Kist college SEASONAL INFLUENCES ON

SAFETY OF SUBSTATION
GROUNDING SYSTEMS

Presented by:-
Manisha Patra
 OUTLOOK

1. Introduction.
2. Factors affecting soil resistivity.
3. Influence of raining and freezing season on soil resistivity.
4. Analysis model of grounding system.
5. Influences of raining season on safety of grounding system.
6. Influence of freezing season on safety of grounding system.
7. Measures to be taken.
8. Conclusion.
9. References.
 INTRODUCTION

• With the development of modern power

system to the direction of extra-high voltage,
large capacity, far distance transmission and
application of advanced technologies the
demand on the safety, stability and economic
operation of power system became higher.
• A good grounding system is the
fundamental insurance to keep the safe
operation of the power system.
For the safe operation of any power
system. The grounding system
should ensure the following :-

• Provide safety to persons by limiting step and

touch voltage.
• To assure correct operation of electrical
devices.
• To prevent damages to electrical apparatus.
• To dissipate lighting strokes.
According to “IEEE guide for safety in ac
substation grounding” a safe grounding
system should have the following:-

• To provide means to carry electrical current

into earth under normal and fault condition
without exceeding any operation and
equipment limits or adversely effecting
continuity of services.
• To assure that the person in the vicinity of
grounded facilities is not exposed to the
danger of electric shock.
 Cont.

 Step voltage:-
It is defined as the voltage between the
feet of a person standing near an energized
object.
 Touch voltage:-
It is defined as the voltage between the
energized object and the feet of the person
in contact with the object.
In areas where the soil resistivity
is very large.
we use the following methods:-

• To establish remote ground grids connected to the

main ground system.
• To use deep driven ground rods reaching soil layer
with low resistivity.
• To use remote ground mats.
• To change soil resistivity in the limited area by
implementing of chemically charged ground
electrodes(CCGR)with or without additional backfill.
 Factors affecting
grounding electrode
resistance

• The resistance of the electrode.

• The resistance of the electrode-
to-soil interface area.
• The soil resistivity.
 2.Influence of raining and
freezing season on soil resistivity

• Soil type.
• Moisture content.
• Soluble salts, acids or alkalies .
• Temperature.
• Soil type.
• Compactness and granularity.
Cont.
3.ANALYSIS MODEL OF GROUNDING
S
oSoil layer influenced by
seasonal factor
il layer influenced

Grounding system

Normal soil

Grounding system model 1

Granite layer

Soil layer
influenced by
seasonal factor

Grounding system
Normal soil
Grounding system model 2
 Function of surface
material :-
• The main function is to increase the step and touch
voltage.
• The limit of step and touch voltage for a body of 50 kg
is calculated by the formula
Estep = (1000+6 Cs Ps) 0.116/t
Etouch = (1000+1.5 Cs Ps) 0.116/t
Ps =resistivity of surface layer
t =time duration of shock current in seconds
Cs =surface layer derating factor
Cs =1- 0.09 (1-P/P)/2hs+0.09
hs =thickness of the surface material in meters
P = resistivity of earth beneath the surface material
4.Influences of raining season
on safety of grounding system
a) Influence on grounding resistance
• if the thickness of
low resistive soil layer
is smaller than burial
depth the ground
resistance decreases
• if the thickness of low
resistive soil layer is greater
than burial depth the ground
resistance will decreases sharply
 b) Influence on touch
voltage:-

• when the thickness

of the low resistive oil
layer is smaller than the
burial depth the touch
voltage will increase
compared to the normal value.
• when the thickness of low
resistive soil layer is greater than the burial depth the touch
voltage will decrease rapidly and will be smaller than normal
condition.
 c) Influence on step
voltage :-

• The step voltage decreases

with the increase of thickness
of the low resistive soil.
• The higher the resistivity
of the affected soil layer
smaller is the influence on
step voltage.
5.Influence of freezing season
on safety of grounding
system

a) Inlfuence on grounding resistance :-

• when freezing soil layer

is smaller than the burial
depth ground resistance
increases normally.
• when freezing soil layer
exceeds the burial depth
ground resistance increases
rapidly.
 b) Influence on touch
voltage :-

• when thickness of freezing

soil layer is less than burial
depth effect on touch voltage
is very small.
• when thickness of freezing
soil layer is greater than
burial depth the touch
voltage increases quickly.
 c) Influence on step
voltage :-

• when thickness of freezing

soil layer is smaller than
the burial depth step
voltage increases slowly.
• when thickness of
freezing soil layer is
smaller than the burial
depth step voltage
increases rapidly.
 6.Measures to be taken
The chemical treatment of the soil can
be done by the following three ways :-

• To use backfill materials

• to use chemically charged ground
electrodes(CCGR)
• to implement a combination of the chemically
charged ground electrodes with backfill
 CONCLUSION

• The use of long vertical electrodes and

chemically charged ground electrodes (CCGR)
with or with out backfills establishes relatively
low ground resistance and ground impedances
which are not subjected to seasonal and
weather variations much.
 REFERENCES

• Grounding of AC electrical devices, electrical power industry

ministry.1997,98.
• IEEE Guide for safety in AC substations grounding ANSI/IEEE
80-2000.
• R.S GUSTAFSONS,R.PURSELY “Seasonal grounding resistance
variation on grounding system” IEEE transaction on power
delivery.
• Roy B.CARPENTER ,DRABKIN “BETTER GROUNDING ”
Lightning eliminator and consultants inc,USA.
• WWW.OSHA.GOV
ANY QUESTION ?
THANK YOU