Earthing System

Design
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
✓ Electrical Shocks In Electrical Installations
✓ Objectives of Earthing
✓ Voltage Terms (Related to Earthing
System)

  

✓ Earthing System Components & Definitions
✓ Earthing Schemes
✓ Selection Criteria of Earthing Schemes
✓ Configuration of Earthing System

Session   

✓ Earthing Components

Content ✓
✓
Calculation Process
Real Project Example
1.
Introduction
 Electrical Shocks In Electrical Installations
Electric shock
Electric shock

• An electric shock is the effect of an electric current through

the human body.

• Its passage affects essentially the muscular, circulatory and

respiratory functions and sometimes results in serious
burns.

• The degree of danger for the victim is a function of the

magnitude of the current, the parts of the body through
which the current passes, and the duration of current flow.

Introduction
 Electrical Shocks In Electrical Installations
Danger relative to electric shock
Danger relative to electric shock

• IEC publication 60479-1 updated

in 2016 defines four zones of
current-magnitude / time-duration,
in each of which the effects are
described.
Zones time/current of effects of AC current on human body when
passing from left hand to feet
• When a current exceeding 30 mA
passes near the heart of a human AC-1 zone: Imperceptible. A curve: Threshold of perception of current.

body, the person concerned is in AC-2 zone: Perceptible. B curve: Threshold of muscular reactions.
AC-3 zone : Reversible effects: muscular contraction. C1 curve: Ventricular fibrillation unlikely to
serious danger if the current is not
AC-4 zone: Possibility of irreversible effects. happen.
interrupted in a very short time. AC-4-1 zone: Up to 5 % probability of heart fibrillation. C2 curve: Threshold of 5 % probability of
AC-4-2 zone: Up to 50 % probability of heart fibrillation. ventricular fibrillation.
AC-4-3 zone: More than 50 % probability of heart C3 curve: Threshold of 50 % probability of
fibrillation. ventricular fibrillation.

Introduction
 Electrical Shocks In Electrical Installations
Danger relative to electric shock
Electric shocks are based on two well known dangers:
» Direct contact:

• This refers to a person coming into contact with a conductor which is live in
normal condition.
• The protection to be implemented in these conditions is called "Basic Protection".
Direct contact
» Indirect contact:

• This refers to a person coming into contact with an exposed conductive-part which
is not normally live, but has become live accidentally (due to insulation failure or
some other cause).
• The fault current raises the exposed-conductive-part to a voltage liable to be
hazardous as it generates a touch current through a person coming into contact
with this exposed-conductive-part.
• The protection to be implemented in these conditions is called "Fault Protection". Indirect contact

Introduction
 Electrical Shocks In Electrical Installations
Types of protection against electric shock
» Basic protection
Basic protection includes one or more provisions that, under normal conditions, prevent
contact with live parts. Particularly:

▪ Protection by the insulation of live parts.

This protection consists of an insulation
which complies with the relevant standards
Paints, lacquers and varnishes do not provide
an adequate protection.

▪ Protection by means of barriers or enclosures

This measure is in widespread use, since
many components and materials are
installed in cabinets, assemblies, control
panels and distribution boards

▪ Protection by placing the conductive parts out of arm’s reach.

Introduction
 Electrical Shocks In Electrical Installations
Types of protection against electric shock
» Fault protection
Two levels of protective measures exist:

▪ Earthing and equipotential bonding networks.

The earthing of all exposed-conductive-parts
of electrical equipment in the installation and
the constitution of an equipotential bonding
network. Earthing and equipotential bonding cables

▪ Automatic disconnection
Automatic disconnection of the supply of the
section of the installation concerned, in such a
way that the touch-voltage/time safety
requirements are respected for any level of
touch voltage Uc

Illustration of the dangerous touch voltage Uc

Introduction
 Electrical Shocks In Electrical Installations
Illustration of the dangerous touch voltage Uc

Illustration of the dangerous touch voltage Uc

• The higher the value of Uc, the higher the rapidity of supply disconnection required to provide protection

• The highest value of Uc that can be tolerated indefinitely without danger to human beings is 50 V AC.

• In DC the highest value of Uc that can be tolerated indefinitely without danger is 120 V.

Reminder of the theoretical disconnecting-time limits (IEC 60364-4-41)

U0 is the nominal phase to earth voltage

Introduction
 Objectives of Earthing

1. To secure a path to the fault current to allow the protection device

to sense and clear the fault.
2. To provide safety to personnel during normal and fault
conditions.
3. To assure correct operation of electrical/electronic devices.
4. To prevent damage to electrical/electronic apparatus.
5. To dissipate lightning strikes.
6. To stabilize voltage during transient conditions and to minimize
the probability of flashover during transients.

Introduction
 Voltage Terms (Related to Earthing System)

» Step Voltage: The difference in surface potential

experienced by a person bridging into 1M with the feet
with out contacting any other grounding object.

» Touch Voltage: is defined as the potential

difference between the ground potential and the surface
potential at the point where a person could be standing
while at the same time having a hand in contact with a
ground structure.

Notes:

• We consider the step voltage only in the power stations

and applications where the voltage is larger than 1KV.

• We consider the touch voltage by providing the suitable Step Voltage Touch Voltage
earthing and bonding systems.

Introduction
Voltage Terms (Related to Earthing System)

Introduction
2.
Earthing System
Construction
Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components
#Related definitions:
Earth(1):

The conductive mass of the Earth, whose electric potential at any point is
conventionally taken as zero.

Earth electrode(2):
A conductor or group of conductors in intimate contact with,
and providing an electrical connection with Earth
Exposed-conductive-part (Electrical/Mechanical equipment enclosures):
A conductive part of equipment which can be touched and which is not a live
part, but which may become live under fault conditions.

Extraneous-conductive-part(4):
A conductive part liable to introduce a potential, generally earth potential, and not
forming part of the electrical installation.
For example: Non-insulated floors or walls, metal framework of buildings,Metal An example of a block of flats in which the main earthing
terminal (6) provides the main equipotential
conduits and pipework (not part of the electrical installation) for water, gas, heating, connection; the removable link (7) allows an earthelectrode-
compressed-air, etc. and metal materials associated with them. resistance check

▸Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components
Protective conductors:
A conductor used for some measures of protection against electric shock and
intended for connecting together any of the following parts:

• Exposed-conductive-parts. • Extraneous-conductive-parts.

• The main earthing terminal. • Earth electrode(s).

• The earthed point (neutral) of the source.

Types of Protective conductors:

• Circuit Protective conductors(CPC)(3).

• Protective Bonding conductors(5).

• Earthing conductor(2).

▸Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components

Circuit Protective conductor:

A protective conductor connecting the main earthing terminal of the system supply to
the installed Electrical or mechanical equipment enclosures.

Protective Bonding conductor:

A protective conductor providing equipotential bonding.

Earthing conductor:

A protective conductor connecting the main earthing terminal of an installation to an

earth electrode or to other means of earthing

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components
Connections:

The main equipotential bonding system:

The bonding is carried out by protective

bonding conductors and the aim is to ensure
that, in the event of an incoming extraneous
conductor (such as a gas pipe, etc.) being raised
to some potential due to a fault external to the
building, no difference of potential can occur
between extraneous-conductive-parts within the
installation.

Connection of exposed-conductive-parts to the earth electrode(s)

The connection is made by protective conductors

with the object of providing a low-resistance path
for fault currents flowing to earth.

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components
Connections:

Supplementary equipotential connections:

These connections are intended to connect all exposed-

conductive-parts and all extraneous-conductive-parts
simultaneously accessible, when correct conditions for
protection have not been met, i.e. the original bonding
conductors present an unacceptably high resistance.

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components
Main earthing terminal(6) :

The terminal or bar provided for the connection

of protective conductors, including equipotential
bonding conductors, and conductors for
functional earthing, if any, to the means of
earthing.

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components
Earth electrode(2)
A conductor or group of conductors in intimate
contact with, and providing an electrical
connection with Earth.

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components
Inspection Earth Pit
An Earth Pit is a type of enclosure used in
earthing systems to access and maintain the earth
electrodes and other components of the earthing
system.

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing System Components & Definitions
Earthing Components
Ground enhancing materials
(Backfill materials)

Are special materials (organic or inorganic) that

improve the quality of the earthing.

Earthing System Construction

Earthing Schemes
The Three Earthing Schemes according to IEC 60364 & 312.2

T T
T N
I T

1st letter 2nd letter

Situation of supply Situation of installation frames

T = Direct connection of Transformer T = Exposed frames directly earthed.
Neutral with the earth.
N = Frames connected to the supply
I = Neutral unearthed or Impedance point which is earthed,
earthed. • Either by a separate Protective Earth conductor (S).
• Or combined with the Neutral (C)

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing Schemes
TT System

» In this system, all exposed-

conductive-parts and extraneous-
conductive-parts of the installation
must be connected to a common
earth electrode.

» The neutral point of the supply

system is normally earthed at a
point outside the influence area
of the installation earth electrode,
but need not be so. TT System

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing Schemes
TT System

» The impedance of the earth fault loop therefore

consists mainly in the two earth electrodes
connected in series which are the source and
installation electrodes.

» so that the magnitude of the earth fault current

is generally too small to operate overcurrent
relays or fuses, and the use of a residual
current operated device is essential.
» If = Uo/Zpath

If: fault current.

U0: nominal phase to earth voltage(230v).
Automatic disconnection of supply for TT system
Zpath: equivalent system impedance(Rn+RA).
Earthing System Construction
 Earthing Schemes
TT System

If = 230/(5+5) @neglecting the ground impedance.

If = 230/(5+5)
If = 23A Too small current to instantaneously
operate the circuit breaker.
So RCD device is a must in TT system

» Uf = If x RA

Uf = 23x5=115V and therefore dangerous, so also this

confirms the needs for RCD to
disconnect the system at very short
time. Automatic disconnection of supply for TT system

Earthing System Construction

 Earthing Schemes
TT System
#After adding the RCD: » so that a standard 30 mA RCD will operate in
about 30 ms without intentional time delay,
» Automatic disconnection for TT system is and will clear the fault where a fault voltage
achieved by RCD having a sensitivity of exceeding 50V appears on an exposed-
conductive-part.
» The choice of sensitivity of the residual
current device is a function of the
RA: Resistance of the installation earth electrode . resistance RA of the earth electrode for
the installation.
Note: agricultural and horticultural premises,
the value of 50 V is replaced by 25 V.

IΔn ≤ 50/5 = 10A

The upper limit of resistance for an installation earthing electrode which must not be
exceeded, for given sensitivity levels of RCDs at UL voltage limits of 50 and 25 V

Earthing System Construction

Earthing Schemes
TN System

Automatic disconnection of supply for TT system

Earthing System Construction