Earthing or Grounding

• Neutral earthing means connecting the neutral point of generator,

transformer, rotating machines etc. to earth either directly or through
a resistance or a reactance.
• Disadvantages of ungrounded system:
• Earth fault can not be easily detected and earth fault relaying becomes
complicated.
• Voltage due to lightning surge do not find path to earth
• Voltage of the healthy line above earth is increased by √3 times ,
when an earth fault occurs on a line . This can cause failure of the
insulation.
• The neutral point of the supply system to the earth in such away that
at all times an immediate discharge of electrical energy takes place
w/o danger.
• The line conductors have capacitance b/n one another & to earth.
• Three phase line having same capacitance to ground.
• In such a line the charging currents for each line to earth capacitor
leads the phase voltage by 900 and equal to magnitude of these
𝑉𝑝ℎ
currents is given by
𝑋𝐶
• ICB= ICR=ICY (therefore no current through the earth)
• The capacitance current becomes unbalanced & fault current flow through
faulty line, and return to the system via earth through earth capacitance CR &
CB.
• These fault current IF has two components ICR &ICB through CR & CB
respectively & the P.D of VRY & VBY .
• These currents leads their respective voltages by 900 & their phase sum is equal
to fault current IF.
𝑉𝑝ℎ
• 𝐼𝐶𝑅= 𝑉𝑅𝑌 = 3 x
𝑋𝐶𝑅
𝑋𝐶𝑅
𝑉𝐵𝑌 𝑉𝑝ℎ
• 𝐼𝐶𝐵 = = 3x
𝑋𝐶𝐵 𝑋𝐶𝐵
• IF is equal to phase sum of ICR & ICB
𝑉𝑝ℎ 𝑉𝑝ℎ
• There 𝐼𝐹 = 3 x 𝐼𝐶𝑅 = 3 x 3 =3
𝑋𝐶 𝑋𝐶
• Therefore fault current (𝐼𝐹 ) is 3 time the normal current.
Arcing ground:
During a line to ground fault on an ungrounded system, till the fault is cleared
,there will be intermittent discharges to ground through the capacitance b/n the
healthy phases and ground . This phenomenon is called arcing ground.
• Consider a C phase to earth fault in an ungrounded system as shown in the figure.
• Under balanced condition & complete transposed transmission lines.
• Current in various phases through shunt capacitors are leading their
corresponding voltages by 900 as shown in the figure.
• In case of C phase to ground fault, voltage of the healthy phases to ground
becomes line to line voltage , while that of phase C is reduced to zero.
• Charging current under healthy condition is Ic = Vph/Xc
• With line to ground fault = √3 Vph/ Xc
• = √3 x Ic
• Hence the net charging current is 3 x Ic as shown in the phasor diagram.
• These currents flow through the fault & the windings of alternator .
• The magnitude of this current is often sufficient to sustain an arc and therefore,
we have an arcing ground .
• The huge voltage even if the arc extinguish generated may be sufficient to cause
flash over again.
• Because of the inductance of the system, the oscillation may build up to still
higher voltages which may finally lead to complete rupture of the insulators.
Advantages of grounding:
• Arcing grounds are reduced or eliminated.
• The voltage of healthy lines w.r.t to earth do not rise to high values, in case of
an earth fault.
• The life of insulation is long.
• Earth fault relaying is simple.
• The overvoltage due to lightning are discharged to earth
• Earth fault current can be controlled.
• Improved the service reliability.
Types of Grounding:
• Solid or effective grounding
• Resistance grounding
• Reactance grounding
• Resonant grounding.
Solid or effective grounding:
Wire of negligible resistance & reactance is called solid grounding
• In this type, the neutral is directly connected to ground w/o any intentional
impedance b/n neutral & ground as shown.
• Here consider a c phase to ground fault, neutral & terminal c are at the same
potential.
• Hence the voltage of healthy phase remains unchanged.& the currents are as
shown in figure.
• Hence with solid or effective ground, in the event of an earth fault, voltage of
healthy phases remains approximately constant.
• also the earth fault current during single line to ground fault is partially or
completely eliminated by the charging current.
• Hence arcing grounds are substantially reduced.
• Solid grounding is used for voltage <660 V
Resistance grounding:
• Here the neutral point is connected to ground through a resistance R
as shown in figure.
• Resistance grounding is normally used for voltage b/n 3.3 kV & 22
kV, where the charging current is small
& the ground fault current for solid grounding becomes excessive.
• Here the resistance R limits the fault current.
• The resistance & reactance grounding voltage of healthy phase , in
the event of single line to ground fault is nearly equal to line voltage
because of neutral displacement.
• The value of resistance to be inserted in earth circuit is given by,
R = VL/√3.I
• where VL = Line to Line Voltage
• I = Full load current of largest alternator or transformer
• The advantages of this system are as follows:
• 1) The discriminative of type of switchgears may be used for protection.
• 2) The hazards of arcing grounds are minimized.
• 3) The influence of neighboring communication circuits is minimized
due to lower value of fault current flowing through earth as compared to
that in case of solidly grounded system.
 The disadvantages of this method are given below:
• As the neutral is shifted during earth faults, the equipments are to be
selected for greater voltages.
• The system is expensive than the solidly grounded system.
• 3There is energy loss in neutral grounding resistors for dissipation of
fault energy.
• This method is normally adopted in system with voltages from 2.2.
KV and 33 KV with a power source capacity more than 5000 KVA.
• Reactance grounding:
• In this type of grounding, the neutral is grounded through impedance, which is
highly reactive.
• Reactance grounding lies b/n effective grounding & resonant grounding. The
value of reactance required is to keep currents within safe limits.
• Whether a system is solidly grounded or reactance ground depends upon the ratio
of X0/X1
• For reactance grounded system X0/X1 > 3
• For solid grounding system X0/X1 < 3
• Reactance method of grounding may be used for grounding the neutral of
synchronous motors & capacitors & also for circuits having large charging
currents.
• this method is not used these days because of the following disadvantages:
• In this system, the fault current required to operate the protective device is higher
than that of resistance grounding for the same fault conditions.
• Hightransient voltagesappear underfault conditions.
• For reactance earthing, it is necessary that the magnitude of fault
current should be at least 25% of the three phase fault current.
• This is higher than the requirement on resistance earthing and thus it
can be seen that the resistance earthing and the reactance earthing
are not similar.
• Resonant Grounding: (arc supression coil or Peterson coil)
• Here the value of inductance L of the arc suppression coil is so selected that
current IL = 3Ic .
• Theoretically then there is no current in the fault or it is so small that the arc will
not maintain itself & the arc is extinguished.
• We know that in case of a line to ground fault, Total charging current is
𝑉𝑝ℎ
• 3Ic= 3 = 3 Vph ɷ C
𝑋𝐶
• Where Vph is the line to ground voltage & C is the capacitance to ground of
each phase.
• IL = 3 Ic
𝑉𝑝ℎ
•
𝜔𝐿
• = 3 Vph ɷ C
Or
• L = 1/ 3 ɷ2 C
• The use of resonant grounding will reduce the line interruption due to transient
line to ground fault.
• Arc suppression coil is provided with tapings. This permits the selection of the
required reactance of the coil depending upon the length of the line & the
capacitance to be neutralized.
• Problem:
• A 50 Hz, 66 kV, over head line has line to earth capacitance of 1 micro farad. It
is decided to use an earth fault neutralizer. Determine the value of inductance and
kVA rating of the arc suppression coil to neutralize the capacitance of i. 100%
length of the line & ii. 80% of the length of the line.
• Solution:
• Value of L
1 1
•𝐿= = = 3.377 H
3𝜔2 𝐶 3 𝑋 2 𝑋 𝜋 𝑋 50 2 𝑋 1 𝑋10−6
• Neutralising c of 80% of the line:
3.377
•𝐿= = 4.22 H
0.8
• 𝑘𝑉𝐴 rating of the suppression coil
𝑉𝑝ℎ 66 𝑋 103
• 𝐼𝐿 = = =35.917 A
𝜔𝐿 3 𝑋 2𝑋 𝜋 𝑋 50 𝑋 3.377
• 𝑘𝑉𝐴 rating =𝑉𝑝ℎ x 𝐼𝐿
66 𝑋 35.917
• =1368.62 kVA
3
• To neutralize 80% length of the line:
𝑉𝑝ℎ 66 𝑋 103
• 𝐼𝐿 = = =28.742 A
𝜔𝐿 3 𝑋 2𝑋 𝜋 𝑋 50 𝑋 4.22
• 𝑘𝑉𝐴 rating =𝑉𝑝ℎ x𝐼𝐿
66 𝑋 28.74
• =1095.217 kVA
3