Substation earthing is required for safety of operating staff and

protection equipments. Earthing of power system and earthing of

equipments are two form of earthing.
Connection of the non-current carrying
metallic enclosures and parts of electrical
equipment to ground is equipment earthing.
In Equipment earthing, non-current carrying
metallic parts of Transformer tank, Switch
gear box, support structure, operating rods
of isolators, etc. are connected to the general
mass of the earth. Equipment Earthing is for human safety.
System grounding implies connection of current carrying
transformer neutral in a star-connection or one end of LA or
isolator to general mass of the earth.
System Grounding is for equipment safety.
System Earthing limit rise in magnitude of line to line
transient voltage and lightning over voltages.
Effective earthing reduces operation & maintenance cost
and improves service reliability.
The interconnection of system earthing and safety earthing
is a common practice in a substation. Earth resistance of 33
KV substation with earth pits must be below to 2 ohm else
necessary arrangements are made to improve the same.
Earthing in PS provide a low resistance path to flow of electric fault current to the
ground. Earth wires and electrodes are designed to withstand and dissipate
repeated faults and surge currents and ensure safety of persons and equipments.

Earthing grids are adopted at Generating

Stations and Substations for effective safe
functioning. Earthing grid is a system of a
number of interconnected, horizontal bare
conductors buried in the earth, providing a
common ground for electrical devices and
metallic structures.
OBJECTIVE OF EARTHING
Earthing system provides nearly zero potential surface in and around the
substation area where the electrical equipment is installed or erected. The
Earthing System is designed to limits rise of potential on metallic supports
during occurrence of abnormal conditions or insulation failure. Earthing
avoid danger of shock to persons in both normal and abnormal conditions.
In case of a fault directly to earth, Earth Fault Current will flow back to its
source (i.e. the Primary substation). Earthing provides a low impedance
path to fault currents to ensure prompt and consistent operation of
protective devices during ground faults.
When electricity is generated remotely and earth
becomes a return path for faults current. During the
passage of Earth Fault Current, buried Earth Electrode
will be subjected to a rise in voltage. This is called Earth
Potential Rise (EPR) and is dependent on the magnitude
of Earth Fault Current and Earth Electrode Resistance.
Potential gradients develop in the surrounding
ground area and these are highest adjacent to
the Earth Electrode. High EPR can produce
dangerous touch and step ground potential .
Touch Voltage (E touch) is the potential difference between a ground metallic
structure and a point on the earth‘s surface separated by a distance equal to the
normal maximum horizontal reach of a person, approximately one meter.
Step Voltage (E step) is the potential difference between two points on the earth's
surface separated by distance of one pace that will be assumed to be one meter in
the direction of maximum potential gradient.
 If an earthed metallic structure is
accessible, a person standing on
the ground and touching the
structure will be subject to a
Touch Potential. The maximum
permissible value of touch
potential is 233V, based on
fibrillation limits, immobilization
or falls/muscular contractions
could occur at lower voltages.
The maximum Step Potential will
be experienced by a person who
has one foot on the ground of
maximum EPR and other foot one
step towards true earth.
Due to additional insulation of
shoes in feet safe permissible
limits for Step Potential 17.5 kV,
are usually much higher than limits
for Touch Potential.
Installation of multiple earth electrodes buried at a relatively shallow depth
around the perimeter of substation significantly reduces touch & step potential.
In substations costly but efficient
strips mesh grid is used for earthing.
When several earth electrodes
embedded inside the soil are
interlinked by earth mat running
nearby, the increased contact area
results very low earth resistance of
combined earth grid.
Earth electrodes are connected for
dissipation of earth fault currents (1s
short time current rating is 31.5 KA)
and to reduce the overall substation
earthing resistance less than 1ohm.
For earth mat, trenches are excavated of size 75cm depth and 30 cm width.
The sub-station site including the fence is segregated at intervals, of say
five meters width along with length and breadth wise. Trenches extend
over the entire switchyard in longitudinal and transverse sections with 5 m
spacing. It is preferable to extend the mat beyond the fence for about one
meter that fence can also be suitably earthed and made safe for touching.
The earthing electrodes of sufficient number and size pipes or rods (as per
fault current and substation layout) are placed at the bottom of these
trenches in earth pits.
Earth pits are excavated of size 75cmx75cmx3m. Earth electrodes
of 2.75m length either CI pipe of diameter 125mm and 9.5mm
thickness or Copper clad solid MS rod of 32mm is buried vertically
in the pits at all peripheral corners and other selected positions.
Lightening arrestors, transformer neutrals etc. are provided with
separate individual earth electrodes in pits near them for
earthing. Distance between two adjacent pipe electrodes
preferably is more than twice of the length of the electrode.
Top of grounding electrode is welded to clamp and clamp is
welded to the ground mat. Earth pit is back filled with Bentonite
compound and Black cotton soil a ratio of 1:6, around electrode in
300 mm diameter and entire depth.
Earth mat of MS flat of size either 75x8 mm or 50
x 6 is buried horizontally in tranches as per
layout. As location of equipment is fixed in plan,
the intervals in earth mat are also arranged to
pass it nearby equipment location to facilitate
easy interlinking.
Normally the earth mat is buried at a depth of
about 0.5 meter below the ground surface with
ground electrodes at suitable points. All the
crossing and joints are solid braced by bolting or
welding or brazing.
Trenches are then back filled by Bentonite compound with uniform
fine Black cotton soil a mixture of 1:6 ratio
up to 100 mm over the earth mat.

The remaining earth trench is to be back

filled with the soil. After the completion
of earth mat, the earth resistance is
measured. If earth resistance is more
than one ohm the earth mat shall be
extended by installing extra electrodes.
Tap connections or Earth risers from earthing
grid for the earth bonding of equipment
/structure are taken up. Risers taken along
the main switchyard structures and
equipment structures (up to their top) are
clamped to the structures.
All the junctions of the earth mat steel flats
are properly bolted or welded with suitable
overlapped angle pieces. All paint, enamel,
grease, rust, dirt and scale is removed from
surface of contact on metal surface before
making connection.
Earth Mat or Grid in a Substation involves inter
linking of all earth Electrodes inside the soil. This
interlinking of electrodes increases the area in
contact with soil and creates number of parallel
paths for effective low resistance earthing.
All non-current carrying parts and strategic
system points at substation are connected to this
earth grid. This earthing ensure that under fault
conditions, none of these parts of substation are
at a higher potential than the grounding grid.
Earthing of equipment’s to the earth mat with 50 x 6
MS flat is as follows:
1. Power transformers:
The transformer body or tank is directly connected to
main earth grid. The transformer track rail should be
earthed separately by bonding at each end of the
track. Twin neutral earthing is done to Power
Transformer. The star winding neutral point of
transformer is directly connected to an independent
earth electrode by MS flat of size 75 x 8mm. Earth
electrode is again connected to the Earth mat. The
second neutral is directly connected to the earth mat.
When the fault current is expected to be
low and not likely to cause damage to
plant, equipments, cables and loss of
stability of system, the solid earthing may
be done directly through metallic
conductor from system neutral to the
main earthing ring without any
impedance
Use of platein the circuit. is recommended for
electrode
higher current carrying capacity i.e.
generating stations and major substations.
But in 33/11 transformer earthing
pipe or rod earthing electrodes are
generally used. Electrode of B class
G.I rod of minimum internal diameter
38mm and length 2.75 m are
embedded vertically in ground.
Neutral of 33/11 KV transformer is
earthed with 21.1 ohm NER to limit
earth fault current to 300Ampst and
its damage to transformer.
2. Potential and current transformers:
The base supporting structures of Current
Transformer and Potential Transformer are to
be earthed. All bolted cover plates of the
bushing are also connected to the earthing mat
by means of two separate distinct connections
made with MS flat of size 50 x 6 mm. One
connection is made with the nearest
longitudinal conductor, while the other is made
to the nearest transverse conductor of the mat.
3. Lightning arresters:
Base terminals of all LAs are earthed with short and straight
conductors to ensure minimum impedance. Each L.A. has
individual earth electrode, which are in turn connected to earth
grid. Earth conductors of the lightning protection system shall
not be connected with the conductors of the other safety
earthing system above ground level or run inside G.I. conduits.
4. Circuit breakers:
For every breaker there will be five earth connections to the
earth mat with MS flat 50x6mm size (i) breaker body (ii)
relay panel (iii) CTs of the breaker (iv) Two side of the breaker
structure.
5. Other equipment’s:
All equipment metallic enclosures and frame work of
switches and isolators and other non-current carrying
parts in the substation are earthed by two separate
connections.
Handle of the operating pipe of isolators is connected
to earthing mat by means of two separate distinct
connections made with MS flat. One connection is
made with the nearest longitudinal conductor, while
the other is made to the nearest transverse conductor
of the mat.
5. Other equipment’s:
A separate earthing conductor shall be provided for earthing
lighting fixtures, lighting poles, receptacles, switches, junction
boxes, lighting conduits, etc.
Metallic sheaths and armour of all multi core power cables and
cable boxes/glands, lockout switches etc. are connected to the
earthing conductor and earthing grid conductor at both equipment
and switchgear end.
Cable (11 x 33KV) sheaths are earthed with 25 x 3 GI strip to Earth
mat.
5. Other equipment’s:
The neutral of the station transformer is to be connected to the Earth mat
directly with 25 x 3 GI strip. The body of the Station transformer two sides
to be connected to the earth mat with 25 x 3 GI strip.
Earthing at Control and Relay Panel is also done from a frame earth bar of
provided near the base. The frame earth bar shall in turn be connected to
the earth grid by an earthing conductor.
75 x 8 MS flat is to be laid around the control room from main earth.
Panels of the VC breakers, midpoint of the Battery and Battery stand
structures are earthed to the earth flat in control room.
6. Fences:
The station fence can be connected to the station
ground or grounded separately. Gates and support
are also earthed through an earth rod.
7. Ground wires:
The ground wires over the station are connected to
the station earth. In order that the station earth
potentials during fault conditions are not applied to
transmission line ground wires and towers, all
ground wires coming to the stations shall be broken
or insulated on the first tower external to station by
means of strain disc insulators.
The resistivity of soil for earthing system depends upon the following factors:
1. Type of soil and its moisture content
2. Chemical composition and concentration of dissolved salt
3. Grain size and distribution of grain size
4. Size and spacing of earth electrodes
Resistivity is least (500-5000 ohm cm) for Loamy garden soil and
clay. Resistivity increases for sand, slate, stone and crystalline rocks.
When the earth resistance is high, even the multiple electrodes in large number may also fail to
produce low resistance to earth. To reduce the resistivity of soil immediately surrounding the
electrode some salt substances are made available as a solution with water. The substances salt
sodium chloride (NaCl), Calcium chloride (CaCl2), Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), copper sulphate
(CuSO4) and soft cock and charcoal in suitable proportion are used. Economic practice is to treat
the soil around the ground electrode with alternate layers of common salt and charcoal.
 Bentonite is a clay with excellent electrical properties. It
absorbs and retains water over a long period. Bentonite
suspension in water when used to surround the earth
electrode virtually increases the electrode surface area and
maintain low earth resistance, even during the summer
months. Fly ash from thermal stations can also be used for
the electrical installations in areas of high ground resistivity
as a chemical treatment material to reduce soil resistivity.
On the ground surface near pole structure a
layer of crushed rock is used.
Advantages
It provides high resistivity surface layer.
It serves as impediment to the movement of
reptiles and thereby helps in minimizing the
hazards which can be caused by them.
It discourages the growth of weeds.
It helps retention of moisture on the
underlying soil and thus helps in maintaining
the resistivity of the subsoil at lower value.
It discourages running or wider footsteps of
persons in the switch yard and saves them
from the risk of high step potentials.