Professional Documents
Culture Documents
M S Suresh
Earthing
Earthing is provision of specific return path for fault currents for protective device to operate Earthing is also connection of electronic circuits to 0V reference line
Grounding
Grounding is connecting electrical circuits and metal parts to planet earth
Bonding
Bonding is connecting adjacent conducting materials together reliably to ensure interconnected objects are at the same potential
In normal use Earthing and Grounding are mixed up and generally referred for connecting to the planet earth. Earthing is commonly used in UK and Grounding in USA In Asia both terms are used. Most commonly used is Earthing.
Earthing Nomenclatures
Clean Earth Dirty Earth Plant Earth Structural Earth Power Earth Neutral Earth Panel Earth Restricted Earth Surge Earth Protective Multiple Earth(PME)
Screen Earth System Earth Computer Earth Instrument Earth Secure Earth DC Earth Intrinsic Safe Earth Chassis Earth
Ground/Earth Symbols
Ground Point
Grounding is done
To prevent potential electric shock hazard. To provide a dedicated reliable low impedance return path for fault currents so that the fault can be detected and source of power is removed quickly To minimize the effect of lightning strikes on the installation To prevent build up of electrostatic discharges To minimize the effect of electrical interference and provide a signal reference for instrumentation system To provide fault path necessary to ensure the safety of explosion proof apparatus.
Potential difference between metal parts and earth causes electric shock when touched. Potential difference occurs due to:
Body
of electrical equipments coming in contact with live wires due to internal fault Static charge developed due to intermittent contact between non conducting materials
Electric shock is the result of current through the body which interferes with nervous control and functioning of heart and lungs. The severity of electric shock depends on the amount of current that passes through the body.
1mA 5mA 10-20mA 50mA 100-300mA Electric shock and pain is felt Maximum current thru body that is harmless Cannot break away from contact with live parts Starts interfering with heart functioning Fatal
Electric charge in the live parts flows to earth. Earth being large mass the electric charge is dispersed over large mass and gets neutralized.
Electric charge is developed in the cloud due to moist air currents. When the charge voltage is very high the atmospheric resistance breaks down and lighting occurs. The potential of the surface where lighting strikes raises very high momentarily until the charge is dispersed in the earth. Very high potential results in large current flow of the order of 30kA which causes severe damage to the place where lighting strikes
Bond to minimize potential difference Large Potential difference due to ground resistance
Electrical interference
The inter-winding capacitance causes stray current to flow through the instrument amplifier and cable capacitance to main supply neutral causing interference problem. Grounding 0V reference line (link X-Y) provides bypass path for interference current and eliminates the path through instrument amplifier
Fig - 1
Fig - 2
Fig - 3
This will protect the Power but not the module. Why? modulesupply but not power supply. Why?
Grounding wire resistance shall be selected to ensure potential difference in the field device is not more than 10V for maximum fault current of the system. It shall not be more than 1 as per standard
If there is a power fault in the cabinet, fault A current flows from C to G. The potential of C raises due to ground cable resistance but does not affect the potential of A and B. Similarly if there is an external fault on field device current flows from A to G and potential of A raises but does not affect B and C. Power fault in cabinet will raise the potential of C due to ground wire resistance. Since B is connected to C, potential of B will also raise and affect sensitive circuits.
C G
Cabinet
The power fault current flows from 0v ground mat to neutral ground mat and back to power supply neutral point. Since the ground resistance is generally high, fault current is low and not sufficient to activate protective devices. Potential shock hazard and damage to sensitive equipment. Lightning strikes may create large potential difference between 0V line and equipment. May damage sensitive equipment.
0 V
Fault current
Equivalent Circuit
Module
TP
Module
Vc Vt
Vc+Vt Vc
Safety Earth
System Earth
SPD limiting voltage Vc is typically 16V and peak inductive voltage Vt across ground wire can be as high as 1000V. Voltage across the module terminal and body is therefore 1016V. This will damage the module.
To protect the module the SPD DIN rail should be insulated and connected to System Cabinet earth bar as shown in dotted line. The voltage across the module is Vc.
MCB
MCB
Power Cable
Ground wire in power cable does not serve any purpose. It may cause circulating current if the ground mats are different. Use two core cables and save money
Insulation between cabinet and base frame serves no purpose as it is shorted by the grounding of non-insulated earth bar in the cabinet to safety earth mat.
Insulation
Safety Earth
System Earth
Safety Earth has no function as it is not grounding any item. This is done under the false notion that system earth does not provide safety.
Insulation
IMPORTANT Grounding eliminates potential difference between equipment and earth and always provides safety by whatever name it is called
System Earth
Safety Earth
Safety violations
Fused Terminal
230V AC
Fan
Disconnecting Terminal
Both lines are live. It is possible technician may open only one line for attending to problem and will suffer electric shock Ground the neutral line
OR
L
230V AC
Fan
Use Double Pole MCB. Both line and neutral must be isolated at the same time
0.1 A
0.1 B 50A 1
0.1 C
0.1 D E
50A G
In this arrangement potential of ground bars in all the cabinets will be affected when there is a ground fault in any cabinet.
C 100A
1 G
In real life situation since cabinets are connected by mounting frame and metal frames of cabinets, there will be some current flow through other cabinets ground bar and there will be some potential raise in all the cabinets. This however will be very small.
100A
When the system cabinet is not insulated, it is connected to other cabinets via the panel metal parts. If there is fault in the other panel, then part of the fault current will flow through system cabinet ground bar, raising its potential. Insulation electrically isolates the system cabinet from other cabinets and prevents the flow of fault current from other cabinets through its ground bar affecting its potential.
1V 0V
100V 99V
98 M
1A 100A 99A
Circulating Current
Although the different grounds in the plant are bonded, potential difference still exists due to capacitance and inductive current flowing to the grounds. This results in circulating current in the cable screen which induces emf in the conductors.
Connect Screen at marshalling end only to ensure all cable screens are at same potential
Ground fault in field will result in fault current flow as shown. If the ground resistance between plant earth and instrument earth is high then the fuse will not blow. If the earths are bonded then fault current will be sufficiently high to blow the fuse
No change when an earth fault occurs. Earth leak current will flow as shown and ELR will indicate earth fault. To locate the fault, each circuit has to be isolated one by one. This may be difficult in running plant. External fault or interference can affect the signal voltage and prolonged fault condition may damage the module
Ground fault in field will result in fault current flow as shown. If the ground resistance between plant earth and instrument earth is high then the fuse will not blow. If the earths are bonded then fault current will be sufficiently high to blow the fuse
A second earth fault will result short circuit and one the fuses thewill No change in the status. Earth in leak current will flow asof shown and in ELR associated circuit will blow. will continue to affect indicate fault status as the circuit indicate fault. External fault ELR or interference may the module. with healthy fuse still has earth fault.
References
TP 1121 A definitive guide to earthing and bonding in hazardous area (MTL) TAN 1003 Earthing guide for surge protection (MTL) IEC 60364-1 Electrical Installation of buildings IEC 60364-4-41 Protection against electric shock IEC 60363-4-54 Earthing arrangements, protective conductors and protective bond conductors
Further reading
Practical Grounding, Bonding, Shielding and Surge Protection by
G. Vijyaraghavan, Mark Brown & Malcom Barnes
Thank You