Name: Nagum, Carl Joseph, B.

Date: April 21, 2021

Course/Section: TE1-PSE2-EE32S1 Quiz 4.1 Instructor: Engr. Ladero

1.) Explain the importance of grounding system in the power/electrical system

Grounding system is implemented to power and electrical system to ensure safety and power quality. The importance of
grounding system plays a vital role for both the end-user and the utility. The advantages of proper grounding system are
eliminating shock hazard, provides protection to the equipment, prevents worst-case events such as fire, reduces equipment
cost and downtime, and lower the levels of electrical noise. The most important reasons for grounding are the following:

→Personnel Safety – both earth and the human body is good conductor, it is given that the faulted current is likely to take
lowest impedance path. Therefore, grounding in an electrical system gives another path for faulted current which can mitigate
further accidents such as injury or death in a worst-case scenario.

→Noise Control – it is mentioned above that grounding system is applied with regards to power quality, it is because
grounding can lower the fluctuations in an electrical signal resulting to better power quality. With lower fluctuations, it is likely
that unwanted failures can be manage such as insulation failure and overheating of equipment. This results to lower equipment
maintenance and downtime.

→Assurance for protective device operation – grounding of electrical system provides a safe path for faulted current and the
path is towards the supply wherein a protective device is placed to operate under abnormal conditions. The tripping of
protection device can mitigate the danger for both the equipment and personnel.

2.) What is the difference between system grounding and equipment grounding? (attached figures)

Figure 2.1: Application of system and equipment grounding.

System Grounding Equipment Grounding

As shown in the figure above, system grounding
As stated in the Philippine Electrical Code of 2017, all
is the deliberate connection of the neutral conductor of
non-current carrying conductive materials or equipment
a transformer bank to the earth. The importance of
shall be connected to the earth. It is shown in the figure
grounding the system is to protect the system from
above that the equipment enclosed in metal is also
ground fault or other abnormal conditions that can lead
connected to the earth. The grounding of equipment is very
to safety hazards such as fires and casualties. Take
important because personnel is used to touching it, which
note that system grounding is applied to current-
makes them more vulnerable to the hazard of the ground
carrying conductors. The system grounding is used to
fault. Therefore, equipment grounding can mitigate the risks
manage the hazard caused by lightning, line surges,
of ground fault conditions.
and unintentional contact with higher-voltage lines.
3.) Discuss the following and provide detailed explanation

3.1 Solidly grounded system – as shown in the figure below the approach of this system is when the neutral line of the wye
connection is directly connected to the ground. The advantage of this grounding system is that it can eliminate transient
overvoltage. However, the disadvantages of this grounding system outweigh the benefits. This system can’t operate under
ground fault conditions and it has also a high risk of arc -flash.

Figure 3.1: Solidly grounded system

3.2 Reactance grounding system – as shown in the figure below the approach of this system is when a reactance is used to
link the neutral line to the ground. The aim of reactance is to keep the earth fault current to a minimum. The earth fault current
can be modified by altering the earthing reactance to achieve conditions identical to strong grounding. However, this grounding
system is not common these days due to its disturbances. For the same fault conditions, the fault current needed to operate
the protective system is higher than that required by resistance grounding which produces too much hazard. Also, this
grounding system produces high harmonic distortions under faulted conditions which is disastrous both for the equipment and
personnel.

Figure 3.2: Reactance grounding system

3.3 Resistance grounding system – as shown in the figure below the approach of this system is when a resistor is used to link
the neutral line to the ground. It is basic principle in Ohm’s Law that the resistance is indirectly proportional to the current
because it opposes the flow of electrons. Therefore, the resistor application in grounding system is used to limit the faulted
current to a safe value. This grounding system can be categorized to two, the high and low resistance grounding. The high
resistance grounding is widely used for small and medium industry applications where continuous operation is needed during
abnormal conditions. On the other hand, low resistance grounding is used for the load that is connected below 220 volts of
supply.
 Figure 3.3: Resistance grounding system

3.4 Ungrounded system – as shown in the figure below this system is not literally ungrounded, hence it uses capacitors as
the overcurrent devices. The main goal of the capacitance is to manage the fault without interruption in the operation. Usually,
this type of grounding system is applied for infrastructures which can’t handle any interruption, the best example is the
industrial sectors because any amount can cause financial losses. However, without proper device ground faults are difficult
to locate which can cause transient overvoltage damage to the equipment. Therefore, this grounding system required a certain
technology to manage the said disadvantages.

Figure 3.4: Ungrounded system

4.) What is bonding?

Bonding is the process of connecting two different materials or variables. Hence, electrical bonding is the process of
binding metallic materials to the grounding conductor that may be exposed to electrical faults or induced voltages. When there
is a fault anywhere in the supply of electrical construction, bonding is used to minimize the risk of electric shock to someone
who might come into contact with two different metal pieces. It ensures that bonded conductive materials that are usually non-
current-carrying are at the same electrical potential. There would be a shock danger if metal objects that are not bonded are
at slightly different voltage potentials and are touched at the same time. By connecting bonding conductors between specific
parts, the voltage that may have existed is reduced. Moreover, bonding conductors must also be sized that can safely bear
the maximum load that could occur during fault or abnormal conditions.
5.) How do you size up the grounding conductor? Refer to the latest edition of PEC 2017.

Table 2.50.6.13: Minimum Size Equipment Grounding Conductors for Grounding Raceway and Equipment

Rating or setting of automatic overcurrent device in

circuit ahead of equipment, conduit, etc., Size 𝒎𝒎𝟐 (𝒎𝒎 𝒅𝒊𝒂. )
(Not Exceeding)
Copper Aluminum or
Amperes Copper
Copper-Clad Aluminum
15 2.0 (1.6) 3.5 (2.0)
20 3.5 (2.0) 5.5 (2.6)
30 5.5 (2.6) 8.0 (3.2)
40 5.5 (2.6) 8.0 (3.2)
60 5.5 (2.6) 8.0 (3.2)
100 8.0 (3.2) 14
200 14 22
300 22 30
400 30 38
500 30 50
600 38 60
800 50 80
1,000 60 100
1,200 80 125
1,600 100 175
2,000 125 200
2,500 175 325
3,000 200 325
4,000 250 800
5,000 700 1,200
6,000 800 1,200
Based from the Philippine Electrical Code of 2017, Article 2.50.6.13 the size of equipment grounding conductor must follow.

1.) Copper, aluminum, or copper-clad aluminum equipment grounding conductors of the wire shall not be smaller than shown
in Table 2.50.6.13 but also shall not be larger than the circuit conductors supplying the equipment.

2.) Sizing up of grounding conductor must be increased proportionally according to circular mil area of the ungrounded
conductors.

3.) For multiple circuits when a single equipment grounding conductor is run with the same raceway or cable, it must be sized
for the largest overcurrent device protecting the conductors in the raceway or cable because if the size is less than the largest
overcurrent insulation failure is likely to occur.

4.) For motor circuits, the equipment grounding conductor size must be permitted to be based on the rating of the motor
overload protective device but shall not be less than the size shown in Table 2.50.6.13 because it can cause premature failure.
5.) For flexible cord and fixture wire, the equipment grounding conductor in a flexible cord shall be size with the largest 5.5
𝑚𝑚2 or smaller and the equipment grounding conductor used with fixture wires of any size shall not be smaller than 18
American wire gauge (AWG) copper and shall not be smaller than the circuit conductors.

6.) For conductors in parallel, the equipment grounding shall be run in parallel in each raceway or cable. There are two
methods stated by PEC to justify the equipment grounding conductors are protected in parallel application.

6.1 Based on the Rating of Overcurrent Protective Device. In accordance with Table 2.50.6.13, each parallel
equipment grounding conductor shall be sized based on the ampere rating of the overcurrent devices protecting the circuit
conductors in the raceway or cable.

6.2 Ground Fault Protection of Equipment Installed. Each parallel equipment grounding conductor in a multiconductor
cable shall be permitted to be sized with regards to Table 2.50.6.13 on the basis of the trip rating of the ground-fault protection
where the following conditions are satisfied. The conditions are only licensed electrical practitioner or non-licensed electrical
practitioner under the guidance of a licensed electrical practitioner will provide the installation, the ground-fault protection
equipment is set to trip at more than the ampacity of a single ungrounded conductor of one of the cables in parallel, and lastly,
the ground-fault protection is listed for the purpose of protecting the equipment grounding conductor.

7.) For conductor sizing in feeder taps. Equipment grounding conductors run with feeder taps shall not be smaller than on
what is shown in Table 2.50.3.13 based on the rating of overcurrent devices ahead of the feeder but shall not be also required
to be larger than the tap conductors.

Reference:

→Philippine Electrical Code (pp. 129-134). (2017). doi: https://www.pdf-archive.com/2016/06/03/philippine-electrical-code