(1.2orS phases) Projectva Earth No (PEN or tne in ean | Fyn “ese fff Gen i \ ‘esto i ‘Submain Novi — Protective Earth Moutral PEN) coparate MEW inetalsion | Netra ar : i Eartha sae) | 7 Potovive carting conductor (PE) foigntng pert 3 Prctectve eastning eauibmen 2)5.1.3 MEN earthing system The protective earthing arrangements required in this Standard apply to electrical installations connected to the multiple earthed neutral (MEN) distribution system that forms the standard distribution system used in Australia and New Zealand Under the MEN system, the neutral conductor (PEN) of the distribution system is earthed at the source of supply at regular intervals throughout the system and at each electrical installation connected to the system. Within the electrical installation, the earthing system is separated from the neutral conductor and is arranged for the connection of the exposed conductive parts of equipment. ASINZS 3000:2018 288 NOTES: 1. The MEN system as installed in Australia and New Zealand differs from the IEC system. Both systems are identical in principle but vary in detail. For further details refer to AS/NZS 61439 and AS/NZS 3007. 2 The MEN system and its various parts are illustrated in Figures 5.1 and 5.2. Figure 5.1. shows a general arrangement and Figure 5.2 an alternative artangement in an owner of user operated supply substation installation IEC 60364 series describes the MEN system as a TN-C-S system with the letters signifying— T the distribution system is directly connected to earth—at the neutral Point of the supply transformer: N_ the exposed conductive parts are connected to the earthed point of the distribution system—at the MEN connection; C_ the neutral and protective conductor functions are combined in a single conductor (the neutral conductor of the distribution system); S the protective conductor function is separated from the neutral— separate conductors within the installation.5.3.3. Earthing conductor size (cross-sectional area) 5.3.3.1 Protective earthing conductors 5.3.3.1.1 General The cross-sectional area of a protective earthing conductor shall ensure— (a) (b) (c) (d) adequate current-carrying capacity for prospective fault currents for a time at least equal to the operating time of the associated overcurrent protective device; appropriate earth fault-loop impedance (see Clause 5.7); adequate mechanical strength and resistance to external influences; and for parts of the protective earthing conductor that do not consist of cables, or parts of cables, that there is an allowance for the subsequent deterioration in conductivity that may reasonably be expected. 5.3.3.1.2 Selection The cross-sectional area of any copper protective earthing conductor required for the protection of any portion of an electrical installation shall be determined either— (a) from Table 5.1 in relation to the cross-sectional area of the largest active conductor supplying the portion of the electrical installation to be protected; orTABLE 5.1 MINIMUM COPPER EARTHING CONDUCTOR SIZE Nominal size of copper earthing conductor, Nominal size of mm? active conductor ———__—_—_—— mm? With copper active | With aluminium active conductors conductors 1 ° 15 1.5* 25 25 4 25 6 2.5 10 4 16 6 4 25 6 6 35 10 6 50 16 10 70 25 10 95 25 16 120 35 25 150 50 25 185 70 35 240 95 50 300 120 70 400 2120t 298t 500 >120t >95t 630 2120+ >120t >630 225% of active sizet 225% of active sizet 5.3.3.2 Main earthing conductor Where the main earthing conductor connects the main earth terminal to an electrode (arrangement depicted in Figure 5.1), the conductor shall be determined from Table 5.1 in relation to the cross-sectional area of the largest active conductor of the consumer mains, The cross-sectional area of such a copper main earthing conductor shall be not less than 4 mm? and need not be greater than 120 mm?,5.3.4 Main earthing terminal/connection or bar (a) Protective earthing conductors. (b) Main earthing conductor. (c) MEN connection. (4) Equipotential bonding conductors. (e) Functional earthing conductors, if required. NOTE: A main earthing terminal/connection may be a soldered connection. 5.3.5 MEN connection 5.3.5.1 General 5.3.5.2 Size The MEN connection shall be a conductor complying with Clause 5.3.2 and have a cross-sectional area capable of carrying the maximum current that it May be required to carry under short-circuit conditions. The minimum size shall be— (a) not less than the current-carrying capacity of the main neutral conductor; or 5.3.6 Earth electrodes 5.3.6.1 General NOTE: No specific value of resistance to earth is required by this Standard for (thelearthvelectrode at an electrical installation connected to a MEN system. guidance on methods of measurement of resistance to earth and earth fault- loop impedance.5.3.6.2 Types Materials and dimensions of earth electrodes shall be selected to withstand corrosion and to have adequate mechanical strength. NOTE: Consideration should be given to the nature of the soil and environmental conditions. Earth electrodes shall be of a type and shall be installed in accordance with Table 5.2. TABLE 5.2 ACCEPTABLE EARTH ELECTRODES Minimum: Material | Surface treatment Minimum Surface imensions treatment thickness Vertical electrodes Stool Copper clad 212 mm circular rod 250 um Copper plated (212 mm circular rod 250 jum Stainless (including 12 mm circular rod 500 um clad with stainless) Hot dipped (216 mm circular rod 63 um galvanized Hot dipped Section with minimum cross 63 um galvanized sectional area of 200 mm? and with no part less than 3 mm thick Non-ferrous Solid 12mm NA (excluding aluminium) Horizontal (strip) electrodes Copper tod Solid @7 mm circular NA Copper strip Solid 25 mm » 1.6 mm NA Copper pipe Bare 215 mm circular x 2.45 mm wall NA thickness Copper cable Bare 25 mm? NIA Steel pipe Hot dipped ‘20 mm circular x 3 mm wall 63 um galvanized thickness Steel strip Hot dipped 40 mm x 3 mm 63 um galvanized5.3.6.3 Installation ‘Vertical-type earth electrodes shall be driven to a minimum depth of— __ (a)_ in Australia, 1.2 m; and (b)_ in New Zealand, 1.8 m. () Gevustratiagsim) and (ii) in New Zealand, 7.5 m. Earth electrodes shall be installed in a location that satisfies the following conditions: (a) The electrode maintains effective contact with moist soil that is not subject to excessive drying out. NOTE: This condition is deemed to be satisfied by locating the electrode— (a) external to the building in ground that is exposed to the weather; or (b) in other locations where the ground remains moist because of soil conditions or covers that reduce loss of moisture. NZ| > NZ| (b) 5.5.1.4 ResistanceMain neutral Jeanductor (PEN) MEN lconnection stain earth bar 9 terminal/connection aint Neutral bar _ switchboard | Subcircults supplied irom main switchboars B 2 Active conductors for DB2 supplied from DB *5.5.2.110) Subciroulte supplied from DB2 ‘Subeireuits Eartn supplied slectrose from 08 "5.3.6 and “5.5.1.2 and ae LeGeno: Clause number Protective earthing conductor (PE) Earthing connection at equipment ‘or exposed conductive part = Distaibution board Switchboard earth bar ‘or terminal’ connection FIGURE 5.3 EXAMPLES OF EARTHING ARRANGEMENTSASINZS 3000:2018 300 Conductive ewitehboard enclosure To installation main Energy metering | switch or switches arrangement Main Neutral tink Main Neutral Concuctor main Earin bar ‘Service Neutral earthing jeenductor Service protective ‘devies Main earthing ‘conductor Double Insulation shall be fully maintained to the service protection dovioe Double insulates consumers maine in'a wirng encloure ASINZS 60079.14:2017 45 6.3.2 TN type of system earthing Ia type of system earthing TN is used, it shall be type TN-S (with separate > size of the main earthing conductor. Clause 8.5.35) NOTE 1 neutral N and protective conductor PE) in the hazardous area, i.e. the neutral and the protective conductor Shall not be connected together, or combined in a single conductor, in the hazardous area. At any point of transition from TN-C to TN-S, the protective conductor shall be connected to the equipotential bonding system in the non-hazardous area6.4 Potential equalization 6.4.1 General TT and IT systems, The bonding system may include protective conductors, metal conduits, metal cable sheaths, steel wire armouring and metallic parts of structures, but shall not include neutral conductors. Connections shall be secure against self loosening and shall minimise the risk of corrosion which may reduce the effectiveness of connection. | Exposed conductive parts need not be separately connected to the equipotential bonding system if they are firmly secured to and are in conductive contact with structural parts or piping which are connected to the equipotential bonding system. Extraneous conductive parts which are not part of the structure or of the electrical installation, for example frames of doors or windows, need not be connected to the equipotential bonding system, if there is no danger of voltage displacement, Installations with cathodic protection shall not be connected to the equipotential bonding system unless the system is specifically designed for this purpose.65.1 General The requirements of 6.5.1 apply to external non-metallic materials used for construction or protecting purposes that are not part of certified equipment (e.g. plastic covered cable tray, plastic mounting plates, plastic weather protection and enclosures). NOTE 1 Non-n provide addit alic paints, fims, fos, and plates are typically atachod to external surfaces of metallic parts to ‘environmental protection. Their ably ta Store an electrostatic charge is addressed by 6.5. NOTE 2 itis generally acknowledged that glass is not susceptible to storing an electrostatic charge. NOTE 3 Further information can be found in IEC TS 60079-22-1 and IEC 60079-22-2 (under consideration) 6.5.2 Avoidance of a build-up of electrostatic charge on construction and protecting parts for locations requiring EPL “Ga", “Gb” and “Gc” Construction and protecting parts shall be so designed that under normal conditions of use, maintenance and cleaning, danger of ignition due to electrostatic charges is avoided. This requirement shall be satisfied by one of the following: a) By suitable selection of the material so that maximum surface resistance complies with either of the limits given below when measured in accordance with IEC 60079-0 = 1090 measured at (50 + 5) % relative humidity; or - 10" measured at (304 5) % relative humidity. )_ By limitation of the surface area of non-metallic parts as shown in Table 6 The surface area is defined as follows: — for sheet materials, the area shall be the exposed (chargeable) area, — for curved objects, the area shall be the projection of the object giving the maximum area; — for individual non-metallic parts, the area shall be evaluated independently if they are separated by conductive earthed frames. The values for surface area can be increased by a factor of four if the exposed area of non-metallic material is surrounded by and in contact with conductive earthed frames9) d) Alternatively, for long parts with non-metallic surfaces, such as tubes, bars, of ropes. the surface area need not be considered, but the diameters or widths shall not exceed the values shown in Table 8. Cables for connection of external circuits are not considered to fall under this requirement. By limitation of a non-metallic layer bonded to a conductive surface. The thickness of the non-metallic layer shall not exceed the values shown in Table 7 oF the breakdown voltage shall be < 4 kV (measured across the thickness of the insulating material according to the method described in IEC 60243-1). Where the construction and protecting parts are used in the installation in such a way that the risk from electrostatic discharge is minimized, these parts shall be marked with the following warning label’ WARNING ~ POTENTIAL ELECTROSTATIC CHARGING HAZARD Table 5 — Limitation of surface areas ‘Construction and protecting parts (mm) Equipment Group A Group 1B Group uc protection lovel required EPL Ga 5.000 2500 200 EPL Gb 10 000) 70000 2000 EPL Go 10 000 70.000 2000 Table 6 — Maximum diameter or width Construction and protecting parts (mm) Group A Group I Group llc required EPL Ga 3 3 1 EPL Gb 30 30 20 EPL Ge 30 30) 20 Table 7 - Limitation of thickness of non-metallic layor ‘Construction and protecting parts. (mm) Equipment Group nA Group ue, Group WC protection level fequired EPL Ga 2 2 02 EPL Gb 2 2 02 EPL Ge 2 2 02 These thickness limitations do not apply to non-metallic layers that have a surface resistance of less than 10° Q or 10" G.as applicable. See IEC 60079. ‘One of main reasons for the thickness limitation is that the maximum thicknese of non- metalic layer is intended to permit dissipation of charge through the insulation to earth By this means the static charge Is not able to build up to incendive levels,66 jghtning protection