IEEE

Wind Farm Collector System

Grounding for Personal Safety

Summary of Topics
Content

1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
3.0 ENVIRONMENT AND GEOTECHNICAL DATA
4.0 SOIL RESISTIVITY MODEL
5.0 SAFETY DESIGN CRITERIA
6.0 GROUND FAULT RETURN CURRENT
7.0 MINIMUM GROUND CONDUCTOR CROSS
SECTIONAL AREA
8.0 GROUND ELECTRODE SYSTEM & IMPEDANCE
9.0 GROUND POTENTIALS
10.0 DESIGN OF SUBSTATION GROUND GRID AND
LIGHTNING PROTECTION
1-Introduction
This document is a summary of
questions/comments on a typical
approach for the minimum design
requirements of a Wind Power Plant
Grounding System.
Aim to Define Topics for Future
Standard or Guide
2 - General requirements
2.1 Definitions:
Wind Power Plant (WPP)
A Wind Power Plant is a single or multiple wind
turbine generators electrically interconnected and
where the collection system crosses a single or
multiple private or public properties; and having
one or more points of interconnection to the Utility
electric system.
WTG
HV
LV
Grounding system
GPR
Etc..
2.2 Reference Standards and Documents

What reference standards, guides, codes, document to be used ?
ANSI/IEEE 80 Guide for Safety in AC Substation Grounding
ANSI/IEEE 81 Guide for Measuring Earth Resistivity, Ground
Impedance, and Earth Surface Potentials of a Ground
System
ANSI/IEEE 998 Guide for Direct Lightning Stroke Shielding of
Substations
ANSI/ IEEE 367 Recommended Practice for Determining the Electric
Power Station Ground Potential Rise and Induced
Voltage From a Power Fault
Other IEEE/ANSI??
National Electrical Code [NEC]
National Electrical Safety Code [NESC]
International Electrotechnical Commission [IEC]
Underwriters Laboratories [UL]
Insulated Cable Engineers Association [ICEA]
2.3 What Consists a WPP
Grounding System

Interpreting NESC/IEEE 80
Single point,
Multi point
3 wires ? (Ex. Concentric neutral cable only
without additional ground wire
4 wires ? (Ex concentric neutral cable +
additional ground wire)
Ungrounded System?
2.4 Grounding Design Tools
Grounding Design analysis software and
calculation tools.
CDEGS ?
CYME ?
ETAP?
EPRI ?
Other?
Hand Calculation
2.5 Other Design Aspects
Design Life
Access to Site and Equipment
Public, private
Etc.

3.0 Environment and
Geotechnical Data
3.1 Climate
Altitude
Normal Ambient Temperature
Extreme Ambient Temperature
Humidity
Max Wind Speed
Precipitation
Seismic Hazard
Lightning Rate
3.2 Geotechnical data
What measurement & why? (Electrical
Resistivity; Soil Acidity)
Measurement method? (Wenner,
Schlumberger)
Where?
Each WTG location?
Each Junction location?
Each switchgear location (pad or pole mounted) ?
Main Substation ?
Interconnection station ?
Met tower location ?
Any other location subjected to electrical hazard?
4.0 Soil Resistivity
Models
Analyse collected data and determine
an equivalent soil model for each test
location.
Uniform soil?
2 layers soil?
More than 2 layers
5.0 Safety Design
Criteria
In accordance with IEEE 80: 2000
Body Resistance per IEEE 80: 2000
Foot Resistance per IEEE 80: 2000
Extra Foot Resistance Applicable or not applicable ?
Maximum HV Ground Fault Disconnection Time: 0.5s or 1s?
Maximum MV Ground Fault Disconnection Time: 0.133s, 0.5s or 1s?
System X/R Ratio (default value 20?)
Fibrillation Current Calculation per IEEE 80: 2000 & 50kg Body Weight
Starting Surface Layer Resistivity: Per applicable Soil Resistivity
Model
Surface Layer Thickness
Sub-Surface Layer Resistivity
Imported Crushed Rock For Starting Surface
2000 .m wet Electrical Resistivity. Or more than 2000 .m?
6.0 Ground Fault
Return Current
1-Phase-to-ground fault current
calculations?
2-Phase-to-ground fault current
calculations?
6.1 HV Ground fault return current
Depends on the Main transformer HV winding connection:
Generally Solidly grounded to provide a ground current return
path back to the POI through the transformer HV neutral.

6.2 MV Ground fault return current
The 34.5kV system neutral is generally solidly connected to
ground at the main substation, with no intentional neutral to
ground impedance.
Main substation grounding system connection to WTG?
The MV cable screening and bare horizontal ground conductor
connection

6.3 LV Ground fault return current
The LV system at the WTG with all local metalwork being solidly
bonded to the LV Neutral of the WTG Transformer
7.0 Minimum Ground
Conductor Cross-section Area
Determine the minimum ground conductors cross
sectional area (Based on IEEE 80: 2000) (Section 11.3.1,
Formula (37) or code tables?)
Conductor metal
Minimum ground conductor size
Max Ground Ambient temperature
Max Air Ambient temperature
Max bare conductor temperature
Max insulated conductor temperature
System X/R ratio:
HV design total ground fault current (+ Safety margin?)
MV design total ground fault current (+ Safety Margin?)
LV design total ground fault current (+ Safety Margin?)
Fault clearing time ?
8.0 Ground Electrode
System & Impedance
Determine the Ground Electrode System impedance for
the wind farm
Based on soil resistivity models and ground electrode
conductor configurations
Main S/S & compound
What ohmic value? Common sense?
Cable trenches.
Each wind turbine and its associated transformer
What ohmic value? Common sense?
Each meteorological mast
What ohmic value? Common sense?
Each MV junction box/switchgear
etc.
9.0 Ground Potentials
9.1 GPR, Transfer, Touch & Step Potential
Examine Ground potential rise due to HV MV & LV ground
fault currents.
Compare maximum values to safety criteria for acceptance

9.2 Zone of Influence (Hot Zone) Contour
Determine the Zone of Influence of Ground fault potential
(Hot Zone) as per IEEE 367 (and /or local specific code)
Each site shall then be classified based on a 300V Zone of
Influence contour limit as recommended by IEEE 367-
1996, section 9.3 as:
a Hot Zone of Influence GPR >/= 300V.
a Cold Zone of Influence, GPR is < 300V everywhere
across the Site .
10 Design of Substation
Ground Grid and
Lightning protection

10.1 Base document & references data

IEEE 80 IEEE Guide for Safety in AC Substation Grounding
IEEE 81 IEEE Guide for Measuring Earth Resistivity, Ground
Impedance, and Earth Surface Potentials of a Ground System
IEEE 998 IEEE Guide for Direct Lightning Stroke Shielding of
Substations
The substation location and prevailing keraunic level & ground
flash density.
Soil resistivity at all grounding points.
Fault Level Schedule.
10.2 Substation Grounding System
What design criteria specific to Wind Power Plant?
Do we specify a Max Ground Grid Impedance, Why?
What acceptable limits for touch & step potential? (in
accordance with IEEE 80).
Fault disconnection time
minimum ground conductor size & material.
Burial depth.
Etc..
10.3 Substation Lightning Protection
Free standing lightning masts
Lightning rods installed atop substations structures,
Static wire strung between static masts?
Calculation of the Zone of Protection: rolling sphere /
electrogeometric method (EGM)/other methods.


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