Earthing Systems Design in Presence of Non-uniform Soil

Angelo Campoccia, Eleonora Riva Sanseverino, Gaetano Zizzo

Department of Electrical, Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering University of Palermo Palermo, Italy zizzo@diepa.unipa.it

AbstractThe Authors propose a practical approach for facing the problem of the design of the earthing systems in two-layer soils. The approach is based on the calculation of an equivalent resistivity of the non-uniform soil through which the designer can treat this one as it was uniform. The purpose of the Authors is to provide an innovative simple method and some easy-to-use graphs for an easy earthing systems design in two-layer soils. Keywords- Non-uniform Soil, Two-Layer Soil, Earthing, Earth Electrodes.

because of the difficulty of the calculations required to solve the problem. Experience demonstrates that significant errors (up to 400% in the calculation of the earth resistance) often derive from not considering the presence of a non-uniform soil [2]. For this reason, in this paper the Authors present a practical approach to face the problem of the design of the earthing systems in non-uniform soil. The purpose of the Authors is to provide a simple method and some easy-to-use graphs for easily designing earthing systems in two-layer soils without having recourse to complicated mathematical approach or expensive simulation softwares. According to the proposed method a two-layer soil is treated as an uniform soil with an equivalent resistivity depending on the rate between the earth bulk resistivities of the two layers, on the depth of the first layer and on the shape and the dimensions of the considered earth electrode. The method proposed is based on an application of the Maxwells images method but allows the designer to not having directly recourse to this last, obtaining, in this way, a significant simplification in the mathematical formulation of the design problem. In the following, after having briefly described the Maxwells image method, the Authors present their approach to the problem and reports some useful graphs for the calculation of the earth resistance of some typical MV/LV substations earth electrodes.

I.

INTRODUCTION

The soil is normally composed of different materials with various characteristics and, in particular, it is often made of overlapping quasi-parallel layers. Every layer generally offers to the earth currents a resistivity that is slightly variable from point to point. Often, on the other hand, the resistivity is very different from layer to layer. The layer structure of a non-uniform soil can sensibly influence the value of the earth resistance of the earth electrodes and the touch and step voltages profiles on the soils surface. This is especially true when the differences between the resistivity of the layers are large. Indeed the resistivity of the soil can change in a very wide range of values from the typical values of resistivity of the conductors to the typical values of the insulating materials. Table I reports these values for the different types of soil [1]. Nevertheless, the earthing systems designer often, thoughtlessly, does not take into consideration this aspect

TABLE I. Type of soil Wet organic soil Moist soil Dry soil Bedrock

EARTH RESISTIVITY Average resistivity (m) 10 100 1000 10000

' k '' ''' '''' U E = I j R o jj,0 + R jj,0 + ( 2 R jj,k + R jj,k + R jj,k ) + k =1 N o ' '' ''' '''' + Ii R ij,0 + R ij,0 + k ( 2 R ij,k + R ij,k + R ij,k ) i =1 k =1 i j

.....

(1)

II.

THE MAXWELLS METHOD

' k '' ''' '''' UE = IN R o NN,0 + R NN,0 + ( 2 R NN,k + R NN,k + R NN,k ) + k =1 N o ' '' ''' '''' + Ii R iN,0 + R iN,0 + k ( 2 R iN,k + R iN,k + R iN,k ) i =1 k =1 i N

The evaluation of the earth resistance of an earth electrode in a two-layer soil is a particular application of the Maxwells image method. The earth electrode is divided into N parts (as higher N is as more accurate is the calculation) and each part injects in the soil a current indicated by Ij with a potential towards the remote earth equal to UE. The sum of the N currents Ij gives the total earth current I injected in the soil by the real earth electrode. According to the Maxwells method, an earth electrode in a two-layer soil is equivalent to infinite image earth electrodes (briefly images in the following) disposed as represented in Fig. 1. Each image ise divided into N parts too.

with: 2 1 , being 1 and 2 the earth bulk resistivities 2 + 1 respectively, of the upper and of the lower layer; =
Ro the self-resistance of the jth part of the earth jj,0 electrode;
o R ij,0 the mutual resistance of the between the ith part and th the j part of the real earth electrode; ' R ij,0 the mutual resistance of the between the ith part of the image earth electrode distant 2h from the real earth electrode and the jth part of the real earth electrode; '' R ij,k the mutual resistance of the between the ith part of the image earth electrode distant 2kD from the real earth electrode and the jth part of the real earth electrode;
''' the mutual resistance of the between the ith part of the R ij,k image earth electrode distant 2kD-2h from the real earth electrode and the jth part of the real earth electrode;

a)

b)

1
air

earth electrode

1 2

'''' R ij,k the mutual resistance of the between the ith part of the image earth electrode distant 2kD+2h from the real earth electrode and the jth part of the real earth electrode.

Every self and mutual resistance in (1) can be calculated through the formula:
Figure 1. a) Earth electrode in a two-layer soil; b) Images earth electrodes in an uniform soil.

In Fig. 1, D and h indicate the depth of the first layer and the depth of the earth electrode, respectively. Writing, for all the N parts of the earth electrode, the expression of the earth potential UE assumed according to the images method, the following systems is obtained:
o ' '' ''' '''' U E = I1 R11,0 + R11,0 + k ( 2 R11,k + R11,k + R11,k ) + k =1 N o ' '' ''' '''' + Ii R i1,0 + R i1,0 + k ( 2 R i1,k + R i1,k + R i1,k ) i =1 k =1 i 1

x R ij,y =

1 ln 4

xo +

2 2 + x o + + yo + zo 2 2
2

(2)

2 2 x o + x o + yo + zo 2 2

with: x = o, ', '', ''', '''' ; y = 0, k ;

the length of any of the N parts of the earth electrode;

.....

xo, yo and zo the Cartesian coordinates of the middle point of the jth part of the earth electrode or of the image earth electrode, with respect to a Cartesian coordinates system

having origin in the middle point of the ith part of the earth electrode (see Fig. 2). In particular is:
o r (radius of theelectrode) for R ij,0 ' 2h for R ij,0 '' z o = 2kD for R ij,k ''' 2kD 2h for R ij,k '''' 2kD+ 2h for R ij,k

1 + R E = k LT

1 1 + 20 A 1 + h 20 / A 1

(6)

with: (3) h the depth of the earth electrode; LT the total buried length of conductors; A the area occupied by the earth electrode;

or the Schwarzs equations [4] in the case of earth electrodes consisting of horizontal and vertical electrodes. According to this method, the rate k between the earth resistance RE of the earth electrode in the two-layer soil and the earth resistance R 0 E of the same earth electrode in the uniform soil having resistivity equal to 1 is given by:

k=

RE R0 E

k 1

(7)

Figure 2. Cartesian reference axes for the calculation of self and mutual resistannces.

k depends on several factors:

k = k ( 1 , 2 , D, L, r, h )

By imposing:

(8)

Ij = I
j=1

(4)

Simulations demonstrate that the values of r and h (this last generally variable from 0.5m to 1.5m) do not have significant influence on the value of k. For this reason (8) can be written as:

and solving (1), the potential UE is found. Calculating the rate between UE and the total earth current I, the earth resistance of the earth electrode is found:
R E = UE / I
k k ( 2 / 1 , D / L )

(9)

(5)

Using a specific software created by the Authors and based on the Maxwells method, the rate k has been calculated for the four typical earth electrodes for MV/LV substations represented in Fig. 3.

III.

THE PROPOSED METHOD

a) b)

The earth resistance of an earth electrode in an uniform soil is function of the earth bulk resistivity and of the dimensions and of the depth of the earth electrode. The earth resistance of the same earth electrode in a twolayer soil is function of the earth bulk resistivities of the two layers, of the dimensions and of the depth of the earth electrode and of the depth of the upper layer. The proposed method suggests to consider any earth electrode buried in a two-layer soil as if it was buried in an uniform soil having an equivalent earth bulk resistivity indicated with k and suitably calculated. In this way the earth resistance of the earth electrode can be easily calculated using the formula related to the specific earth electrode in the uniform soil with resistivity k , or, alternatively, for a calculation on the side of safety, the Sverak formula [3]:

c)

d)

Figure 3. Typical MV/LV substations earth electrodes.

In Fig. 4 to 7 is diagrammed the coefficient k for the four earth electrode shapes considered in Fig. 3.

k 3.5

k 3.0

3.0

a)

2.5

2/1=0.1 2/1=0.5 2/1=2 2/1=5 2/1=10 2/1=50 2/1=100

2.5

c)

2.0

2/1=0.1 2/1=0.5 2/1=2 2/1=5 2/1=10 2/1=50 2/1=100

2.0
1.5

1.5

1.0

1.0

0.5 0 5 10 D/L
Figure 4. Coefficient k in funtion of D/L and 2/ 1 for a single square earth electrode.

0.5

15

20

25

10 D/L

15

20

25

Figure 6. Coefficient k in funtion of D/L and 2/ 1 for a double square earth electrode with diagonals.

k 4.5

k 4.0

4.0
b)

3.5

3.0

2/1=0.1 2/1=0.5 2/1=2 2/1=5 2/1=10 2/1=50 2/1=100

3.5
d)

3.0

2.5

2.5

2/1=0.1 2/1=0.5 2/1=2 2/1=5 2/1=10 2/1=50 2/1=100

2.0
2.0

1.5

1.5

1.0

1.0

0.5 0 5 10 D/L
Figure 5. Coefficient k in funtion of D/L and 2/ 1 for a single square earth electrode with four rods.

15

20

25

0.5 0 5 10 D/L
Figure 7. Coefficient k in funtion of D/L and 2/ 1 for a single square earth electrode with diagonals.

15

20

25

Using the data reported in Fig. 4 to 7, the resistivity k is obtained as:

k = k 1

The calculated value is about 18% above the value obtained applying the Maxwells method (RE=31.54 ). The error committed is quasi-entirely due to the application of the approximated Sverak formula. Anyway the result obtained is acceptable for the practical purposes of the designer and is on the side of safety.
B. Case study 2 A system with the characteristics reported in Table III is considered.
TABLE III. Earth electrode Length of the side Total buried length of conductors Area occupied by the earth electrode Depth of the earth electrode Upper layer resistivity Lower layer resistivity CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM Single square 5m 20 m 25 m2 0.8 m 100 m 50 m 10 m

(10)

With the rate D/L>10, k varies from 0.9 to 1.2 depending on the rate 2 / 1 . Therefore for D/L>10 generally it can be assumed k = 1 and the soil can be considered uniform. In any case, with the rate D/L<10, the recourse to the diagrams in Fig. 4 to 7, makes the task of the earthing systems designer very simple. Indeed, thanks to the diagrams of the coefficient k, the designer has only to know L, D, 1 and 2 in order to calculate the equivalent resistivity of the soil k . IV. APPLICATION EXAMPLES

A. Case study 1 The method is applied to the system with the characteristics reported in Table II.
TABLE II. Earth electrode Length of the side Total buried length of conductors Area occupied by the earth electrode Depth of the earth electrode Upper layer resistivity Lower layer resistivity Depth of the upper layer CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM Single square with diagonals 8m 54.63 m 64 m2 0.6 m 500 m 4000 m 36 m

Depth of the upper layer

For using the practical method proposed, the rates 2 / 1 and D/L are evaluated.
2 / 1 = 50 / 100 = 0.5 D / L = 10 / 5 = 2

From Fig. 4 it is found: k=0.94 and, therefore

k = k 1 = 0.94 100 = 94 m 1 1 1 R E = k + 1 + = 20 A 1 + h 20 / A LT 1 1 1 = 94 + 1 + = 11.35 20 25 1 + 0.8 20 / 25 20

For using the practical method proposed, the rates 2 / 1 and D/L are evaluated
2 / 1 = 4000 / 500 = 8

D / L = 36 / 8 = 4.5

Considering the curves corresponding to 2 / 1 = 5 and 2 / 1 = 10 , with a linear interpolation, from Fig.7 it is found: k=1.11 and, therefore
k = k 1 = 1.11 500 = 555 m 1 1 1 R E = k + 1 + = 20 A 1 + h 20 / A LT 1 1 1 = 555 + 1 + = 37.29 54.63 20 64 1 + 0.6 20 / 64

The error committed in this case is about 9% (RE=10.22, evaluated by applying the Maxwells method). Also in this case the error is quasi-totally imputable to the application of the Sverak formula. V. CONCLUSION

The Authors have proposed a practical method for earthing systems design in presence of two-layer soil. The designer of the earthing system, using the Sverak formula, the Schwarzs equations or other more accurate formulas, is able to calculate the earth resistance in the non-

uniform soil having recourse to the diagrams provided in the paper. These diagrams allow the designer to consider the lwolayer soil as an uniform soil whose earth bulk resistivity depends on some precise factors easily determinable, avoiding the recourse to complex mathematical method or expensive simulations softwares. The Authors are inclined to supply in the future more accurate versions of the diagrams reported in the paper in order to make them real working instruments for any expert in earthing systems design. Moreover a future step will be the extension of the method from two-layer soils to multi-layer soils.

Finally, even if the method has been applied to MV/LV substations earth electrodes, it must be underlined that it is perfectly applicable also to any other earth electrode. REFERENCES
[1] [2] [3] IEEE Std 80-2000, IEEE Guide for Safety in AC Substation Grounding V. Cataliotti, and A. Campoccia, Impianti di terra, 1st ed. Edizioni TNE, 2003. J. G. Sverak, Simplified analysis of electrical gradients above a ground grid; Part IHow good is the present IEEE method? IEEE Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems, vol. PAS-103, no. 1, pp. 725, January 1984. S. J. Schwarz, Analytical expression for resistance of grounding systems, AIEE Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems, vol. 73, no. 13, part III-B, pp. 10111016, August 1954.

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