ELECTRICAL POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION Lab 5

MEASUREMENT OF EARTH RESISTANCE AND INSULATION

RESISTANCE.
Introduction:
Any fitter, maintenance man, or DIY enthusiast will agree with this statement. When designing
an electrical installation or mains-voltage equipment, it is worth bearing in mind two terms – earth
resistance and insulation resistance. If we want electrical installations or equipment to be safe for users,
we must comply with certain rules related to the aforementioned issues.

Earth resistance:
Earthing in electrical networks is one of the basic elements for
the safe transmission and use of electricity. In addition, it also
affects the effectiveness of electric shock, overvoltage, and
lightning protection. Without an effective grounding system, we
may run the risk of electric shock, not to mention possible
damage to equipment. If the short circuit current does not have a
suitable path by which it can flow away, it will find another path,
leading through the connected devices or, in extreme cases, a
human being.

Earth Resistance
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Earth types:
An earthing system is the connection between an electrical installation or appliance and the ground,
otherwise known as earthing. Due to its task, we can distinguish three types of earthing: protective
earthing, operational earthing, and lightning protection earthing. Moreover, earth electrodes can be either
artificial or natural. Natural earth electrodes include: water pipes, steel reinforcement elements, or other
building elements. Artificial earth electrodes include metal elements: cables, rods, wires, which will be
placed in the ground. It should be remembered that metal elements that are in contact with the substrate
should be covered with a special conductive anti-corrosion coating. The earth electrodes can be placed in
the ground in two ways - vertically or horizontally, which is also one of the parameters that determine this
type of structure. Earth electrodes can occur in the form of a single metal element, in which case we call
it concentrated earthing, or multiple elements arranged in the appropriate configuration (ground ring,
lattice type, or radial type).

What are the factors affecting earthing installations?

Earth resistance depends mainly on one parameter - the resistivity of soil. It is obvious that sandy soils
(e.g., forest areas) will require much more work than wet soils. Therefore, when designing earth
electrodes, it is recommended to perform soil resistivity measurements in advance.

Proper earthing should be characterized by:

 The lowest possible resistance.
 The lowest possible variation of resistance in time.
 The maximum corrosion resistance of earth electrodes.

Earth resistance meter

Stray currents (with mains frequency and its harmonics):

Stray currents are the main factor causing measurement errors. In case of stray currents, it is advisable to
use a current (and current harmonics) with a frequency as close as possible to the network parameters, but
not the same. In practice, meeting this condition is very difficult, so it is worth equipping yourself with a
meter that allows you to eliminate errors resulting from stray currents.
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Auxiliary electrode resistance:
Meter electrodes, as well as stray currents, can affect the measurement results. The higher their resistance,
the higher the measurement result will be. In practice, the persons performing the measurement should
know the value of the electrode resistance and compensate for it by driving the electrodes deeper or
wetting the ground. It is worth noting that good quality meters automatically take into account the
resistance of the electrodes.

Auxiliary electrode resistance

Soil type and moisture:

As already mentioned above, the measurement result is quite strongly influenced by the type of soil.
Wetlands will be characterized by a much lower resistance than, for example, forest lands. Also,
measurements should not be carried out after rain, as water absorbed into the ground will cause false
measurement results.

Soil moisture circuit

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Insulation resistance:

The second parameter we need to consider for the safe use

of electrical equipment and installations is the insulation
resistance. If the insulation of the cable, wherever it is
located, is damaged, this can lead to a short circuit and
damage to the appliance, and, in the worst cases, if the user
touches the exposed cable, may cause a shock. Periodical
testing and checking of the insulation condition are
essential if you want to use electrical installations and
equipment safely. This is important for both domestic and
industrial installations, as each is exposed to mechanical
damage and ageing, which can break the insulation.

Insulation resistance

What to pay attention to when measuring the insulation resistance?

When measuring the insulation resistance we need to pay attention to several factors that may interfere
with the measurement.

Humidity:
Among factors that affect insulation resistance measurements. Insulation can absorb moisture from
humidity to a varying degree, depending on its type. It is recommended that measurements are taken at a
relative humidity of between 40% and 70%.

Temperature:
The second factor that affects the insulation resistance measurement. The insulation resistance decreases
with increasing temperature, but the changes vary depending on the type of insulator. Measurements
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should be carried out at a temperature between 10°C and 25°C.

Test voltage and measurement time:

Insulation resistance measurement is also affected by the voltage and
measurement time. As the leakage current is not proportional to the voltage
over the entire range, the insulation resistance decreases rapidly at first, then
more slowly until it stabilizes. However, after exceeding a certain voltage limit
characteristic for a particular insulator, a breakdown occurs, and the insulation
resistance value drops very quickly. It is worth knowing that the measurements
should be performed with a voltage higher than the nominal one.

Insulation resistance meter

What is insulation resistance measurement?

Unfortunately, a simple ohmmeter or multimeter is not sufficient to perform an insulation resistance
measurement. It is necessary to use a specialized meter. Insulation resistance testing can be performed in
two ways - point-wise and as a function of time.

Spot measurement:
Involves making several measurements in different parts of the insulation. After
taking the measurements, all results should be corrected depending on the
temperature. Many of the modern meters allow you to do this automatically.

Spot Measurement
Measurement as a function of time:
This type of test is much more accurate as it does not depend on temperature. The measurement takes
much longer and is performed several times, and the insulation resistance is determined from the results
obtained.

Technical measurement:
Measurements can also be made with a mega ohmmeter, i.e., a meter that generates its own test voltage,
or with a millimeter, (using the mains voltage). Such measurements are not recommended, but if we want
to perform them, remember that the equipment used should comply. Technical measurement is the set of
measurement activities used to provide the supplier and/or acquirer insight into progress in the definition
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and development of the technical solution, ongoing assessment of the associated risks and issues, and the
likelihood of meeting the critical objectives of the acquirer.

Technical Measurement

To sum up, both the earth resistance measurement and insulation resistance measurement should be
carried out periodically if you want to use safe electrical equipment. Such measurements require specialist
equipment and should be carried out by persons with appropriate knowledge and qualifications.