Advanced Power System Protection

Lecture # 5

System earthing
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Contents

 Introduction
 Earthing devices
 Effect of electric shock
 Sensitive earth leakage protection
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Introduction

 It is well known fact that the phase-to-ground faults in a system can

limit the ground fault current depending on adding external
impedance between neutral and the earth
 This chapter briefly covers the various methods of grounding that
are adopted in the electrical systems
 In the following clauses, the star-connected transformer is shown
which are widely used in power distribution
 The grounding methods are also applicable in case of generators,
whose windings are also invariably star connected
 The following table highlights the possible problems that can occur
in a system due to the common faults and the solutions that can be
achieved by adopting system grounding
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Introduction
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Introduction
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Solid earthing
 In this case, the neutral of a power transformer is earthed solidly
with a copper conductor as shown in Figure
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Solid earthing

 Advantages
 Neutral held effectively at earth potential
 Phase-to-ground faults of same magnitude as phase-to-phase
faults; so no need for special sensitive relays
 Cost of current limiting device is eliminated.
 Grading insulation towards neutral point N reduces size and cost
of transformers.
 Disadvantages
 As most system faults are phase-to-ground, severe shocks are
more considerable than with resistance earthing
 Third harmonics tend to circulate between neutrals
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Resistance earthing
A resistor is connected
between the transformer
neutral and earth, as shown in
Figure.
 Mainly used below 33 kV
 Value is such as to limit an
earth fault current to
between 1 and 2 times full
load rating of the
transformer
 Alternatively, to twice the
normal rating of the largest
feeder, whichever is
greater
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Resistance earthing

 Advantages
 Limits electrical and mechanical stress on system when an earth
fault occurs, but at the same time, current is sufficient to operate
normal protection equipment
 Disadvantages
 Full line-to-line insulation required between phase and earth
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Reactance earthing
 A reactor is connected between
the transformer neutral and
earth (see Figure )
 Values of reactance are
approximately the same as
used for resistance
earthing.
 To achieve the same value
as the resistor, the design
of the reactor is smaller
and thus cheaper
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Arc suppression (Petersen coil)

 A tunable reactor is connected in the transformer neutral to earth (see
Figure )
 Value of reactance is chosen such that reactance current neutralizes
capacitance current
 The current at the fault point is therefore theoretically nil and unable to
maintain the arc, hence its name.
 Virtually fully insulated system, hence current available to operate
protective equipment is so small as to be negligible
 To offset this, the faulty section can be left in service indefinitely
without damage to the system as most faults are earth faults of a
transient nature, the initial arc at the fault point is extinguished and
does not restrike
 Sensitive watt-metrical relays are used to detect permanent earth
faults
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Arc suppression (Petersen coil)

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Earthing via neutral earthing compensator

 This provides an earth point for a delta system and combines the
virtues of resistance and reactance earthing in limiting earth fault
current to safe reliable values (see Figure)
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Evaluation of earthing methods

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Evaluation of ear thing methods

 The earthing method is called effectively earthed when it is directly
connected to earth (solidly earthed) without any passive component
in between. Non-effective earthing refers to, the method of earthing
through a resistance, reactance, transformer, etc.
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Evaluation of earthing methods

 Given figure gives the touch potential with solid earthing

 Next Figure shows the touch potentials with resistance R introduced in
the neutral
 Here the ground fault current is limited by the resistance R, so only
reduced current flows to the earth
 However, it is a normal practice to adopt solid earthing method at low
voltages (up to say 600 V) and resistance grounding is adopted for
higher voltages (upto 33 kV)
 The other methods of earthing (reactor, transformer, etc.) are generally
adopted in the cases of voltages beyond 33 kV
 Cost invariably determines the earthing method
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Evaluation of earthing methods

 The main reason for adopting solid earthing is because, the

resistance earthing cannot be used for single-phase loads,
whereas most of the LV distribution mainly households, etc.
comprise of single-phase loads
 Nevertheless, resistance grounding is considered at low voltages
in industrial environments, where three-phase loads are connected
and the process conditions do not accept frequent shutdowns due
to ground faults
 Though it is true that the power interruptions can be kept low with
the use of resistive earthing method, human protection demands
that the power to be isolated in case of ground faults
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Evaluation of earthing methods

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Effect of Electric Shock

 There are four major factors, which determine the seriousness of
an electric shock:

1. Path taken by the electric current through the body

2. Amount of current
3. Time the current is flowing
4. The body’s electrical resistance

 The most dangerous and most common path is through the heart
(see Figure )
 Persons are not normally electrocuted between phases or phase-
to-neutral, almost all accidents are phase-to-earth
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Effect of Electric Shock

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Effect of Electric Shock

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Effect of Electric Shock

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Effect of Electric Shock

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Sensitive earth leakage protection

 Earthing does not ensure that humans will be protected when coming
in contact with a live conductor
 Though there may be relays, which are set to sense the earth
leakages, invariably their settings are high
 Hence earth leakage circuit breakers (ELCB) or residual current circuit
breakers (RCCB) are adopted where possibility of human interaction
to a live conductor is high
 These breakers work on the core balance current principle
 Figure in subsequent slide illustrates the operation of the core balance
leakage device
 When the system conditions are normal, the phase current and
neutral current will be equal and in phase
 Hence the CT will not detect any current under normal conditions
since IL + IN = 0 (vector sum).
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Sensitive earth leakage protection

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Sensitive earth leakage protection

 The ELCB comprising of core balance CT is mounted at the source

end
 When a human comes in contact on any part of the line, a part of
the current will start flowing through the body
 It will result in unbalance of the currents entering and returning to
the CBCT (core balance current transformer) of the ELCB
 If the fault current IF, flows through the human body, IN is reduced
by this amount. Relay is operated by this unbalance quantity, and
immediately trips the ELCB
 It is normal that the ELCBs are moulded breakers similar to the
miniature circuit breakers including, CBCT mounted inside
 It is also common that the CBCT can be mounted outside and the
unbalanced current can be taken to trip a separate relay namely
earth leakage relay.
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Sensitive earth leakage protection

 The above example considered a single-phase system

 However, the principle is the same for three-phase systems with
neutral, where also the vector sum of the three-phase currents (IR +
IY + IB) and the returning neutral current IN will be zero
 All the phase and neutral conductors are taken in through the CBCT
so that the CBCT does not sense any current under normal conditions
 In the event of any leakage in any phase, the CBCT immediately
detects unbalance and causes the breaker to trip
 The ELCBs are available with sensitivity of 30 mA, 100 mA and 300
mA
 For human protection, 30 mA ELCBs is recommended, since currents
flowing above 30 mA in a human can cause serious damage including
death
Lecture # 5 ENDS!