FEU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Technology Driven by Innovation

Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department

EE0063L – DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND SUBSTATION DESIGN

Activity 5: Grounding Grid Design ETAP

SCORE

Name: Parungo, Alfredo III M.

Section: TL41

Adviser: Engineer William G. Buenaventura

OBSERVATION
The same power diagram is used for the grounding grid system for this activity. The
grounding grid is applied to the buses or switchgear in this activity. Moreover, for analysis,
grid 8 for bus seven is only covered. As a result, all grounding grids and buses are nearly
the same. There were issues with the default setting, such as the touch or step voltage
being over tolerable. To reduce the calculated voltage, the size and depth of the
grounding grid are adjusted accordingly, including the number of rods and their size. After
changing these parameters, the calculated voltage is below tolerable. It can be further
decreased by increasing the size of the grounding grid. This grounding grid system is
essential in the design for the safety of personnel and equipment. The grounding grid
limits the potential difference between metallic masses and ground and aids in the
system's operation.

The results of the grounding grid systems applied in bus 7 show the number of ground
conductors to be used, which is eight and the number of ground rods, which is 16. The
total length of the conductor should be 200 ft, and the total length of the ground rods
should be 320 ft. For the grounding grid report, the ground resistance has 5.114 ohms,
which is good since the fault current and the current prefer to flow in a shallow resistance
area. The potential ground rise has a rating of 10255.9 volts. Ground potential rise
determines the effects electrical faults and other transient overvoltages will have on
personnel and equipment within the fault area. Lightning strikes usually cause this. The
touch potential has a tolerable voltage of 644.6, and the calculated voltage in the
grounding grid system is 587.8, which is still too large but within the tolerable voltage. At
the same time, the step potential has a tolerable voltage of 2086.3 while the calculated
voltage is 533.3, which is still significant but is way lower than the tolerable voltage. As
said above, this can be further decreased by increasing the size and depth of conductors
and rods. Each set only affects touch or step voltage, so an optimal design is necessary
to ensure that it is economical and stays reliable.

CONCLUSION
In the activity, a grounding grid is applied to all buses to protect from the rise of or
excessive current and voltages due to faults, lightning strikes and other factors. The size
and depth of the conductor and rods affect the step and touch voltage. As the size and
depth increase, the step and touch voltage decreases. The purpose of the grounding grid
is to conduct currents into the earth without going above any protected equipment's
operational tolerances and to safeguard nearby workers from the electric shock that could
result from a high step or touch voltage. Copper is frequently used as a grounding rod
and conductor because it has better electrical conductivity than other materials. Its
functions are to minimize voltage growth on the station mat, conduct faults to earth, and
eliminate step and touch potentials.