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by:VerPangoniloPEERPEQMIEAust
1.1
The resistance of a single earth can be calculated if the soil resistivity is known. An earth electrode drivenvertically,theelectroderesistancecanbecalculatedusingtheequation
R=
where:
8L ln d 1 2L
R=electroderesistance,
=Soilresistivity,m(uniformsoil1)
L=Lengthofelectrodeburiedinsoil,m d=Outerdiameterofearthrod,m Note:InAustraliatheminimumdepthofverticaltypeearthelectrodeis1.2m[Clause5.3.6.3,AS/NZS 30002007] Thesoilresistivityatthelocationoftheearthelectrodeneedstobeinvestigated.Theresistivityofsoils varieswith 1. thedepthfromthesurface, 2. thetypeandconcentrationofsolublechemicalsinthesoil, 3. themoisturecontent,and 4. thesoiltemperature. Inotherwords,thesoilresistivityisdependentonthe electrolyteinthesoil.Thepresenceofsurface waterdoesnotnecessarilyindicatelowresistivity. Intheabsenceofsoilinvestigativedata,typicalresistivityofvarioussoiltypesisgiveninthefollowing table.
Table1Typicalsoilresistivity(Source:IEEE142/BS7430) SoilType
Wellgradedgravel Poorlygradedgravel Clayeygravel Siltysand Clayeysands
AverageResistivity(m)
6001000 10002500 200400 100800 50200
Uniformsoilmeansthatthesoiltypeisthesameforthewholelengthoftheearthelectrode
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SoilType
Siltyorclayeysandwithslightplasticity Finesandysoil Gravellyclays Inorganicclaysofhighplasticity SurfaceSoils Clay Sandyclay Moistgravel Drygravel Limestone Porouslimestone Quartz,crystallinelimestone Sandstone Granites Concrete
AverageResistivity(m)
3080 80300 2060 1055 150 2100 100150 50700 7001200 510000 30100 1001000 202000 9001100 300500
R=
8L ln 1 2L d
180 8(1.8) 1 ln 2 (1.8) (19 / 1000)
R=
R = 89.6
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1.2
In the event that the desired soil resistivity is not achievable using a single earth electrode, multiple electrodescouldbeused. Thecombinedresistanceofrodelectrodesinparallelcanbeobtainedfromthefollowingequation:
1 + a Rn = R n
Inwhich
a=
2Rs
=Soilresistivity,m =multiplyingfactor(seeTable2orTable3)
n=numberofelectrodes(seeTable2orTable3) The above equations assume that rod electrodes can be represented approximately by hemispherical electrodes,havingthesameearthresistance.Thisassumptionissatisfactoryprovidedthatthespacing betweentherodsislessthantheirlength.
Table2Factorsforparallelelectrodesinline(BS7430) Numberofelectrodes(n)
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Factor()
1.00 1.66 2.15 2.54 2.87 3.15 3.39 3.61 3.81
For electrodes equally spaced around a hollow square, e.g. around the perimeter of a building, the equationsgivenaboveareusedwithavalueoftakenfromTable3. For three rods placed in an equilateral triangle, or in an L formation, a value of = 1.66 may be assumed.
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Table3Factorsforelectrodesinahollowsquare(BS7430) Numberofelectrodes(n)
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20
Factor()
2.71 4.51 5.48 6.13 6.63 7.03 7.36 7.65 7.90 8.32 8.67 8.96 9.22 9.44
Note:Thetotalnumberofelectrodesaroundthesquareis4(n1). Thereductionincombinedearthresistanceprovidedbyadditionalelectrodesinsidethesquareissmall, butsuchelectrodeswillreducethepotentialgradientoverthesoilsurfaceinsidethesquare.Apractical exampleofthisistheuseofstripelectrodesforminganearthgridwithinthesquare. Table3mayalsobeusedforelectrodesarrangedinarectangle,wherenisgivenby(totalnumberof electrodes/4)+1.Providedthatthelengthtowidthratiooftherectangledoesnotexceed2,theerror willbelessthan6%. EXAMPLE From the previous example, let us calculate the earth resistance if we use 10 rod electrodes in line arrangement. R=89.6 =180m L=1.8m Thespacingshouldbelessthantherodlength(s<L).Assumes=1.5m. a =
1 + a Rn = R n
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Assume10electrodes.FromTable2,=3.81.
Inlocationswherethesoiltypeisnothomogeneous,theresultingresistivityforatwolayersoilcanbe calculatedusingtheformula
Kn Kn (a ) = 1 1 + 4 2 2 n =1 h h 1 + 2n 4 + 2n a a
where:
K=
2 1 2 + 1
1 : Toplayersoilresistivity
2 : Deeplayersoilresistivity
h
: Depthoftoplayersoil : Depthoftoplayersoil : Earthelectrodespacing : Numberofearthelectrodes
a n
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1.4
Source : Table 4-5 IEEE 142 - 2007 References 1. IEEE142(GreenBook)2007IEEERecommendedPracticeforGroundingofIndustrialand CommercialPowerSystems 2. IEEE811983IEEEGuideforMeasuringEarthResistivity,GroundImpedance,andEarthSurface PotentialsofaGroundSystem 3. BS74301998CodeofpracticeforEarthing 4. PracticalGrounding,Bonding,ShieldingandSurgeProtection G.Vijayaraghavan,MarkBrown,MalcolmBarnes Newnes2004IDCTechnologies 5. AS/NZS30002007WiringRules
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