Electrical Power Systems

3) The effects of a breakdown on the neutral only affect

4) Use of a main RCD (Residual Current Devices or Earth

5) In the TT system, the neutral is considered as an active conductor

6) The TT system does not, however ensure equi-potentiality along

7) In France, in some north European countries and in most of

3) THE T N (TERRA-NEUTRAL) SCHEMES:

The source is earthed as of the TT scheme. At the customer

TN Schemes could be: TN-C, TN-S or TN-C-S. The several

3.1) The TN-C (TERRA - NEUTRAL COMBINE) SCHEME

The TN-C SCHEME

1) The neutral conductor (the 4th wire) is also used as a protective

3) The PE/N conductor must be connected directly to the earth terminal

The TN-C SCHEME

5) Given the high fault currents and touch voltages, automatic

6) Residual Current Devices (RCD or Earth Leakage Devices) can

The TN-C SCHEME

7) TNC Scheme is a common practice in

8) TNC Scheme requires only 3-Pole Circuit

3.2) The TN-S (TERRA – NEUTRAL SEPARATE) SCHEME

NOTE: Circuit Breaker shall be 4-Poles (the neutral must be disconnected/interrupted

2) Exposed conductive parts of equipment and

3) The PE conductors are separate from the neutral

5) Given the high fault currents and touch voltages, automatic

6) Residual Current Device (RCD) or Earth Leakage Device can be

7) TNS is recommended for electronics devices & others

In general, it is preferable, where physically

This is commonly practised in rural systems