The Relationship between the Earth Current and

the Ground Resistance Meter’s indication

Atsuo Mutoh Shuichi Nitta Takashi Sato
Tokyo Fuji University Salesian Polytecnic Tokyo University of Agri. & Tech.
3-8-1Takadanobaha 2-35-1 I Igusa 2-24-16 Naka-cho
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan Suginami, Tokyo, Japan Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
email mutoh@emc.jp email nitta@cc.tuat.ac.jp email sou-d@nify.com

tronic equipmentsisystem, the authors clarify the in-

Abstract
Recently, the current (that is to say earth current) in-
cluding many frequency components flow in the soil.
The earth current may influence the grounding-
resistance measurement and the noise reduction effec-
tiveness by means ofgrounding. In this study, authors
pay attention to problem in the grounding resistance
measurement and shows for a grounding-resistance
measurement of the buried grounding plate that the
indication of grounding-resistance meter swings in a
range between some values indicated on the meter
when the driving frequency, fo. of the grounding-
resistance meter has a specified relationship with an
earth currentfrequency, and it is quantitatively shown
that the grounding-resistance meter indicates the dif-
ferent values from the correct resistance values when
the ratio of% to the earth current frequency is (2m +
I):(2n, f I ) (m. n: positive integer), by experiment
and by calculation using the proposed model of
grounding-resistance measurement systems.
fluence of the earth current on the grounding-
resistance measurement by means of the fall-of-
potential method, by experiment and by calculation
using the authors’ proposed model circuit.
PRINCIPLE OF GROUND-RESISTANCE
MEASUREMENT [2]
Fig. 1 shows the principle of the fall-of-potential
method for grounding-resistance measurement. The
voltage source generates the 375Hz rectangular wave-
form voltage, in order to avoid the polarization due to
DC voltage and the influence of inductance and ca-
pacitance in high frequency range on the measure-
ment. As the input impedance of voltmeter is enough
Volrnge S W R Y
(generaling the recmguLv
. waveform of 373Hz)

Keywords
Grounding-resistance, Earth-current

INTRODUCTION
The grounding is one of the important noise reduction
techniques and its quality is evaluated as a grounding-
resistance measured by the method specified by the
standards such as JIS C 1304 [I].
The earth current flowing in the soil caused by the
thunderbolt, the electrostatic discharge, the return cur-
rent, the signal transmission connecting between two
%
GNUndng
P.C A u x i l i q Wecnode
Ex : Voltage accmss E and P
Uecvude I :Qrm
or more equipments etc. may influence the ground-
resistance measurement and the noise reduction effec-
tiveness by means of grounding. Figure 1. Principle of the fall-of-potential
However, various phenomena caused by the earth method.
current have not been discussed qualitatively and
quantitatively. bigger than grounding-resistance of auxiliary elec-
In this study, as a first step investigating the influ- trode P, the ground-resistance, R, is obtained by Eq.
ence of the earth current on the performance of elec- (1).

0 2003 IEEE
0-7803-7835-0/03/$17.00 789
 As a result of waveform observation by oscillo-
scope, it is understood that the meter indicates maxi-
R=ExlI (1) mum and minimum values, for the case that the earth
current is in-phase with the voltage source Vl,and for
the case that the former is in anti-phase with the later,
ROUGH OBSERVATION OF THE INFLUENCE respectively.
OF THE EARTH CURRENT ON THE GROUND-
RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT
INVESTIGATION USING THE MODEL CIRCUIT
In order to roughly understand the influence of the
In order to eliminate the influence of weather (in-
earth current on the grounding-resistance measure-
cluding temperature and humidity) to the grounding-
ment, the following experiment is carried out at the
resistance, the influence of the earth current on the-
courtyard in Tokyo University of Agri. & Tech. Fig. grounding-resistance measurement is investigated by
2 shows the outline of experimental apparatus. In
using the proposed model circuit shown in Fig. 4. In
order to flow the earth current in the soil (earth), the
Fig. 4, R I and R2 are the ground resistance of the aux-
rectangular waveform voltage is applied to earth
iliary electrode. R I and R2 are about 20Q from the
through two electrodes,. XI and X 1 , by the function
measurement. A resistance, R, indicated on the
generator (Abbr. FG).
grounding-resistance meter is expressed by Eq. ( 2 ) in
As a result, the following phenomena were observed
the case that the earth current is zero.
a) In the case that a frequency of rectangular wave-
form earth current is equal to 373Hz (: frequency of
rectangular waveform voltage generated by the
E
grounding-resistance meter; Abbr. meter), the indi- s 100
cating needle of meter swings with a large ampli-
tude, as shown in Fig. 3.

b) When a frequency of earth current becomes lower I Rrrax-Rrrdn

40
U
than 373Hz, the swinging amplitude becomes
small.
20 20

0 5 10 15 20
FG Output (V)
Figure 3. Amplitude of indicator swinging in the
case of 373 Hz earth current.

I Internal Resistance, Ro: 5 5 0 )

rounding-rcsistanc
R I , R1: Grounding
RSiSta"Ce

Giound resistance
I for measurement
Grounding Electrode (E) : W400 x LIZ0 x Tl(mm)
buxiliary electrode (P, C) : L300 x f8 (mm)(cylinder)

Figure 2 Experimental apparatus. 0- 1zon

Oseillarcope

c) When the earth current is large, the swinging am- Figure 4. Model circuit (1).
plitude becomes large.

790
 Fig. 5 . As the similar phenomena are observed at the
measurement carried out at the courtyard in Tokyo
University of Agri. & Tech., it can he concluded that
the proposed model circuit represents a real ground-
ing-resistance measurement system.
Swinging From the experimental results, the followings can
' 2 30 amplitude be concluded:
'3 10 0 The swinging amplitude on the 'indicator of the me-
0 ter is in proportion to the FG output voltage.
FG oulpul F-YC~EY (Hz)

(a) FG output voltage : 2V

g 80
g 70
2 60
50
4 40

(b) FG output voltage : 5V

Rc : Resitance Lo be rneasurcd

Figure 6. Model circuit (2).

(h) FG output voltage : 1OV

Figure 5. The relationship between the FG

output frequency and the resistance indi- One period of composite wavcfo
cated on the meter.
[Measurementusing model shown in Fig. 41
(An example o f R G= 20R, i.e. R = 16.5Rfrom Eq.(2))
Figure 7. Potential difference between E and
(Examples o f R G= 50, lOOR show similar phenomena to P.
an example of Rc = 2OR)

The experimental results of the influence of the earth

current on the grounding-resistance measurement us-
ing the model circuit shown in Fig. 4 are shown in

791
0 The frequencies,fE, of earth current at which the
large swingings are observed are equal to a fre-
quency,f& used in the grounding-resistance meter,
or [I/(odd number) - f such
~ as fJ3,fC/S, or (odd
number) *fc such as 3 f ~ SfC].
,
FG output : 2V
CONSIDERATION OF THE SWINGING
PHENOMINA OBSERVED AT THE ABOVE
TWO CHAPTERS
A model circuit (2) including the internal structure of
grounding-resistance meter is shown in Fig. 6 .

a) The case of f E=fG

When the earth current 1, and the meter's current f,
are in the condition of in-phase, the maximum indi-
(a) FG output : 2V
cated resistance on the meter, R,, is expressed by
Eq. (3).
(R) FG output : 5V
Rmax = RG+ (12 RG
11) (3 ) 0 801

When I , is in anti-phase with f2, the minimum indi-

cated resistance on the meter, R,i, , is expressed by
Eq. (4).

Rmin= RG- (12 1 4 ) RF (4) I II I 16.5R

1 '
I I I I

(b) FG output : 5V

62)
- -
~ 1 2 R7
$80
270
- FG output : 1OV
.-Z60 -

(c) FG output : 1OV

Figure 8. Potential difference between Figure 9. The relationship between FG out-

E and P. put frequency and the resistance indicated
(measured on the model circuit (2) in Fig. 6 ) on the meter. (calculated)

792
The indicating needle on the meter swings between
R,,, and R,j, with frequency,fc.
b) The c&e of& :& = 1:3 or 3:l
Fig. 7 shows the calculated potential difference
between E and P in the case that I1 is in-phase with I,.
And, Fig. 8 shows waveforms measured between E
and P on the model circuit ( 2 ) by oscilloscope. Figs.
7 and 8 show that the calculated waveform shown in
Fig. 7 is the same as the waveform measured on a
model circuit. In this case, R,, and R,i, (R,,, - R,i. :
swinging range) are expressed by Eqs. (5) and (6),
respectively.
Rmax= RG + (12 1 311)RG (5)
R,i, = RG- (Iz I 311)RG (6)
As shown in Eqs. (5) and (6), the swinging range in
this case is 113 compared with it in f~=f&
c) The case offE : f=~p : 9 (p, 9 ; odd number)
In this case, R,, and R,i, are expressed by Eqs.
(7) and (8), respectively.
Figs. 9 (a)-(c) show the relationship between FG out-
put frequency and the resistance indicated on the me-
ter calculated by the above equations. In these calcu-
lations, parameters are same as measurement condi-
tions in Figs. 4(a)-(c). In comparison of Fig. 4(a)-(c)
with Fig. 7 (a)-(c), it can he seen that both results are
in good agreement.
193
CONCLUSIONS
The conclusions are as follows:
0 In the grounding-resistance measurement by the
fall-of-potential method, the earth current has a
great influence on measurement and can be the
cause of oscillation phenomena on the indication
of grounding-resistance.
0 In the case that the ratio of the earth current fre-
quency to the grounding-resistance meter fre-
quency is (2m + 1 ) : (2n + l ) , the oscillation phe-
nomena are brought about, and when m and n are
small, the swinging amplitude becomes large (m.
n: positive integer) (Amplitude has a maximum for
m = i = 0.).
In this study, the authors roughly obtained the per-
formance of earth current. Based on the above phe-
nomena, the future issue is as follows:
0 Study on malfunction mechanism of digital circuit
due.to earth current.
REFERENCES
[I] Japanese Industrial Standard, “JIS C 1304
[Grounding-Resistance Meter),” Edited by
“Association of Japanese Industrial Standards”,
1995 . ~ ., .
[2] Society of Electrical Technology, “Electric Facil-
ity
Handbook, Rev.3,” Denki-Shoin, 1996, pp.81-85.