Substation Erarthing

by
Jayant Nandapurkar
(Elite Transpower Solutions Pvt Ltd., Nagpur)
Email: jgnandapurkar@gmail.com/
elitetranspower@gmail.com
Mob: 8275044539

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 1

 Introduction
 There are two major Design Goals to be achieved by
any substation ground system under normal as well as
under fault conditions. These goals are:
 To provide means to dissipate electric currents in to

the earth without exceeding any operating or

equipment limits.
 To assure that a person in the vicinity of grounded

facilities is not exposed The design procedures are

aimed at achieving safety from dangerous step and
touch potentials within a substation.

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 Introduction …cont

 The design criteria and procedure described here is

based on IEEE std 80-2000 Guide for safety in
Substation Grounding with specific reference to IS
3043-2001 Code of Practice for Earthing.

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 Critical Parameters
The following site dependent parameters
that have substantial impact on the grid
design:
Maximum Grid Current IG,
Fault duration tf, Shock duration ts
Soil resistivity ,
Surface layer resistivity s,
Grid geometry.

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 Critical Parameters
 Several parameters define the geometry of the grid, but
 area of the grounding system,
 conductor spacing,

 and the depth of the grounding grid have the most

impact on the mesh voltage, while parameters such

as
 conductor diameter and thickness of the surfacing

material have less impact.

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 Maximum Grid Current (IG)
 In determining the Maximum Grid current IG, maximum
possible fault current (if) in the system is to be
determined by performing the short circuit study.
 Two types of faults may be considered for this purpose.
These are:
 Phase to phase to earth fault and

 single phase to earth fault.

 Appropriate margin for future growth in fault levels also

need to be considered.
 Further, in consideration of the division of the ground
fault current between alternate return paths and the
grid necessary decrement factor also need to be
implemented.

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 Division of Fault Current

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 Fault / Shock Duration

 The fault duration and shock duration are normally

assumed equal.
 As per BIS 3043, the duration of fault is to be
considered as 1 second for EHV systems.

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 Soil Resistivity ()
 It is well known that the resistance of an earth electrode is
heavily influenced by the resistivity of the soil in which it is
driven and as such, soil resistivity measurements are an
important parameter when designing earthing installations.
 The grid resistance and voltage gradient within a
substation are directly dependent on the soil resistivity. In
reality soil resistivity will vary horizontally as well as
vertically.
 Knowledge of the soil resistivity at the intended site, and
how this varies with parameters such as moisture content,
temperature and depth, provides a valuable insight into
how the desired earth resistance value can be achieved
and maintained over the life of the installation with the
minimum cost and effort.
Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 9
 Soil Resistivity cont…
 Measurement of resistivity and preparing detail soil
resistivity model of the site is probably first step in
design of the grounding system. The earth resistivity is
is generally measured using Wenner’s Four Pin method.
The instrument that measures the earth resistivity is
known as Earth Tester.

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 Measurement of Earth Resistivity

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 Resistivity of Surface Layer (s)
 A 0.08–0.15 m (3–6 in) layer of high resistivity material,
such as gravel, is often spread on the earth’s surface
above the ground grid to increase the contact
resistance between the soil and the feet of persons in
the substation.
 The relatively shallow depth of the surface material, as
compared to the equivalent radius of the foot,
precludes the assumption of uniform resistivity in the
vertical direction when computing the ground resistance
of the feet.
 However, for a person in the substation area, the
surface material can be assumed to be of infinite extent
in the lateral direction.

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 Surface Layer Resistivity
 If the underlying soil has a lower resistivity than the
surface material, only some grid current will go upward
into the thin layer of the surface material, and the
surface voltage will be very nearly the same as that
without the surface material.
 The current through the body will be lowered
considerably with the addition of the surface material
because of the greater contact resistance between the
earth and the feet.
 However, this resistance may be considerably less than
that of a surface layer thick enough to assume uniform
resistivity in all directions.

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 13

 Surface Layer Resistivity cont…
 The reduction depends on the relative values of the soil
and the surface material resistivitity, and on the
thickness of the surface material.
 It is considered that a 100 mm (0.1 cm or 0.01 metre)
layer of gravel (mettle) of 20 mm size gives an overall
surface layer resistivity of 3000 ohm-mtr.

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 14

 Some other important terms
 Earth / Ground: The conductive mass of the earth,
whose electric potential at any point is conventionally
taken as zero.

 Grounded: A system, circuit, or apparatus provided

with a ground(s) for the purposes of establishing a
ground return circuit and for maintaining its potential at
approximately the potential of earth.

 Ground electrode: A conductor imbedded in the earth

and used for collecting ground current from or
dissipating ground current into the earth.

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 15

 Some other important terms
 Ground Potential Rise (GPR): The maximum
electrical potential that a substation grounding grid may
attain relative to a distant grounding point assumed to
be at the potential of remote earth. This voltage, GPR,
is equal to the maximum grid current times the grid
resistance.
 Under normal conditions, the grounded electrical
equipment operates at near zero ground potential. That
is, the potential of a grounded neutral conductor is
nearly identical to the potential of remote earth. During
a ground fault the portion of fault current that is
conducted by the substation grounding grid into the
earth causes the rise of the grid potential with respect
to remote earth.
Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 16
 Some other important terms cont…
 Ground Mat: A solid metallic plate or a system of closely
spaced bare conductors that are connected to and often
placed in shallow depths above a ground grid or elsewhere
at the earth’s surface, in order to obtain an extra protective
measure minimizing the danger of the exposure to high
step or touch voltages in a critical operating area or places
that are frequently used by people. Grounded metal
gratings placed on or above the soil surface, or wire mesh
placed directly under the surface material, are common
forms of a ground mat.

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 17

 Some Important Terms and definitions
 Grounding Grid: A system of horizontal ground
electrodes that consists of a number of interconnected,
bare conductors buried in the earth, providing a
common ground for electrical devices or metallic
structures, usually in one specific location.
 Grids buried horizontally near the earth’s surface are
also effective in controlling the surface potential
gradients. A typical grid usually is supplemented by a
number of ground rods and may be further connected
to auxiliary ground electrodes to lower its resistance
with respect to remote earth.

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 Some Important Terms and definitions

 Grounding System: Comprises all interconnected

grounding facilities in a specific area.

 Ground Electrode: A ground electrode specifically

designed or adapted for discharging the ground fault
current into the ground, often in a specific discharge
pattern, as required by the grounding system design.

 Step Voltage: The difference in surface potential

experienced by a person bridging a distance of 1 m with
the feet without contacting any grounded object.

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 Some Important Terms and definitions
 Touch Voltage: The potential difference between the
ground potential rise (GPR) and the surface potential at
the point where a person is standing while at the same
time having a hand in contact with a grounded
structure.

 Mesh Voltage: The maximum touch voltage within a

mesh of a ground grid.

Index of Design Parameters:

 The index of various design parameters with their
meaning in brief is enclosed as Annexure with this
paper.

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 Touch & Step Potential

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 Touch Potential

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 Touch Potential

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 Touch Potential representation

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 Step Potential

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 Step Potential

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 Typical Ground Grid

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 Typical Ground Mesh

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 Ground Ring With Ground Rods

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 Electric Field around Ground Rods

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 Typical Digital Earth Tester

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 Earth Resistance Measurement
(New Technique)

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 Typical Steps in Design Procedure

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 CASE STUDY
Design of Grounding System
for
typical 132 KV Substation

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 34

 Design Data

 Fault duration (tf) : 1 second

 Fault Current (If) : 10 KA
 Current Division Factor : 0.6
 Line to Line Voltage : 132 KV
 Soil Resistivity () : 100 Ω-Mtr
 Surface layer resistivity (s) : 3000 Ω-mtr
 Thickness of the surface layer (hs): 0.100 mtr
 Depth of the grid burial (h) : 0.5 mtr
 Available grounding area : 70 m X70 m
 25 MVA 132/11 KV T/F impedance (Yy0) : 10%

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 35

 Case Study cont…

 Step 1: A squre grid of 70 mtr X 70 mtr is considered.

Hence total area of the grid A is 4900 sq. mtr. An
average soil resistivity of 200 Ω-mtr is considered based
upon the soil resistivity measurements.

 Step 2: MS Strip is used as a strip conductor. It’s

computed rea as per BIS 3043 is:
 Area of strip = 125 sq mm

 Size of M S Strip selected 30 mm X 6 mm

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 36

 Case Study cont…

 Step 3: Permissible Step & Touch Potentials:

 The surface layer resistivity is 3000 ohm-mtr while

soil resistivity is 200 ohm-mtr.

 The reduction factor for surface layer resistivity Cs is

Computed Cs = 0.71
 Computed Permissible Step & Touch potentials are

as follows:
Etouch = 659 volts; Estep = 2164 volts

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 37

 Case Study cont…

 Step 4: Initial Design:

 The Layout 70 mtr X 70 mtr grid;

 Spacing (D) between conductors = 7 mtr

 Depth of burial = 0.5 mtr.

 In the initial design no earth rods are considered.

 The length of buried conductor is 2 X 11 X 70 =

1540 mtr

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 38

 Case Study cont…

 Step 5: Determination of Grid Resistance:

 The computed Grid resistance (Rs) is 1.3875 ohms.

 Step 6: Maximum Grid Current (IG):

 We have considered the fault current of 10000A and

current division factor Sf = 0.6. The maximum grid

current is therefore:
 IG = 10000 X 0.6 = 6000A

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 39

 Case Study cont…
 Step 7: Ground Potential Rise GPR):
 GPR = IG X Rg = 6000 X 1.3875 = 8325 volts.

 This exceeds Etouch = 656 volts, determined in

step 3.
 Therefore further design evaluations are

 necessary.

 Step 8: Mesh Voltage:

 The computed Mesh voltage is 1108 volts.

 Step 9: Em V/S Etouch:

 The computed Mesh Voltage Em = 1108V is greater

than the permissible Touch Voltage of 656 Volts.

 Hence the grid design must be modified

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 40

 Case Study cont…
Modification of the initial grid design

 Following options are available for design modifications to

meet the ctrteria of step 9 above.
 Reduce conductor spacing (i.e. D <7 mtrs)

 Addition of ground rods

 In this example the initial grid design will be modified to

include 20 nos of ground rods of 3.3 mtr length around
the perimeter of the grid as shown in the figure below
 and also by reducing the spacing between the conductors
D) to 3.5mtr from initial design value of 7 mtr.

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 Case Study cont…

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 Case Study cont…

 Step 5: Grid resistance:

 With the modified design, the revised value of Grid

resistance is 1.3245ohms as against earlier value of

1.3875 ohms.
 i.e. slight decrement in grid resistance.

 Step 6 & 7: GPR:

 The revised GPR is IG X Rg = 6000 X 1.3245 = 7947

volts
 which is much greater than 659V (i.e. Touch

Voltage permissible).

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 43

 Case Study cont…

 Step 8: Mesh Voltage:

 The computed mesh voltage (Em) = 632.251 V

 and step voltage (Estep) = 973.385 V

 Step 9: Em V/S Etouch:

 Now the calculated corner mesh voltage Em is lower

than the tolerable touch voltage (632.251V versus

659 volts).
 Now we are ready to go to step 10.

Design of Grounding System by Jayant Nandapurkar 44

 Case Study cont…

 Step 10: Es V/S Estep:

 The computed step voltage is well below the

tolerable step voltage

 (973.385 V is much less than 2164 V).

 Step 11: Modify design:

 As all the criteria have been fulfilled. There is no

need to modify the design further.

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 Case Study cont…

 Step 12: Detailed design:

 A safe design has been obtained.

 At this point additional ground rods for Lightning
arresters, PTs, Transformer neutrals etc may be
added to complete the other grid the design details.

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 Typical Grid Design Program using MatLab

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 Typical Grid Design Program using MatLab

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 Thank You

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