Topic 3

Earthing System
 Earthing System

Students should be able to:

1. Describe the purpose of earthing.

2. Describe the components of an earthing system.

3. Explain the different types of earthing systems used in

Singapore.
 Earthing System
Earthing means the connection to the general
mass of the Earth.

Symbol

Protect both building occupants and

equipment from the danger of high voltage.
 Earthing System
Three main functions,
1. To provide an alternative path for the fault current to flow.
2. To ensure that any exposed conductive part does not reach a dangerous
potential.
3. To maintain the voltage at any part of an electrical system at a definite
value with respect to earth.
Components of an Earthing System
An earthing system in an electrical installation consists of three main parts:
i. The Earth electrode
ii. The Earthing conductor
iii. The Circuit Protective Conductor
Components of an Earthing System
Earth Electrode

A conductor (or a group of conductors) in direct electrical connection with

the general mass of Earth.

The Singapore Code requires that the maximum resistance between

the rod and the ground for an electrical installation should not exceed
one ohm.
Components of an Earthing System
Earth Electrode
The most commonly used forms of earth electrodes includes:
(a) Solid copper or steel plated copper rods
- sizes from 13mm to 20mm in diameter.
- 2-metres long section with threaded ends for the coupling of two
sections.
- driven directly into the ground.
- add additional rod if the required earth resistance cannot be achieved.
- earth rods at different locations and in parallel are preferred to a single
deeply driven rod.
Components of an Earthing System
Earth Electrode
(b) Earth Plates are usually 600mm X 600mm square copper plates of
at least 2.7mm thickness.

Earth Plates are used in places where:

- The soil resistivity is high, or
- The ground is hard and rocky so that it is impossible to
drive in the earth rods.
Components of an Earthing System
Earth Electrode

(c) Earth Stripes consist of copper strips of not less than 25mm by
1.5mm in cross-sectional area.
Earth strips can be used instead of earth plates in rocky areas or
where the soil resistivity is high.
Components of an Earthing System
The Earthing Conductor
The earthing conductor is the conductor that connects the main
earthing terminal to the earth electrode.

Main Earthing Terminal

Main Earthing Terminal is located inside the substation.

Components of an Earthing System
Circuit Protective Conductor (CPC)

Circuit Protective Conductor (CPC) is defined as a protective

conductor connecting exposed conductive parts of electrical equipment
to the main earthing terminal.

It is sometime called the earth continuity

conductor, earth conductor or earth wire.
Other components in the Earthing system
1. Exposed-conductive-parts
Exposed conductive part is defined as a conductive part of electrical
equipment which can be touched and which is not a ‘Live’ part but which
may become live under fault conditions.
Exposed conductive parts of electrical installation essentially include:
• Metallic Enclosure of electrical equipment & electrical appliances
• Metallic Enclosure of electrical
switchboard (MSB & SB) &
Distribution Boards (DB)
• Metallic cable tray & cable trunking

Metallic Cable Tray

Trunking
Enclosure
Other components in the Earthing system
2. Extraneous-conductive-part
Extraneous conductive part is defined as a conductive part of non-
electrical services which does not form part of the electrical installation,
but is likely to introduce an earth potential.
Extraneous Conductive Parts in the buildings include non-electrical
services such as:
• Water pipes & gas pipes
• Air-conditioning ducting
• Fire protection, wet risers and
sprinkler pipings

Air-con Ducting Sprinkler pipings

Other components in the Earthing system
3. Main equi-potential bonding conductor
Connect the extraneous conductive part such as a water pipe & gas pipe
to the Main Earthing Terminals (MET) of the electrical system to create
an equipotential zone.
Eliminate or minimise the
potential difference that may
exist between exposed
conductive part and
extraneous conductive part.
Other components in the Earthing system
4. Equi-potential/supplementary equi-potential bonding conductor
Bonding conductor connects the exposed conductive parts and
extraneous-conductive-parts.

Ensure an equi-potential
between all metal parts by
linking all metal parts to the
earth potential.
Earthing in Consumer Installations (LV)
Earthing systems representation on the consumer (LV) installations:
Optional

XXXX

T or N

T or I

First letter represents the supply system earthing arrangement.

T: Earth. Directly connected to earth
I: Impedance. Earthing through fault-limiting impedance or not earthed
Second letter represents the installation (consumer) earthing arrangement.
T: Earth. Exposed conductive parts connected directly to earth
N: Neutral. Exposed conductive parts connected directly to neutral point of
supply
Optional third and fourth letters refers to earthing conductor arrangement.
S: Separate. Separate neutral and protective conductor
C: Combined. Neutral and protective conductor combined in a single
conductor
Earthing in Consumer Installations
(LV installations)
Types of Earthing Systems
There are five types of earthing systems classified based on a
combination of two to four letters namely:
• TT
• TN-S
• IT (not allow in Singapore)
• TNC (not allow in Singapore)
• TNCS (not allow in Singapore)
Earthing in Consumer Installations
(LV installations)
TT System
Power Grid and the consumer installation earth separated.
source of energy
L1
L2
L3
N

consumers'
installations
source
earth
equipment in
installation
exposed
conductive
installation installation
parts
earth earth
electrode electrode
Earthing in Consumer Installations
(LV installations)
TN-S system
One consumer earth point for transformer earth and the LV installation.

source of energy
L1
L2
L3
N
protective
consumers' conductor
installations

source
earth
equipment in
installation
exposed
conductive
parts
End of Topic 3