EARTHING CONCEPTS

Earthing in a EHV Substation

Providing adequate Earthing in a
substation is an important safety measure.
Earthing means connecting the electrical
equipment to the general mass of earth of
low resistance.
Objective is to provide under and around
the substation a surface of uniform
potential
-- At near zero or absolute earth potential
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 Earthing in a EHV Substation
1. Objective:
The touch and step potential shall be within
limits under all conditions including fault
condition
Grounding resistance shall be lower.
Effective earthing system shall aim at
providing protection to life and property
against dangerous potentials under fault
conditions

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 Earthing in a EHV Substation
I.E.Rules 1956
Rule 92

Every substation /generating station exposed to
lightning shall adopt efficient means for diverting
the electrical surges due to lightning to earth

Earth lead of any lightning arrestor shall not pass
through any iron or steel pipe.

It shall be taken directly, as far as possible, to a
separate earth electrode and/or junction of the
earth mat.

Bends Shall be avoided where ever practicable

Earth screen if provided for lightning protection
shall be connected to main earth grid.
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 Earthing in a EHV Substation
I.E.Rules 1956
Functioning of earthing in a substation
It shall be capable of passing maximum earth fault current

The passage of fault current does not result in any thermal
or mechanical damage to the insulation of connected plant /
equipment

Every exposed conductor part and extraneous conductive
part may be connected to the earth.

There is no danger to the personnel

Ensure equi-potential bonding within the power system
No dangerous potential gradients (step or touch or transfer
potentials) shall occur under normal or abnormal operating
conditions
To minimize electromagnetic interference between power
and control/ communication system
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 Earthing System
Points to be earthed in a substation
The neutral point of each separate system
should have an independent earth, in turn
interconnected with the station grounding mat.
Equipment frame work and other non-current
parts (two connections)
All extraneous metallic frame works not
associated with equipment ( two connections)
Lightning arrestors should have independent
earths, in turn connected to the station
grounding grid.

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 Earthing System
Points to be earthed-contd
Over head lightning screen shall also be
connected to main ground mat.
Operating handles of Isolators with a auxiliary
earth mat underneath, if necessary.
Peripheral fencing
Buildings inside the switch yard.
Transformer Neutrals shall be connected
directly to the earth electrode by two
independent MS strips
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Earthing and grounding -distinction

Grounding:- connection of current carrying parts

to ground. Ex :Generator or transformer neutral.
This is for equipment safety.
In a resistance grounded system it limits the
core damage in stator of rotating machines.
In solidly grounded system substantial ground
fault current flows enabling fault detection and
faster clearance.

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Earthing and grounding -distinction

Earthing:- connection of non current

carrying parts to ground. Ex : Metallic
enclosure.
This is for human safety.
Earthing system plays no role under
balanced power system conditions.
Under ground fault conditions, enables
ground fault current to return back to
source without endangering human safety.
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 Basics of Earthing
Resistivity of earth
Resistivity of earth:-
Mother earth is a bad conductor.
Resistivity is normally around 100 ohm mt.
GI of 65x10mm section will have same resistance
as copper of 25x4mm section.
Corresponding figure for earth is 800x800mt
(158acres)
Metallic conductor is a preferred alternative to
earth to bring the fault current back to source.
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Electric field Earth resistance
Current flows through a series of hemi-spherical shells
of earth of continuously increasing cross sections.

Almost 95% of final resistance is contributed by soil

within 5mts of the electrode.

If current is discharged from a grid towards another

grid at B100 km away, only soil with in 5 to10 mts of the
electrode contributes maximum resistance.

Earth beyond, offers very minimum resistance.

This is the concept of treating the soil around electrode

of an earth pit.
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Electric field Earth resistance
Earth with its huge mass offers equi-
potential everywhere

A very large charge is required to change

earth potential everywhere

Disturbance due to current injection at a

point is felt, only locally.

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 Substation earthing
Design of Earth mat
Design depends upon the following parameters
Durational and magnitude of the fault current
Resistivity of the surface layer of the soil
Resistivity of the soil
Magnitude of current that the human body can
safely carry
Permissible earth potential raise that may take
place due to the fault conditions
Shock duration
Material of Earth- mat conductor.
Earth- mat geometry
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 Substation earthing
Design of Earth mat

Parameters for the calculation of Maximum

permissible step and touch potential
Fault duration :- Fault clearing time of back up
protection is adopted
Modern protection systems provides for fast
acting back up protection
Considerable saving can be made by optimizing
the size of the conductor of earthing grid by
considering lesser fault duration.
These will change the earth potential raise due to
which Step and Touch potentials arise.

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 Earth mat parameters
Let go current
Maximum safe current a person can tolerate
and still release grip of an energised object,
using muscles affected by the current
The magnitude of let go current adopted in
calculating maximum permissible step and
touch potentials (As per IEEE 80 1976)
for man 9 milli amps
for woman 6milli amps

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 Substation Earthing
Non-fibrillation current
Developed by Dalziel and approved by AIEE80-1963
Magnitude of power frequency alternating current
(mA) that a human body of average weight( 50kgs to 70
kgs) can with stand without ventricular fibrillation,
I =0.116 for a body of 50kgs wt.
t
I =0.157 for a body of 70kgs wt.
t
Av. Value of human body resistance (dry) 8 to 9 K-
ohms
Adopted value for designing Earthing system 1Kohms

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 Substation Earthing
Non fibrillation current contd
Non fibrillating current adopted for earth grid design
in India.
Magnitude of power frequency alternating current
that a human body of average weight( 50kgs to 70
kgs) can with stand without ventricular fibrillation,
I =0.165
t
I = rms current through human body in amps
t =durtation of shock in seconds
Assumption /considerations in deriving the above
equation
--The duration of shock is from 8 milli-seconds to 3
seconds
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 Substation Earthing
Fault duration and magnitude
During a line to earth or double line earth fault
current through earthing system causes
a) Heating of earthing conductor
b) Potential gradients in the soil
For earthing design single line to ground fault
is considered as
Most of the faults are of this type
Current through earth in case of single line
to earth fault is higher that in the later case.
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 Substation Earthing
Fault duration and magnitude-contd.
For determining maximum permissible step and
touch potentials
Fault duration corresponding to maximum fault
clearing time of back up protection relays are
considered
Normally in modern sub station clearance time
of primary protection is 0.2 sec, ie., 200 milli sec
and clearance time for back up protection is 0.5
sec, ie., 500 milli sec
A fault duration time of 0.5 sec (500 mill sec) is
adopted for design 19
 Substation Earthing
Fault duration and magnitude-contd.
Earthing conductor once placed under
earth may not be inspected normally.
Prudent to make it capable of carrying
maximum possible current for maximum
time.
If felt necessary and if it is economical,
fault duration of 1 sec can be adopted for
design.
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 Substation Earthing
Soil resistivity
To design most economically and technically
sound earthing system accurate data of soil
resistivity and its variation with in substation soil
is essential.
Resistivity of soil in many substations has been
found varying -at times between 1 and 10,000
ohm meters.
Variation in soil Resistivity with depth is more
predominant as compared to variation in
horizontal distances.

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 Substation Earthing
Soil resistivity
Large variations in stratification of earth layers will
result in large variations in earth resistivity.

Highly refined techniques for the determination of

resistivity of homogeneous soil( non uniform soil)
is available.

As resistivity of soil varies widely based on moisture

content earth resistivity readings to be obtained in
summer or dry season.

Weiner's 4 electrode method is generally adopted for

testing.
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 Substation Earthing- Soil resistivity
Weiner's 4 electrode method
Earth resistivity tests shall be carried out at least
in 8 directions
If results obtained indicate wide variation, test
shall be conducted in more number directions.
Four electrodes are driven into earth along a
straight line at equal intervals.
Current is passed through two outer electrodes
and earth.
Voltage difference is measured between two
inner electrodes.
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 Substation Earthing
Soil resistivity
Current flowing through the earth
produces are electric field proportional to
current density and resistivity of soil.
Voltage measured is proportional to the
ratio of voltage to the current i.e R
= 4sR - __s__
1+ 2s___ s+e
s+4e
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 Substation Earthing
Soil resistivity
Where
= Resistivity of soil in ohm-meter
s= Distance between two successive electrodes
in meter
R= Ratio of voltage to current or electrode
resistances in ohm
e= depth of burial of electrodes in meters
In case depth of burial of the electrodes in the
ground (e) is negligible compared to electrodes
spacing. This formula is the adjusted =2sR
(This formula is normally adopted in AP Transco Ltd.)

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 Substation Earthing
Measurement of Soil resistivity
There point method
Two temporary electrodes spikes are driven in to the
earth at 150ft and 75ft respectively from earth
electrode under test.
Former is for current and the later is for voltage.
Ohmic values of earth electrode resistances are
obtained using earth meager
R = log 10 (4L/P) where
2
R = Electrode resistance in ohm
L = Length in cms of the rod driven under ground
D = Dia in cms of the rod
= Earth resistivity in ohm-meter
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 Resistance of the earthing system
R= +
4r L
= Soil resistivity in ohm meter
L = Length of conductor buried in meters
r = radius in meters of circle having the same
area as that occupied by the earth mat.
The value of the R should be less than the
impendence to ground values stated below

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 Earthing System
Permissible resistance of earthing system

Primary requirements : Impendence to ground

(resistance of earthing system)
Small substations 2 Ohms
EHV substations up to 220 kV 1 Ohm
Power stations and 400 kV substations 0.5 Ohms
Distribution transformer - 5 Ohms.
In order to avoid abnormal shift of the neutral
potential, earth resistance of the station earthing
system shall be normally less than or equal to 1ohm.
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 Substation Earthing
Step and touch potential
Step potential - Difference in surface
potentials experienced by a man bridging a
distance of 1 mt with his feet, with out
contracting any other grounded object.
Touch potential- potential difference between
the earth potential raise and the surface
potential at the point where a person is
standing touching an earthed structure.
Tolerable touch potential of human body is
less than tolerable step potential.

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 Substation Earthing
Step and touch potential-contd
In any switch yard, chances of exposure to
Touch potential is higher than that to step
potential.
Resistance offered by the feet of a person
against Touch potential is much less
compared to that against Step potential.
Hence Touch potential is more critical for
design while Step potential is usually
academic.

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 Substation Earthing
Step and touch potential- contd.
Step potential is independent of the diameter
( cross- section) of the earthing conductor.
For 400% increase in diameter, reduction in Touch
potential is only 35%.
Thus cross- section has minor influence on Touch
and Step potentials.
Length of earthing conductor has significant effect
on Touch and Step potentials.

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 Substation Earthing
Step and touch potential
Tolerable Step and touch potentials (CBIP Publication no. 223)
E step (LMT) = 0.116 (1000+1.5Cs(hs.K.)s) (volts)
t
E touch (LMT) = 0.116 (1000+ 6Cs.(hs.K.)s) (volts)
t
Where Cs= Reduction factor for de-rating normal
value of surface layer resisvity, a function of
K.
K= -- s
+ s
, s are resistivities of soil and surface layer respectively.

cs =1 when crushed rock has resistivity equal to that of soil .

Otherwise it is derived from reference graphs ( Cs. vs hs.)
hs = thickness of surface layer in meter.
t = Duration of shock current flow in secs.
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 Substation Earthing
Step and touch potential-contd.
Tolerable Step and touch potentials as adopted by certain
utilities.
E step (LMT) = IB(RG +1.5Cs.s) (volts)------(1)

E touch (LMT) = IB (RG + 6Cs.s) (volts) ------(2)

RG= body resistance in Ohms= 1000
IB= Permissible body current of human beings.
Cs=Reduction factor(0 to 1)=1-(k / (2h+0.09) ------(3)
k=0.09x(1- /s)
s= surface layer resistivity ( taken as 2000 ohm- mt.)
h= Thickness of gravel in cm.
= Soil resistivity ( taken as 100 ohm- mt.)

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 Substation Earthing
Step and touch potential-contd.
Sample calculation for E step (LMT) and E touch (LMT)
Data
Weight of the man =70kgs
Fault duration =0.5 sec
Resistivity Soil = =100 ohm-mt, Surface layer =s=2000
ohm-mt,
h= Thickness of gravel in cm.=10cm
From (3), Cs=0.705
From table in slide 24 for a 70 kgs man and for a shock duration of
0.5 sec IB= 222mA
From (1) E step (LMT)= 691V
From (2) E touch (LMT) =2100V

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 Earthing System
Size of earth mat conductor
Methodology of design as adopted in APTransco
Size of earth mat conductor (steel strip ) Shall be :
A (Steel) = 0.0013 x I t sq. mm for bolted joints
= 0.011 x I t sq. mm for welded joints
Where A = Area of Cross section
I = Fault current in Amps. at the station
= Fault MVA x 1000
3 x system kV
and t = Time in seconds during which current is
applied

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 Earthing materials
Determination of size of conductor for earth mat.
- Based on thermal stability determined by an approximate
formula of IEEE - 80-1986
A = I/ ( TCAP x10 4) I n (Ko + Tm)
tc x ir r (Ko + Ta)
Where
In case of steel
A = I x 12.3 tc mm for welded joints
= I x 15.13 tc mm for bolted joints
In case tc = Duration of current =1sec
A = 12.3 x I mm for welded joints
= 15.3 x I mm for bolted joints
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 Earthing materials
Based on Mechanical ruggedness of conductor and for easy installation.
Ratio of max width to thickness =7.5
Thickness for flat shall not be less than = 3mm (As
adopted 5to 6mm)
Minimum dia for steel rod = 5mm
Standard sizes of conductor as, As per IS 1730 1989
(I)10 x 6mm (II)20x6mm
(II)30 x 6mm (IV)40 x 6mm
(IV)50 x 6mm (VI)60 x 6mm
(VI)50 x 8mm (VIII)65 x 8mm
(IX)75 x 12mm (X)100 x 16mm
- For 33kV Substations 75x8mm and 50x6mm

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 Earthing materials
Up to 220 kV substation
Earth mat
a) Peripheral or main earth mat : 100x 16m MS flat
b) Internal earth mat : 50x8m MS flat placed at 5 m apart
c) Branch connections : cross section not less than 64.5 sq.m
d) Raisers : 50x8m MS flat

For 400 kV substation

Earth mat
a) Peripheral or main earth mat :40mm dia MS rod of 3mt. length
b) Internal earth mat 50x8mm MS flat placed at 5m apart
c) Raisers : 50x8m MS flat

Where necessary, 40mm rods will be driven in to earth vertically along the
periphery of the earth mat.

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 Pipe earthing
a) EHT Substations : (i) Cast iron pipes 125
mm in diameter
2.75 m long and not less than 9.5 mm
thick.
(ii) Pipes 50.8 mm in dia and
3.05 m long

1. Joints are to be kept down to the minimum

number
2. All joints and connections in earth grid are to be
brazed, riveted, sweated, bolted or welded.
3. For rust protection welds shall be treated with
Barium chromate.
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 Earthing
2. Welded surfaces to be painted with red lead
and aluminium paint and then with bitumen.
3. Joints to be broken periodically shall be bolted
and joint faces tinned.
4. All exposed steel earthing conductors should
be protected with bituminous paint
5. All joints in steel earthing system shall be
welded except joints to be removed for testing
shall be bolted.

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 Earthing system
Lowering of earth impedance
2) Lowering of earth impedance
In places where soil resistivity is high steps to be taken to reduce
earth impedance by one or combination of following:-

a. Connection of substation grid with a remote ground grid and

adjacent grounding facilities.
b. Use of deep driven ground rods or longer ground rods or maximum
number of ground rods along the perimeter of the earth grid.
c. Use of foundation rods as auxiliary grids where feasible
d. Formation of auxiliary grids if soil of low earth resistivity is available
close by
e. Max. touch potential occurs in the corner of mesh of the grid. No
equipment are to be kept in such areas. higher values of touch
potential than the tolerable limit can be accepted if step potential
are within permissible limits
f. If equipment is to be kept at corners of the mesh. Auxiliary grids are
to be created at those corner to limit touch potential.

41
 Earthing System
Earthing of switch yard fencing
Two methods of fence earthing
a) Extension of substation earth grid up to 0.5 to 1.5 m beyond the
fence, bonding the fence to the grid at regular intervals.
b) Keeping the fence beyond the perimeter of the switch yard
earthing grid, providing its own earthing system not
connecting to the main earthing grid.
In the former case substantial reduction in the effective
substation earthing resistance is possible but at additional
cost.
In the later case any inadvertent connection could give rise to
dangerous potential under fault condition unless special care
is taken.
Electrical isolation of fence into short section with individual
earthing is required where fence is closer to a single phase
reactor or an electrical plant generating large electromagnetic
fields.

42
 Earthing System
Earthing of switch yard fencing- con
Methods of earthing of fencing As per CBIP report
A.
Design permits extension of earth mat within 1.5mt inside
perimeter fencing
Electrical isolation of fencing can be ensured
Isolate fencing for earth mat
Running of independent earth conductor underneath boundary
and connecting it to fencing at frequent intervals.
B.
Design permits extension of earth mat up to fencing
Calculated touch potential within safe limit
Extending the earth mat up to perimeter fencing and connecting
the fencing at frequent intervals to earth mat
Spreading crushed metal 1.5mt beyond fencing

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 Earthing System
Earthing of switch yard fencing- con
C.
Design permits extension of earth mat up to
fencing
Calculated touch potential beyond the fence
above the permissible limit for touch potential
Termination of earth mat within 1.5 mt of
fencing
Fence electrically isolated and independently
earthed by running an earthed conductor
underneath the fence connecting it to the fence
at frequent intervals
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Earthing of gas insulated substation
In GIS multi-components like buses, switch gear
associated equipment are present in an earthed
metallic housing
They are subjected to same magnitude of fault
current and require low impendence earthing
Compared to a conventional substation, as GIS
requires only 25% of land area design of earth
mat is comparatively difficult.
Metallic enclosures of GIS have induced
currents, specially during internal earth faults.

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Earthing of gas insulated substation
Inductive voltage drop occurring with GIS assembly shall be
taken into account for the design of earth mat
Touch voltage criteria = (FA)2+(EG)2 < ET (max)
Where FA = Actually calculated touch voltage
EG = Max value of metal to metal voltage difference
on and between GIS enclosures or
between GIS enclosures and supporting
structures
ET (max) = maximum permissible touch
voltage
Metallic enclosures of GIS may be continuous or not
In either case provision of earth bond frequently is essential to
minimize hazards of touch potential
In addition, earthing of GIS structures and service platforms at
frequent intervals are to be done.

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 Substation Earthing
Case studies
Karimnagar132kV ss
Kamalapuram 132kV ss fencing giving
shock
Auxiliary Earth grid at RTPP

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Thank you

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