30th International Conference on Lightning Protection - ICLP 2010
(Cagliari, Italy - September 13th -17th, 2010)
SIMULATION OF TRANSIENT BEHAVIOR OF GROUNDING GRIDS
Maria Vasilaki, Eleytheria Pyrgioti
High Voltage Laboratory, University of Patras, GREECE
vasilakimaria11@yahoo.com, e.pyrgioti@ece.upatras.gr
ABSTRACT
In this paper the simulation of grounding grids and the
study of their transient behavior when high impulse
currents appear (such as lightning strokes), including the
phenomenon of the soil ionization, are presented. An
efficient mathematical model to simulate this situation is one
based on the circuit approach. The transient behaviors of
grounding grids have been simulated with the numerical
code ATP - EMTP. There are discussed the results of the
simulation of a grid for entry of current of lightning in
various nodes of the grid and are compared from each
other. Afterwards, we study the influence of the structure of
the grid and the simulation of two more grids is presented.
1 INTRODUCTION
Several researchers have been concerned with
modeling a grounding grid. For this purpose they have
developed different models for analyzing their transient
behavior.
The basic models developed so far are the following:
Circuit theory
Transmission line theory
Electromagnetic field theory
Combining the above approaches
The circuit approach [1-4], could be in time domain
and could take into account all the mutual coupling
between the grounding wires. This approach models an
earth conductor as equivalent π-circuits involving R-L-C
elements. Transmission line approach [5, 6] can be either
in time domain or in frequency domain and the
interconnected linear ground conductor is treated by the
travelling wave technique, but this model neglects the
mutual electromagnetic coupling between the parts of the
grounding structure, which introduce errors. The
electromagnetic field theory [4, 7] is considered to be the
most accurate because it applies the full Maxwell‟s
equations with minimum possible approximations. The
problems are defined in terms of retarded potentials and
are solved by the method of moments.
In this paper, an effective method for the transient
analysis of a grounding grid is proposed, which is a
numerical calculation approach based on the circuit
model of distributed time-variable parameters. It takes
nonlinear effects of breakdown in the soil surrounding
the grounding conductors into consideration. The soil in
this paper was assumed to be homogenous and isotropic,
characterized by resistivity, relative permittivity and
permeatibility constants.
2 SOIL IONIZATION
Soil ionization is a phenomenon that appears when a
lightning strikes and its contribution is of great
importance. For that reason it should be included in a
transient analysis of a grounding system.
In the technical bibliography various models have been
used in order to describe the ionization of ground. The
most frequently used are the time variable soil resistivity
approach [9-10], and the time variable electrodes
geometry approach [10-11].
2.1 The physical review
When high impulse currents excite a grounding system,
the transient electromagnetic fields will be generated in
the soil around the grounding conductors. The electric-
field strength in the soil will rise with the increment of
the impulse current amplitude. When the electric-field
strength surrounding the grounding conductor exceeds its
critical value, soil breakdown around the conductor will
occur. This phenomenon leads to the reduction of the
potential rise. The degree of this reduction depends on
the magnitude of the ionization gradient of the soil E0.
The soil ionization region starts at the electrode surface
where the current density has its highest value. This
region extends up to a distance where the current density
decreases to a value that makes the electric field lower
than the critical breakdown value. Otherwise, when the
surge current injected into the soil by the electrodes begin
to decrease, the electric field in the ionized region begin
to decrease also, and the deionization process takes place
so restoring the stationary steady soil characteristics.
Ionization phenomenon is a local process that begins in
those areas where the density of the current leaked into
the soil has reached higher values and where conductive
plasma paths can locally grow. Because of the structure
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of the soil, it is very unlikely that regular and uniform shape of the ionized zones of the soil are reported, for
ionized zones can result. In fact most soils consist of a typical concentrated earths.
mixture of small and not conductive grains, water and air
[12]. The water and air fill up the vacuity among the solid
pieces, forming a large and close net. The interconnection
of water layer generates conductive channels, which are
the cause of the high soil conductivity value. Indeed, the
soil electric conductivity is a very variable parameter,
depending on the size and the distribution of the not
conductive particles, on the amount of water and on the
amount of salt dissolved in the water.
The grains have very different sizes and often have Figure 1. Shapes of the ionized zones for typical concentrated
irregular shapes. Therefore, the air gaps within the soil earths assumed in computations by other authors. [10]
have highly irregular shape, especially if the surrounding
pieces have sharp edges. This makes the maximum This increase is represented through the effective radius
electric field inside the air voids within the soil values change. For the ith element, the effective radius aei
significantly higher than the maximum electric field will be [8, 10]:
within the voids of an air gap having the same average I mi (3)
ei
size [12]. So, the field enhancement in voids enclosed 2 li E c
within the soil can be reasonably considered as the cause
for the beginning of the ionization process in the soil. where Ec is soil ionization gradient.
According to these considerations, the process begins
when the electric field impressed on air gaps among soil In this paper the model which is used to include the
grains, which becomes large enough to ionize the air in phenomenon of the soil ionization on the analysis, is the
the void. Then, the soil breakdown mechanisms can be time variable electrodes geometry approach and the soil
ascribed to the electrical discharges within air gaps ionization gradient is defined by the criterion suggested
trapped in the soil; these discharges spread from the by Mousa, as Ec=300 kV/m [13].
electrode surface and may be more and more branched.

2.2 Soil ionization models 3 TRANSIENT ANALYSIS MODEL OF

GROUNDING GRID
2.2.1 Time variable soil resistivity approach
The time variable resistivity approach proposed in [10] 3.1 Circuit model
is used to simulate the non-linear effects of the ionization A horizontal grounding electrode buried in soil under
and deionization processes. In particular, for the first one, lightning impulse current can be deemed a distributed
the time variable resistivity law is expressed by the network as shown in Fig.2. A conductor segment, it is
following: composed of series resistance ri, series inductance Li,
shunt conductance Gi , and shunt capacitance Ci. [2]
for E<Ec soil
(1)
and
t

for E>Ec soil e 1

(2)

where ρsoil is the stationary resistivity value of the soil, τ1

is the ionization time constant of the soil and Ec is the
electrical strength of the soil.
Figure 2. Representation of a ground electrode with
2.2.2 Time variable electrodes geometry approach nonuniformly lumped parameters. [2]
According to this approach wherever Ei exceeds the
According to theoretical analysis in [2], we can assume
ionization gradient Ec, breakdown will occur. The
that the soil ionization affects only the shunt capacitance
breakdown of the soil is basically equivalent to an
C and shunt conductance G. The unit length series
increase in the dimensions of the grounding grid
resistance, series inductance, shunts capacitance, and
elements. In Fig.1 the most used assumptions of the
shunt conductance of a grounding conductor can be
calculated by [2]:

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 0 2 , In Fig.4 is shown a part of the simulated circuit that
Li ln 1 was used in order to take measurements. Every horizontal
2
rod was simulated with the model that was presented
2 2
above. For the vertical rods it was also used that model
2
2h li li a neglecting the series resistance ri and series inductance Li
ri [ ln 1
2 li li a li after we consider the nodes as points because of their
small length. The effect of the inductance and resistance
2 2
li li 4h 2 2h will be taken into consideration in the adjustment
ln 1 ] , (4)
between each node.
2h li

2 li
Ci ( i )
2 2 2
i
li li i ai
ln 1
li ai li

Ci
Gi

where li is the length of the ith segment of grounding

electrode, μ0 is the permeability of free space, ρ is the
soil resistivity, h is the burial depth of the grounding
electrode and αi is the ionization zone radius.
When the electrode is buried in a depth of h, the
capacitance is obtained by assuming two conductors with
a distance of in an infinite medium, which is based on
image theory. So the capacitance of a buried grounding
conductor is equal to
Ci Ci ( i ) Ci (2h
Figure 4. Part of the grounding grid at the ATP-EMTP
4.1.1 The influence of the injection point
The biggest potential rise in a grounding grid, when a
lightning current is injected, is presented at the entry
point of the current. Fig. 4 shows the transient voltages in
various nodes of the grid, for injection of the current at
the respectively node.
i ) (5)

4 VERIFICATION OF THE MODEL

In order to verify the model which was presented above,
the transient behaviors of some grounding grids have
been simulated with the numerical code ATP - EMTP.

4.1 4×3 Grounding Grid

The grounding grid that has been simulated is presented
in Fig.3. The grid is submitted in lightning impulse
current with width 150 kA, with 19/485 μs waveshape,
according to the IEC 62305-1, [14] for analytic aims.
Figure 5. Transient voltage at the entry point of the grounding
grid for different injection points of lightning current.

From this figure we observe that for entry of current at

the centre of the grid (nodes K8 and K12), we have
bigger potential rise in the node of entry, contrary to the
cases where the lightning current is injected at the
external nodes (K16, K11and K18).
These can be explained as following. In the case of the
feedpoint at the corner, the notable inductance of
grounding conductors will obstruct the injected impulse
current to flow toward other directions. But for the case
Figure 3. 4×3 grounding grid

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of the feedpoint at the center, the grounding conductors
can be utilized effectively for the small inductive effect.
4.1.2 The influence of the structure of the grid
In order to study the influence of the structure of the
grid on the transient response, two more grounding grids
have been simulated. The first one is like the one
described above, but without the internal vertical rods,
and the second one has no vertical rods at all.
In the two first grids, the one with vertical rods in each
node and for the grid with vertical rods only in the
external nodes, the potential rise present almost no
divergence.
On the contrary in the grid that does not have vertical
nodes, the potential rise that is presented in the nodes is
bigger than in the other two cases. (see Fig.6)
Figure 6. Transient voltage at point K16 and for injection point
at K16 for the three grounding grids.
The results for injection of the current at the centre of the
grid are presented in Fig.7.
Figure 7. Transient voltage at point K8 and for injection point at
K8 for the three grounding grids.
When the geometry of the grid is changed by inserting
more electrodes, the value of the voltages decreases
slightly. It is worth to mention that for ionized soils, the
potential distribution profile, on ground surface, strongly
depends on the geometrical configuration of the grid.
4.1.3 Simulation of a real grounding grid
Fig.8, that follows, shows a grid that is used to ground a
substation 20kV/150 kV, with extent of 10000 m2. Every
mesh has dimensions 6×6 m. Also the grounding grid is
supplemented with twelve vertical grounding rods with
length 3m. The grid is placed in depth 0.6 m.
Because of the complexity of the structure of the grid,
we simplify it as it is appeared in Fig.9, in order to make
things easier with the simulation of the circuit but without
degrade the response of the grid in certain current input.
In the grounding grid not all the meshes have
dimensions 6×6 m. However in Fig.9, at the simplified
grid all meshes are simulated uniformly, with every mesh
having dimensions 6×6 m. Thus, that we lose from the
regions of the grid with denser distribution of grounding
conductors, we it gain from the regions with less
grounding rods.
In Fig.9, black nodes represent vertical grounding
electrodes for direct connection of the different devices in
the substation with the earth. The squares correspond to
the cathodes of the over-head system for lightning
protection and the red square the pylon of the power
transfer line.
Figure 8. Illustration of the grounding grid.
Figure 9. Simplified grid.
Then, the simplified grounding grid was simulated with
the circuit model that was presented above and in the
figures that follow is displayed the potential rise in the
grounding grid, when a lightning current is injected.
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 In this simulation it is considered that a lighting with
current intensity of 100 kΑ strikes at the over-head
system for lighting protection. At that time, half of the
current is leaded to the ground through the cathode and
the other half continues at the over-head system and is
directed to earth through the other cathodes with random
distribution of current.
As result, Fig.10 and Fig.11 show the distribution of
transient voltage of the grounding grid when current of
50 kA is leaded to the ground through the cathode at the
node I2 and I5 respectively.
Figure 10. Distribution of transient voltage of the grounding
grid and for injection point at I2.
Figure 11. Distribution of transient voltage of the grounding
grid and for injection point at I5.
The observation of the results leads to the conclusion
that at the point where the current enters, is presented
potential rise that for 50 kA reaches the 13 kV for the
particular grounding grid. Also, potential rise is presented
in adjacent points of the infusion point, in smaller scale.
At the nodes of the grid away from the current injection
point, the potential rise is negligible.
The figure that follows (Fig.12) appears the transient
voltage of the grounding grid when current of 50 kA is
injected at the node K1, where the pylon is connected to
the grid. Also in this case we can be led to the same
conclusions.
Figure 12. Distribution of transient voltage of the grounding
grid and for injection point at K1.
5 CONCLUSIONS
When high impulse currents excite a grounding system,
ionization of the soil surrounding the grounding
conductors will occur, which makes the transient
characteristic nonlinear. A simulation method is
presented for this problem, whose numerical calculation
approach is based on a circuit model of distributed time-
variable parameters. The model can be used to predict the
transient characteristic of grounding grids excited by
impulse currents. The nonlinear effect of breakdown in
the soil surrounding the grounding conductors has been
taken into consideration.
With this method, is confirmed the effect of the infusion
point of lightning current in the transient behavior of the
grounding grid as well as the influence of its structure.
Finally, was presented the simulation of a real grid that is
used for grounding a substation of 20kV/150 kV and its
behavior under lightning strikes.
More simulations and experiments are required for safer
results.
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