2017 International Conference on circuits Power and Computing Technologies [ICCPCT]

Analysis of grounding grid of substation

Chetan S. Payshetti Dr.H.T.Jadhav Shrihari Kulkarani
M. Tech – Electrical Power Systems, Head of Department, Assistant Engineer,
Department of Electrical Engineering Department of Electrical Testing Department M.S.C.D.C.L
Rajarambapu Institute of Technology Engineering Kolhapur -416005, India
Islampur-415414, India Rajarambapu Institute of Technology mkshrihari@gmail.com
chetan4050@gmail.com
Islampur-415414, India
htj@ritindia.edu

Abstract— The grounding system requires for maintaining safety
of operators and apparatus and ensuring reliable working of
power network. A grounding of substation connects electrical
apparatus and the metallic structures to the common ground.
Grounding system of substation should be such that it should
limit the potential gradients with in and around substation
during normal and fault condition. Ground Fault creates
potential rise within and around the substation which increases
the step and touch potential. These potentials should be less than
the permissible human body limit. For examination grounding
grid of substation needs to calculate parameters related to earth
and grounding for safe operation. In this paper parameters of
existing design of grounding grid of substation are calculated
with IEEE standard 80-2013 and some techniques are discussed
for increasing grounding system safety. ETAP (Electrical power
system analysis) software is used for analysis.
Keywords— Step voltage; Touch voltage ; Ground potential
rise(GPR).
I. INTRODUCTION
The main objectives of grounding system are to
provide means to transfer electric currents into the earth under
normal and fault conditions without exceeding any working
and equipment limits or badly affecting continuousness of
service and a person which is in the vicinity of grounded
services reduced the risk of danger of critical electric shock.
Substation consisting of grounded wye transformer supply to
distribution network if ground fault occurs the fault current
flow through earth which creates ground potential rise within
and nearby the substation. GPR increase the value step and
touch voltages and these voltages exist until the protection
system is operated and fault is cleared. The ground potential
rise (GPR) of grounded structures during electric power faults
affects operator’s safety [1]. When a ground fault occurs the
fault current is flows into a grounding system, if its ground
resistance is large, then the grounding potential rise (GPR) of
the grounding system will be very more, this high values of
grounding potential rise will damage control cables and large
voltage into substation damage the apparatus and threat to
operator. For limiting these voltages to harmless values, it is
essential to design a good grounding system that effectively
joins all metallic parts of the substations to confirm the safety
criteria for both human and substations.
The ground potential rise (GPR) can be reduced by
either reducing the ground resistance or fault current value.
Due to fast expansion of power networks, the fault current
values rises hugely under this condition the ground resistance
would be low for safe operation. The ground resistance can be
reduced by various methods namely enlarging the grounding
grid, increasing length of buried conductor [1], The fault
current is also reduced by diverting the fault current but
construction cost is high [2] forming deep ground wells [3].
reducing resistivity by low resistivity material [5], ground
enhancing material, using long grounding electrodes Use of
these methods depends up on geographical situation
sometimes two or more methods are applied for effectively
reducing resistance of substation.
The aim of this paper is to calculated parameters of
existing design grounding system based on IEEE 80-2000
standard using ETAP software and improving its results by
techniques for increasing grounding system safety.
II. ELEMENTS OF GROUND GRID DESIGN
The grounding system is to be installed such that it will
ensure the safety of apparatus and operators during normal and
fault situation. when ground fault occurs fault current will
flow through the ground produces ground potential rise. when
fault occurs, step and touch voltages are created which are
proportional to GPR. The potential distribution on the
substation surface of earth is given by step and touch voltages.
For safe operation the values of step and touch voltages should
not increase the tolerable value.
The procedure of ground grid design starts from location
survey, layout and measuring area to be grounded. The soil
resistivity is measured by using wenner four-point method or
by using fall of potential method and ground resistance is
calculated. The fault current value is measured. The
permissible values of step and touch potential are determined
by taking proper fault clearing time. The ground potential rise
(GPR) is calculated by product of maximum ground grid
current and ground resistance. If the value of GPR is less than
the permissible value of touch potential the design is safe. And

978-1- 5090-4967- 7/17/$31.00 © 2017 IEEE

 2017 International Conference on circuits Power and Computing Technologies [ICCPCT]

if this value exceeds then values of maximum touch voltage

and maximum step voltages are calculated. The maximum
touch voltage and maximum step voltages values are less than
respective permissible values of step and touch potential the (4)
design is safe no further change is required if not the change in Where
design is required [1]. Km= geometrical factor,
IG= maximum ground grid current
A. ground potential rise (GPR) Ki= corrective factor
GPR means the maximum electrical potential a substation LM=effective buried length of the grounding system conductor
grounding grid achieve relative to distant grounding point. ȡ =soil resistivity ȍ-m
GPR is voltage equal to the maximum ground grid current maximum step voltage is calculated by using equation
multiply by grid resistance

(1) (5)
Where Where
IG=maximum ground grid current
Ks= geometrical factor,
Rg=grid resistance.
IG= maximum ground grid current
B. Permissible step and touch voltage
For calculating the permissible values of step and touch Ki= corrective factor
voltages following equations for person 50 kg is used. The ȡ =soil resistivity ȍ-m
step voltage can be calculated by following equation LS=effective buried length of the grounding system conductor

III. EXISTING GROUNDING GRID OF SUBSTATION

(2)
The distribution substation 33/11 KV consisting of
area 1728 square meters (48m*36m). The soil resistivity is
Where
300ȍ-m calculated by using is wenner four-point method.
Cs= a correction factor function of ȡs and hs
The surface layer material resistivity is 1000.The reported
ȡs = surface material resistivity ȍ-m
available value of maximum ground grid current is 1610 A
hs = is thickness of surface material in m
given by digital relay. The grounding system is consisting
ts= fault clearing time in seconds.
ground mat having 8 ground rods and the elements of
The correction factor is function of depth and surface material
resistivity of the soil. The increase in the value of thickness of substation is connected to this ground mat. The spacing
between conductor’s D is 12m. The total length of grid
surface material correction factor Cs increases,ƒCs is used for
conductor is 372 m. total effective length of buried conductors
estimating correction in calculated resistance of a human foot
is 396m. The single line diagram of substation is shown in Fig
in contact with the surface material and is used in both the
1
calculations for tolerable step and touch voltages. Thus the
higher the value of Cs larger the permissible values of step and
touch voltage means surface soil resistivity is high then
allowable values of step and touch voltage without causing a
hazardous shock

(3)
C. Maximum Step and touch voltage
Maximum touch(mesh) and step voltages are calculated when
the GPR increases the permissible value of touch voltage. For
safe design the value of Maximum step and touch(mesh)
voltages is less than the allowable values of step and touch
voltage. The mesh voltage is given by the equation Fig.1. single line diagram of substation

The substation consists of two 10 MVA transformers

grounded wye, one arrester is connected to grounding grid.
 2017 International Conference on circuits Power and Computing Technologies [ICCPCT]

neutral points of all protection apparatus are connected to .3. and Fig.4. respectively. The note alarm and warning shows
grounding rods. The grounding grid layout is given by Fig.2. that the maximum touch voltage and step voltage exceed the
The ground rod and conductors are used to form ground grid tolerable limits.
consisting of 12 meshes.

Fig.2.grounding system layout of substation

Fig.3. For 50Kg body weight in ETAP simulation
The parameters such as the tolerable values of touch and step
voltages and ground potential rise GPR are calculated using
IEEE standard 80-2013.

TABLE I. CALUCLATED PARAMETERS OF EXISTING SYETEM

Fig.4. For 70Kg body weight in ETAP simulation

The values of ground potential rise exceed the permissible
value of touch and step voltages and the maximum touch and
step voltage values are also exceeding the permissible values
so grounding system of substation is unsafe so for safe
operation design should be change our resistance value should
be reduced.
The analysis is carried out in ETAP ground grid design
module. Using the single line diagram of distribution
substation and layout of substation the single line diagram is
drawn in ETAP by using short circuit analysis tools the values
of fault current is obtained, ground design is formed in ground
grid design module. ETAP ground grid design module used to
find out parameters such as ground potential rise, maximum
values of step and touch potential and permissible values of
touch and step potential. It also shows alarm and warning if
design is not safe. Analysis of existing system is done in Fig.5. ground potential rise on substation
ETAP for body weight of 50kg and 70kg person shown in Fig
 2017 International Conference on circuits Power and Computing Technologies [ICCPCT]
Fig.6. step potential profile on substation
Fig.7. touch potential profile on substation
The Fig.5. shows the ground potential rise on substation and
Fig.7.and Fig.8. shows step and touch potential profiles on the
substation surface area for safe operation of the system these
values should be reduced. These potential can be reduced by
adding ground rods, decreasing grounding grid spacing and
reducing ground grid resistance.
IV. TECHNIQUES FOR INCREASING GROUNDING
SYSTEM SAFETY
A. Reducing ground resistance
For decreasing the values of touch and step voltages the
main focus is given for lowering grid resistance. ground
resistance can be reduced by various methods which are
reducing ground grid spacing, adding ground rods in existing
system, using longer ground rods, creating grounding wells,
increasing grounding area. The application of these methods
depends on the geometrical conditions and for reducing
ground resistance one or more methods can be used.
B. Current divison
The values of potetails can be redued by decrasing the
amount of current that flows into the grounding grid.The
shield wire or ground wire is used for reducing the current. If
the value of ground grid current is reduced then value of GPR
is also reduced .For applying this method strucural changes
are required.This methods is nornaly used where ground
resistance is high and can not be effectivly reduced by using
above methods.
C. Surface layer
The permissible values of step and touch potentials
increases with increasing height of surface material and
increasing resistivity of surface material. The potential rise is
small if underlying soil has lower resistivity as compare to
upper layer due to small amount current will flow. Following
Fig.8. shows the effect of surface material resistivity on
tolerable touch and step voltage
Fig.8. effect of surface material resistivity on tolerable touch and step voltage
D. Duration of fault clearing
The fault clearing time largely affects the tolerable values
of touch and step voltages. If the fault clearing time is reduced
below the 1s the permissible values of touch and step voltages
are increases. For reducing the fault clearing time good
relaying system is required and fault is cleared. Following
Fig.9.shows the relation between fault clearing time and
tolerable voltages for small values of fault clearing time the
tolerable value of voltages is high.
Fig.9. effect of fault clearing time on tolerable touch and step voltage
 2017 International Conference on circuits Power and Computing Technologies [ICCPCT]
VI. CONCLUSION
This paper proposes the presentation analysis of
existing grounding grid of substaion carried out by
mathematicaly using IEEE Std 80 and verfied using ETAP
software.The maximum voltage values exceeds the
permissible values so for harmless operation proper safety
tecniques stated in paper can be used.
REFERENCES
[1] IEEE Guide for Safety in AC Substation Grounding, IEEE Std. 80-
2013, 2013.
[2] Andrew Ackerman, P. K. Sen and Clifton Oertli,” Designing Safe
and Reliable Grounding in AC Substations with Poor Soil
Resistivity: An Interpretation of IEEE Std. 80” IEEE Trans. on
Industry Application, vol. 49, no. 4, July/august 2013.
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