Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Single Point Earthing PDF
Single Point Earthing PDF
Reference Documents
Earthing Issue & the Problems
Earthing Principle as per standards
Earthing of Telecom Installations
Earthing Methods
using Single Point Earthing
Recommendations & Suggestions
R. Saji Kumar
DGM (IT)
O/o The Chief General Manager
Trivandrum
Reference Documents
Reference Documents
• ITU-
ITU-T K.27
– Bonding configurations and Earthing inside a Earthing Issue & the Problems
Telecommunication Building.
• T & D Circle Engineering Instructions Earthing Principle as per standards
– I 001 dt 24.09.1998 and 30.04.2005 Earthing Methods
• M/s Ericsson
– Guidelines on Earthing of Telecom Installations Recommendations & Suggestions
• M/s Lucent
– 5ESS Installations using Single Point Grounding.
• M/s Nortel
– Grounding instructions for the GSM Mobile
equipments.
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Earthing Principle
Reference Documents External Lightning Earthing Network
Earthing Issue & the Problems Building safety Common Bonding Network
Earthing Principle as per standards
Internal Grounding Bonding Network
Earthing Methods Single Point Connection (SPC) Bar
Recommendations & Suggestions Mesh Bonding Network
Isolated Bonding Network
Equi
Potential
Bonding
Earth
Electrode
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Common Bonding Network Bonding Network
• A set of equipment racks say switching equipment of a
Cable supports Air
vendor (System block) which are bonded together is
and Trays Conditioning called Bonding Network.
– Say a CDOT exchange equipment and a 5ESS exchange
Grills, Gates Engine installed on the same building form two bonding networks.
etc Alternator
• The bonding networks types
Structured
Lighting System – Mesh Bonding Network
Steel – Isolated Bonding Network.
Common Bonding • The exchange can have some equipment following the
Network Mesh BN architecture and some other equipment
following the Isolated BN architecture.
• This purely depends on the technology adopted by the
Main Earthing Terminal vendor
• SPC Terminal is the Bonding Network Point • Here the Cabinets and Racks can have
where various Bonding Networks are connected. multiple connections to the Common
Bonding Network i.e. Main Earthing
• The single point connection Terminal will be
located in the power room or the MDF room.
Terminal.
• The SPC Terminal will have a single connection • Equipment frames can be tightly coupled
to the Isolated Bonding Network without any isolation to the Building
infrastructure.
• The DC power return and the Power Plant will
be connected to the SPC Terminal. • The racks shall have unrestricted
fastening to the floor and walls such that
stray capacitance won’t develop.
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Isolated Bonding Network Isolated Bonding Network
• Components of two IBN’s or an IBN and • The IBN parts shall be minimum 2 meters away
another Mesh BN shall not touch each from another IBN or Mesh BN or the SPC
other. Terminal.
• The 2 meter is kept for personnel safety.
• Equipments of AXE, 5ESS, Nortel,
• The IBN equipments shall be separated from the
UTStarcom etc follow IBN architecture. Air Conditioning ducts, Cable Racks, conduit,
• The IBN will have a Bonding Mat or Grid ceiling supports, other IBN equipments etc.
or Earth Plate supplied by the equipment • If the 2 meter separation is not feasible, insulating
screens are to be provided to prevent people
supplier. touching the equipments belonging to different
IBN’s or the IBN and the CBN simultaneously.
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IBN - Frames Interconnection Agenda
Reference Documents
• The equipment racks shall be
Earthing Issue & the Problems
interconnected by low impedance leads or
Earthing Principle as per standards
copper bars
• Various equipment frames will have a Earthing Methods
mesh connectivity Recommendations & Suggestions
• Indoor cabling shall follow the shortest
path.
• Cables shall not be run near the earth
conductors especially on vertical runs.
• Minimum number of Earth Electrodes depends • The earth resistance should be <= 0.5 ohm.
upon the Earth Resistance required as well as • In exceptional cases earth resistance is allowed
the Quantum of equipments being installed. up to 1.0 ohms.
• If space permits Plate Earthing may be done for • For the purpose of measurement of earth
each one of the Earth Pits. resistance ring earth may be broken from loop.
• Plate Earthing is the most recommended Choice.
• A water pipe shall be taken around all the pits • However various manufacturers
with arrangement for watering the pits in dry recommendations accepts an Earth Resistance
season upto 5 ohms and in certain cases 10 ohms
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Interconnections Interconnections
• Usage of Short and thick wires • GI strip to GI strip connection
• No sharp bends or twists in the interconnections. – GI nuts and bolts with lead strip 1 to 3 mm thick in between.
• Sharp bends or twists can cause high inductance • GI strip to Copper strip connection
effect. – Brass lug and nuts & bolts covered to make it moisture proof.
• Bending should be done with minimum one • Copper to copper connection
metre radius. – Insulation tape & should be water tight strip
– Lugs outside the building.
• Earthing conductors should not pass through
any metallic conduit or pipe as this will increase • Connections 19mm x 6 mm copper strip is used inside the
surge impedance. building.
• Indoor terminations shall use Crimping
• Earth conductor should not be encircled with
metal clamps while taking it along the wall. This • Outdoor terminations shall use welding.
is essential to eliminate the high inductive
reactance.
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Main Earthing Terminal Tower Earth – GBT
• A copper or GI strip of 50 x 3 mm and sufficient length
• GBT shall have Separate Ring Earth around the Tower
for welding various interconnections shall be used with set of Earth Pits.
• The following are connected to the Main Earthing
• Each leg of the tower should be separately connected by
Terminal
50x3mm. G.I. strips above the ground level of each leg
– Lightning Protection System
and other end is connected to the ring earth.
– A/C Power distribution Protection Earthing i.e. the Cable shield
of the A/C power cable • The connection of G.I. Strip to the tower leg is done by
– Sheath of the External cables tower bolts & nuts with lead sheaths in between.
– Tower Earth • There should be no sharp bends in the down lead.
– The Common Bonding Network • The Tower Ring Earth will be connected to Exchange
– Single Point Connection Bar Ring Earth through the Equi Potential Bar
• All the lightning inductions outside the building should
be grounded before entering the building.
building.
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Wave Guide and Feeder Cable Earthing Lightning Protection System
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External Cable Entry and Earthing Protection for OH Telephone Lines
• All the external cables including the power cables shall • As far as possible OH lines may be avoided for
be taken inside the building close to the Main Earthing providing Telephone connection inside the
terminal. telecom building.
• The egress points of all the conductors leaving the • If OH lines are used, GD tubes are to be used in
building including the AC power entrance, Telecom both limbs of the lines entering the building and
cables, Earthing conductors etc shall be close together. the GD tube is to be connected to the Main
• Telecommunication cables and unshielded power cables Earthing Plate. (This shall not be part of the
shall have a minimum of 10 cm separation. MDF)
• The cable sheath shall be invariably connected to the • If the distance of the open wire is more than 300
Main Earthing Plate close to the cable entrance point meters, GD tubes are to be provided in the Post
also and are to be connected to the earth very
close to the post.
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DC power feed Structured Steel and Metallic Parts of
Building and Surroundings
• AXE switching systems an Earth Collection Bar
is provided (Equivalent to IBN Earthing Mat) • Following are to be connected to the Main
where DC return shall be connected.
• M/s Ericsson clearly advices not to connect DC
Earthing Terminal through GI strips.
return to the Cabinets. – External tube light fixtures
• Nortel - The Battery return is to be connected to – Steel window frames
the SPC Terminal.
– Fencing wire
• Nortel specifies for isolation of Battery Return
from Frame Ground and Logical Ground. – Gates
• The Battery Return cable shall be more than or – Any other metallic substances
equal to the size of the largest power feeder
cable
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Earth Plate Arrangement Earth Plate Arrangement
• Main Earthing Terminal • Floor Ground Bar (FGB)
– This is a copper bar provided in each floor of the
– It is positioned outside the building. building.
– In case of rented accommodations also (Say – This is provided in case of multi storied buildings.
telecom equipments including Power plant,
– Various IBN’s will be extended to the FGB
MDF are in a floor other than Ground) the
Main Earthing Terminal will be in the – If the floor area in single storied buildings is large,
Ground. then more than one FGB can be provided on the
same floor.
• Single Point Connection Terminal – The location of the equipment connected to the FGB
– SPC Terminal is positioned in the Power i.e. the IBN shall be within 200 feet x 200 feet square
Room or the MDF Room. area. (61 meter x 61 meter)
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Sequence of connections to Earth Plate Agenda
Reference Documents
Earthing Issue & the Problems
• Sequence of CBN
Earthing Principle as per standards
– CBN Power Plant Battery Return
Earthing Methods
– CBN Frames
• Sequence of Isolated BN Recommendations & Suggestions
– IBN Power Plant Battery Return Resolving the Problem
– IBN Bonding Mat
Earthing as an Equipment
– Logic Returns
Acceptance Testing
Recommendations
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Problems Resolved !! Problems Resolved !!
• Failure due to Tower and Exchange earth • Failure due to MDF and Exchange Earth
Interconnection Interconnection
– Exchange and Tower shall have the Ring Earth – External cables sheath is connected to the Main
as per the EI Earthing Terminal
– The interconnection shall be as per the EI. – MDF is connected to the Single Point
– Equi Potential Bonding is a must. Connection Bar.
– Connections should be at the Earth Pit and not – The equipments are connected to the Earth Mat
in the Earthing Plate and follow Single Point Earthing
– The Tower / Wave Guide Earthing should have – Cable Runway is isolated
been done as per standards. – There is no direct connection between these.
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Earth Maintenance Recommendations
• This is very important. • Earthing Network
• Whenever new equipment is connected it shall – Ring Earth / Plate Earth with Equi Potential
be ensured that it is as per the Earthing Bonding as Recommended in the EI
standards.
• Periodic Measurement of Earth Resistance • External Components
• Chart indicating the Earth values and date of – Earthing of the Tower as per the EI.
measurement shall be displayed – Earthing of the wave guides as per the EI and
• The earth pits shall be periodically watered to manufacturers instructions.
ensure proper earth values. Gardening the area – Earthing of External Cable Shields
and periodic watering of the plants is a
suggested option
Recommendations Recommendations
• Building Parts
• Exchange Equipment
– Bonding of the Building Structured Steel and other
components of CBN – Single Point Earthing Requirements for
– Lightning Protection System for all departmental equipments as recommended by the
buildings manufacturers.
– Earth Plate Arrangements in the Building – Isolation requirements as recommended by the
– Sequence of Connections as suggested here. (Nortel) manufacturers.
– Protection for the AC Power input side – DC Power feed requirements as recommended
• Installation and Testing by the manufacturers.
– Installation and A/T of the Earthing
– Audit of the Existing Installations
Thank You
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