Electrical Safety by Earthing
Authorised By
SANTOSH BHARADWAJ REDDY
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EARTHING
BY EARTHING (OR GROUNDING),
WE MEAN MAKING ELECTRICAL
CONNECTION TO THE GENERAL
MASS OF EARTH.
TYPES OF EARTHING
• SYSTEM EARTHING
• EQUIPMENT EARTHING
• LIGHTNING PROTECTION
EARTHING
• STATIC EARTHING
SYSTEM EARTHING
SYSTEM EARTHING IS THE EARTHING
ASSOCIATED WITH THE CURRENT
CARRYING CONDUCTOR (USUALLY THE
NEUTRAL POINT OF THE
TRANSFORMER OR GENERATOR) AND IS
NORMALLY ESSENTIAL FOR THE
SECURITY OF THE SYSTEM.
(This is covered by IS 3043:1987 – Code of
Practice for Earthing)
EQUIPMENT EARTHING
EQUIPMENT EARTHING IS THE
EARTHING ASSOCIATED WITH NON
CURRENT CARRYING METAL
WORK & IS ESSENTIAL TO THE
SAFETY OF HUMAN LIFE, ANIMALS
& PROPERTY.
(This is covered by IS 3043:1987 – Code
of Practice for Earthing)
STATIC EARTHING
STATIC EARTHING IS THE
EARTHING ASSOCIATED WITH
METAL WORK MAINLY FOR
PROTECTION AGAINST
UNDESIRABLE STATIC
ELECTRICITY.
(This is covered by IS 7689: 1989 –
Guide for the control of undesirable
static electricity)
LIGHTNING PROTECTION
EARTHING
LIGHTNING PROTECTION EARTHING IS
CONCERNED WITH THE CONDUCTION TO
EARTH OF CURRENT DISCHARGES IN
ATMOSPHERE ORIGINATING IN CLOUD
FORMATIONS AND IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE
PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS, TRANSMISSION
LINES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
(This is covered by IS 2309:1989 – Protection of
buildings and allied structures against lightning –
Code of Practice)
GROUNDED Vs UNROUNDED
SYSTEM
GROUNDED UNGROUNDED
• Ground fault causes No interruption of supply
interruption of supply
• Easy means of fault Fault location is difficult
detection
• High value of fault current Single ground fault value is
very less.
• Neutral maintained at near Neutral voltage during fault
to ground potential can reach phase voltage
• Chances of multiple faults Susceptible to more multiple
are reduced
faults
SYSTEM EARTHING
METHODS
• SOLID (EFFECTIVE) EARTHING
• RESISTANCE EARTHING
• INDUCTANCE EARTHING
• GROUND FAULT NEUTRALIZER
SOLID EARTHING
• NEUTRAL POINTS OF TRANSFORMER
OR GENERATOR ARE CONNECTED
DIRECTLY THROUGH AN ADEQUATE
GROUND CONNECTION IN WHICH NO
IMPEDANCE HAS BEEN
INTENTIONALLY INSERTED.
THE TERM EFFECTIVE GROUNDING IS ALSO USED
FOR SOLID GROUNDING.
RESISTANCE EARTHING
• THE NEUTRAL POINTS OF
TRANSFORMER OR GENERATOR ARE
GROUNDED THRU’ IMPEDANCE THE
PRINCIPAL ELEMENT OF WHICH IS
RESISTANCE.
• THIS METHOD IS USED WHEN
EARTH FAULT CURRENT WOULD BE
TOO LARGE IF NOT RESTRICTED
INDUCTANCE EARTHING
• THE NEUTRAL POINTS OF
TRANSFORMER OR GENERATOR ARE
GROUNDED THROUGH IMPEDANCE
THE PRINCIPAL ELEMENT OF WHICH
IS INDUCTANCE.
IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS ‘REACTANCE EARTHING’.
GROUND FAULT NEUTRALISER
ARC SUPPRESION COIL OR PETERSON COIL
• AN INDUCTOR CONNECTED BETWEEN
THE NEUTRAL OF A SYSTEM AND
GROUND AND HAVING SPECIALLY
SELECTED RELATIVELY HIGH VALUE OF
REACTANCE.
• THE REACTANCE VALUE IS SO SELECTED
THAT IT ALMOST CANCELS OUT THE
CAPACITIVE CURRENT & ELIMINATES
DANGER OF ARCING GROUNDS.
System Earthing
Provides Safety of Power System by:
• Ensuring potential of each conductor is restricted
to such a value as is consistent with the level of
the insulation applied.
• Ensuring efficient and fast operation of protective
gear in the case of earth-fault.
• Ensuring at least one conductor – neutral – at
ground potential (low voltage).
System Earthing – Basic Rules
• Earth at each voltage level
• Earth at source & not at load
• Earth only once (at source) & avoid further
connections to earth
• Earth by two separate & distinct
connections with earth i.e. minimum two
earth pits
EQUIPMENT EARTHING
WHY ?
1. FREEDOM FROM DANGEROUS ELECTRIC
SHOCK HAZARDS
2. REDUCTION IN FIRE HAZARDS
3. PRESERVATION OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
SHOCK HAZARDS
DIRECT CONTACT: Contact with an active
conductor (i.e.) which is alive with respect to earth
in normal circmstances.
INDIRECT CONTACT: Contact with a
conductive part of an apparatus, which is normally
dead, but which has become alive due to an
insulation failure in the apparatus.
EFFECTOF CURRENT ON HUMAN BODY
CURRENT MAGNITUDE EFFECT
1mA No sensation
1mA – 10 mA Let go current
No adverse effect
10 mA – 25 mA Painful, can cause
muscle contraction
25mA – 50 mA Ventricular fibrillation
More than 50 mA Can be fatal
DRY SKIN BODY RESISTANCE 350 kOhm
WET SKIN BODY RESISTANCE 1000Ohm
REDUCTION IN SHOCK HAZARDS
CASE 1 : NO EQUIPMENT EARTHING
LOAD
SOURCE V
SYSTEM
EARTHING
EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
NORMAL CONDN.
V RL CURRENT THRU’ HUMAN
BODY: V
Ri IL
Ri + RH + RN
FAULT CONDN.
CURRENT THRU’ HUMAN
BODY: V
RN IF
RH + RN
RH
EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
TYPICAL EXAMPLE
SAY, V = 240 V
Iline RL = 60
Ri = 1000000
RL RH = 1000
V
RN = 1
Ri CURRENT THRU’ VARIOUS
PATHS:
a) Before fault
Iline 4 A
RN IF
RH
EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
Iline CURRENT THRU’ VARIOUS
PATHS:
V RL
b) After fault
Iline 4.2 A
& IF 240 mA
IF
Rn
RH
REDUCTION IN SHOCK HAZARDS
CASE 2 : EQUIPMENT EARTHING
EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
NORMAL CONDN.
V RL CURRENT THRU’ HUMAN
BODY: V
Ri IL
Ri + Re+ RN
FAULT CONDN.
CURRENT THRU’ HUMAN
BODY: V
Rn
IF
Re Re + RN
RH
EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
TYPICAL EXAMPLE
Iline SAY, V = 240 V
RL = 60
Ri = 1000000
V RL RH = 1000
RN = 1
Re = 1
IF
CURRENT THRU’ VARIOUS
PATHS:
a) Before fault
Ibody Iline 4 A
Rn
Re b) After fault
Iline & IF 120 A
RH Ibody 120 mA
REDUCTION IN SHOCK HAZARDS
CASE 3 : EQUIPMENT EARTHING WITH PE CONDUCTOR
LOAD
SOURCE V
SYSTEM EQUIPMENT
EARTHING EARTHING
EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
TYPICAL EXAMPLE
Iline TYPICAL EXAMPLE
SAY, V = 240 V
SAY, V = 240 V
RL = 60
R = 60
Ri =L 1000000
V RL R = 1000000
RH i= 1000
R = 1000
RN H= 1
R =1
Ri Re N= 1
Re = 1
Rloop = 0.01
Rloop = 0.001
CURRENT THRU’ VARIOUS
CURRENT THRU’ VARIOUS
PATHS:
PATHS:
a) Before fault
Rn Ibody a) Before fault
Iline 4 A
Iline 4 A
Re
RH b) After fault
b) After fault
Iline & IF 240kA
Iline & IF 240kA
Ibody 60 mA
Ibody 60 mA
NETWORK CLASSIFICATION
(As per Annexure-A of National
Electric Code 1985)
TN SYSTEM
TN-S SYSTEM
TN-C SYSTEM
TN-C-S SYSTEM
TT SYSTEM
IT SYSTEM
TN-S SYSTEM
INDIAN TN-S SYSTEM
TN-C SYSTEM
TN-C-S SYSTEM
TT SYSTEM
IT SYSTEM
Equipment Earthing – Basic Rules
• Earth all exposed & extraneous conductive
parts
• Earth as directly as possible with minimum
impedance
• Earth by two separate & distinct
connections with earth i.e. minimum two
earth pits
Recommendations...
• System Earthing - depends on method; for solid
earthing within 2 Ohms is ideal (general practice)
• Equipment Earthing - not exceeding 5 Ohms (as
per NEC)
• Lightning Protection Earthing - not exceeding 10
Ohms (as per IS)
• Static Earthing - even 20 Ohms can achieve
objective (as per IS)
