The PRIMARY goal of the grounding

system throughout any facilities is

SAFETY.
Why ground at all?
PERSONNEL SAFETY FIRST
EQUIPMENT PROTECTION SECOND

Earth / Ground Basics

Types of Grounding Systems
Many different types
available
Choice depends on local
conditions and required
function

Ground rod

Earth / Ground Basics

Types of Grounding Systems

ground rod group

typically for lightning

protection on larger
structures or protection
around potential hotspots
such as substations.

Ground rod group

Earth / Ground Basics

Types of Grounding Systems

For areas where there is

rock (or other poor
conducting material) fairly
close to the surface ground
plates are preferred as
they are more effective

Ground plate

Earth / Ground Basics

Types of Grounding Systems

A ground mesh consists of

network of bars connected
together, this system is
often used at larger sites
such as electrical
substations.

Ground mesh

Substation Grounding
An electrical substation is a critical resource in
a power system. Safe operation of a substation
calls for a properly designed and installed
grounding system. A well-designed grounding
system will ensure reliable performance of the
substation over its entire service life

The following steps, when put into practice, will

ensure a reliable, safe and troublefreesubstationgroundingsystem:

Size conductors for anticipated faults

Use the right connections
Ground rod selection
Soil preparation
Attention to step and touch potentials
Grounding using building foundations **
Grounding the substation fence **
Special attention to operating points **
Surge arrestors must be grounded properly **
Grounding of cable trays **
Temporary grounding of normally energized parts **

1. Size Conductors For Anticipated Faults

Conductorsmustbelargeenoughto

handleanyanticipatedfaultswithout
fusing(melting).

2. Use the Right Connections

It is very evident that the connections

between conductors and the main grid

and between the grid and ground rods are
as important as the conductors
themselves in maintaining a permanent
low-resistance path to ground

3. Ground Rod Selection

In MV and HV substations, where the

source and load are connected through

long overhead lines, it often happens that
the ground fault current has no metallic
path and has to flow through the
groundmass (earth). This means that the
ground rods of both source and load side
substations have to carry this current to or
from the groundmass.

4. Soil Preparation
Soil resistivity is an important

consideration in substation grounding

system design. The lower the resistivity,
the easier it is to get a good ground
resistance.

Ground Testing Methods (1)

Resistivity Measurement

The purpose of resistivity measurements is to quantify the

effectiveness of the earth where a grounding system will be
installed.
Differing earth materials will affect the effectiveness of the
grounding system.
The capability of different earth materials to conduct current
can be quantified by the value E (resistivity in .m).
Resistivity measurements should be made prior to installing a
grounding system, the values measured will have an effect on
the design of the grounding system.

Ground Testing
Resistivity
Measurement ((1)
Wenner method)
Methods
Resistivity measurements are performed by using a
four wire method.
method
Used to determine
which KIND of
earthing should be
used, so BEFORE
placing earth stakes

Recommended values of earth resistance

system

Recommended earth
resistance(ohm)

Light current

0.5-1

Low voltage

Medium
voltage

2.5

High voltage

0.5

1-Chemical Rods

Chemical rods are electrodes with holes along

their length, filled with mineral salts.
The specially formulated mineral salts are
evenly distributed along the entire length of the
electrode.
The rod absorbs moisture from both air and soil.
Continuous conditioning of a large area insures
an ultra-low-resistance ground which is more
effective than a conventional electrode.

5. Attention to Step and Touch

Potentials
Limiting step and touch potential to safe

values in a substation is vital to personnel

safety.

Step potential
Step potential
is the
voltage
between the feet of a person standing
near an energized grounded object.
It is equal to the difference in voltage,
given by the voltage distribution curve,
between two points at different
distances from the electrode.
A person could be at risk of injury
during a fault simply by standing near
the grounding point.

Touch potential
Touch potential is the voltage between
the energized object and the feet of a
person in contact with the object.
It is equal to the difference in voltage
between the energized object and a point
some distance away.
The touch potential could be nearly the
full voltage across the grounded object if
that object is grounded at a point remote
from the place where the person is in
contact with it.

Step and touch voltages

6.Grounding using building

foundations

Concrete foundations below ground level

provide an excellent means of obtaining a

low-resistance ground electrode system.
Since concrete has a resistivity of about
30-mat20C, a rod embedded within a
concrete encasement gives a very low
electrode resistance compared to most
rods buried in the ground directly.

 The use of Ufer grounds (named after

the person who was instrumental in

the development of this type of grounding
practice) has significantly increased in
recent years. Ufer grounds utilize the
concrete foundation of a structure plus
building steel as a grounding electrode

7. Grounding the Substation

Fence
Metallic fences of substations should be

considered justasothersubstation
structures.

8. Special Attention to Operating

Points
To protect the operator in case of a fault, it

should be ensured that he is not subjected

to hightouch or steppotentials when a
fault happens in the equipment he is
operating.

Therearefourtypesofsafety
mats.

1. Asteelgrateorplateonsupportinginsulators.
2. Asteelgrateonthesurface,permanentlyattached
tothegroundedstructure.
3. Bare conductor buried (in a coil or zig-zag pattern)
under the handle area and bonded to the grounded
structure.
4. Prefabricatedequipotentialwiremeshsafetymat
buriedunderthehandleareaandbondedtothe
groundedstructure

9. Surge Arrestors Must be Grounded

Properly!
When there is a surge in the electrical

system (by indirect lightning strikes or due

to switching) surge arrestors placed near
all critical equipment divert surge energy
to ground and protect the equipment from
being subjected to the surges

10. Grounding of Cable Trays

All metallic tray sections must be bonded

together with proper conducting
interconnections.

11. Temporary Grounding of Normally

Energized Parts
When personnel work on high-voltage

electric structures or equipment, any

conductivebodiesshouldbe
grounded as a measure of safety

Installing an EARTHLINK 101 earthling strip is

simple:
Dig a trench and lay in the wire.

Pour EARTHLINK 101 conductive cement, using the handy

applicator bag, and shovel in a thin protective layer of soil.

Backfill the remaining soil using a front-end loader

and restore the surface to grade.

THANK YOU!! ^_^

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me

Reporter: Alvin R. Lagasca