Earthing
Concept of Earthing Systems
All the people living or working in residential,
commercial and industrial installations, particularly
the operators and personnel who are in close
operation and contact with electrical systems and
machineries, should essentially be protected against
possible electrification. To achieve this protection,
earthing system of an installation is defined,
designed and installed according to the standard
requirements..
What Is Earthing
The process of connecting metallic bodies of
all the electrical apparatus and equipment to
huge mass of earth by a wire having negligible
resistance is called Earthing.
What Is Earthing
The term earthing means connecting the neutral point of supply system
or the non current carrying parts of the electrical apparatus to the
general mass of earth in such a manner that all times an immediate
discharge of electrical energy takes place without danger.
• Provide an alternative path for the fault current
to flow so that it will not endanger the user
• Ensure that all exposed conductive parts do not
reach a dangerous potential
• Maintain the voltage at any part of an electrical
system at a known value so as to prevent over
current or excessive voltage on the appliances
or equipment.
Good Earthing Means
Good Earthing must have low impedance
enough to ensure that sufficient current can
flow through the safety device so that it
disconnects the supply ( <0.4 sec ). Fault
current is much more than the full load current
of the circuit which melts the fuse. Hence, the
appliance is disconnected automatically from
the supply mains.
Qualities Of Good Earthing
• Must be of low electrical resistance
• Must be of good corrosion resistance
• Must be able to dissipate high fault current
repeatedly
Purpose of Earthing
• To save human life from danger of electrical shock or death by
blowing a fuse i.e. To provide an alternative path for the fault
current to flow so that it will not endanger the user
• To protect buildings, machinery & appliances under fault
conditions ie. To ensure that all exposed conductive parts do
not reach a dangerous potential.
• To provide safe path to dissipate lightning and short circuit
currents.
• To provide stable platform for operation of
sensitive electronic equipments i.e. To maintain the voltage
at any part of an electrical system at a known value so as to
prevent over current or excessive voltage on the appliances or
equipment .
• To provide protection against static electricity from friction
Max. Value of Earth Resistance to
be achieved
Equipment to be Earthed Max. Value of Earth Resistance to be
achieved in Ohms
Large Power Stations 0.5
Major Substations 1.0
Small Substations 2.0
Factories Substations 1.0
Lattice Steel Tower 3.0
Industrial Machine and Equipment 0.5
* The Earth Resistance depends upon the moisture content in the soil.
Earth lead or main Earthing conductor
The main wire that connects the earth electrode with main circuit
board or the earth wore running through the distribution or
transmission line .
Sub main Earthing conductor
The earth wire that runs between the main distribution board to
various sub distribution board
Earth continuity conductor
The earth wire running between the distribution board to various
plugs and appliances.
Factors on which earth resistance depends
Material of electrode and earth wire
Size of electrode and earth wore
Temperature of the soil
Moisture of the soil
Depth to which it is embedded
Quantity of coal and charcoal in the earth electrode pit
Maximum value of Earthing resistance should be 5 ohm.
But for substations it should be 05 to 1 ohm.
Conventional Earthing
• The Conventional system of Earthing calls for
digging of a large pit into which a GI pipe or a
copper plate is positioned in the middle layers
of charcoal and salt.
• It requires maintenance and pouring of water
at regular interval.
FIGURE:.
CONVENTIONAL EARTHING
Methods of Conventional Earthing
1. Plate Earthing
2. Pipe Earthing
3. Rod Earthing
4. Strip Earthing
5. Earthing through Water Mains
Plate Earthing
In this type of earthing plate either of copper or of G.I. is
buried into the ground at a depth of not less than 3
meter from the ground level.
The earth plate is embedded in alternative layer of coke
and salts for a minimum thickness of about 15cm.
The earth wire(copper wire for copper plate earthing
and G.I. wire for G.I. plate earthing) is securely bolted to
an earth plate with the help of bolt nut and washer
made of copper, in case of copper plate earthing and of
G.I. in case of G.I. plate earthing.
Plate Earthing
In this method a copper plate of 60cm x 60cm x 3.18cm
or a GI plate of the size 60cm x 60cm x 6.35cm is used for
Earthing.
The plate is placed vertically down inside the ground at a
depth of 3m and is embedded in alternate layers of coal
and salt for a thickness of 15 cm.
In addition, water is poured for keeping the earth
electrode resistance value well below a maximum of 5
ohms.
The earth wire is securely bolted to the earth plate. A
cement masonry chamber is built with a cast iron cover
for easy regular maintenance.
PLATE EARTHING
Pipe earthing
Pipe earthing is best form of earthing and it is cheap also. In this system
of earthing a GI pipe of 38 mm dia and 2 meters length is embedded
vertically in ground to work as earth electrode but the depth depend
upon the soil conditions, there is no hard and fast rule for this.
The earth wire are fastened to the top section of the pipe with nut and
bolts.
The pit area around the GI pipe filled with salt and coal mixture for
improving the soil conditions and efficiency of the earthing system.
The earth wire connection with GI pipes being above the ground level
can be checked for carrying out continuity test as and when desired,
while in plate earthing it is difficult.
In summer season to have an effective earthing three or four bucket of
water is put through the funnel for better continuity of earthing.
Pipe Earthing
Earth electrode made of a GI (galvanized) iron pipe of 38mm in
diameter and length of 2m (depending on the current) with
12mm holes on the surface is placed upright at a depth of 4.75m
in a permanently wet ground.
To keep the value of the earth resistance at the desired level, the
area (15 cm) surrounding the GI pipe is filled with a mixture of
salt and coal.
The efficiency of the Earthing system is improved by pouring
water through the funnel periodically.
The GI earth wires of sufficient cross- sectional area are run
through a 12.7mm diameter pipe (at 60cms below) from the
19mm diameter pipe and secured tightly at the top as shown in
the following figure
Pipe Earthing
When compared to the plate earth system the pipe earth
system can carry larger leakage currents as a much larger
surface area is in contact with the soil for a given electrode
size.
The system also enables easy maintenance as the earth wire
connection is housed at the ground level.
Earthing Through Water Main
