• Size of the conductor: The minimum size of a conductor required during earthing can be deter-

mined by

Where, short circuit current (lfs), duration of fault current (tc), thermal resistivity (ar), soil resis-
tivity (prl), the thermal capacity of copper (TCAP), maximum allowed temperature (Tm), and
ambient temperature (Ta) are the factors affecting the size of the conductors.
• Grid resistance: The fall of the potential test method is used to measure the ground grid re-
sistance. The resistance obtained from the ratio of the earth’s potential rise and the current caus-
ing it is called the grid resistance. The grid resistance can be calculated as

Where, A= area of the grid, p= resistivity, L = length of the grid

• Maximum Grid Current: The maximum grid current is the ratio of current flowing between
the earth grid and the surrounding earth to the symmetrical fault current. This current is affected
by the fault current division factor. The maximum grid current can be calculated as:

Where, Ig – current flowing through the grid, Df – decrement factor

• Vertically Driven Rods: The electrodes used when the soil resistivity of the ground is low and
it can penetrate beneath the layer where the soil resistivity is high are vertically driven rods. The
length of the earth rod is calculated in such a way that it reaches more stable layers into the earth
below. These earth rods would stabilize the earth grid resistance during the changes in seasonal
resistivity.
• Substation Fence: Earthing around the substation is important to avoid dangerous touch poten-
tials and fatal electric shocks. Metallic fences are built up around the substation. These fences
also prevent access to the public. Earthing fences can be built in two ways i.e., by connecting the
earth grid electrically with the fence within the grid or by independently earthing the fence and
placing it outside the earth grid with an acceptably low potential gradient.
• Other Substation Earthing: The ground potential rise at any substation can be subsided by
overhead line earth wires where the wires are connected to the earth grid diverting the fault

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 Class of LPL Rolling Sphere Radius, R
I 20 m
II 30 m
III 45 m
IV 60 m

Table 1: LPL Class and Rolling Sphere Radius

The table above shows the radius of the rolling sphere for different classes of Lightning Protection Lev-
els (LPL). As we can see in the table, Class I has the smallest rolling sphere radius and as a result, this
smaller sphere would touch parts of the building (deemed unprotected) that the larger spheres would not
touch (deemed protected). Thus, structures with Class I protection have the highest level of protection.

Rolling Sphere Method Steps:

• Identify Lightning Protection Level (LPL): Determine the LPL for your structure based on fac-
tors like occupancy and local standards.
• Find Sphere Radius: Look up the corresponding sphere radius for your LPL in lightning protec-
tion standards or tables.
• Imagine Rolling Sphere: Visualize a large sphere with the determined radius rolling over your
entire structure.
• Identify Unprotected Areas:
• Areas where the sphere touches the structure are considered unprotected and require
lightning protection (e.g., air termination rods).
• This includes the entire top surface if the sphere radius is larger than half the building
height.
• Corners and edges are also typically unprotected.
• Wall Calculations:
• For specific wall sections, calculate the distance from the edge where the sphere no longer
touches the wall using the Pythagorean theorem.
• Areas beyond this distance might be considered protected based on the LPL and sphere
radius.
• Review and Refine:
• Consider the limitations of the method and consult lightning protection standards for spe-
cific requirements.
• This initial assessment might need further calculations or engineering judgment for a
complete design.

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