JULY 1974 Docunenr 8.1.0.6, S.1.D.6, 8.1.0.6, 8.1.0.6. 13-0 13-1 13-2 13-3 8,1,D,6, 13-0/0 REVISION o ° TITLE INDEX BARTIL NAT. DESIGN 1, Reference 2. General 3. Probability of an accident 4, Basis of Design EARTH-MAT COPPER SIZES NOTES ON EARTHING 1, Yard surfacing 2. Fences 3. Solid-state relays 4. Barthing of equipmentJULY 1974 S.L,D.G, 13-1/0 1, EARIH MAT DESLGN REFERENCE DOCUMENT tyoltage gradients through the ground under fault conditions." ALEE Committee Report. October 1958, GENERAL, The standard Kscom practice for earth mats is to bury a horizontal grid of copper conductors (generally in round, solid form but occasionally of the stranded type ex transmission lines) about 1 metre below ground level, the grid extending over the whole area occupied by the substation. Al] metalwork in the substation (steel strucrures, gutters, fences, etc.) is then bonded to this earth mat with flat copper straps so that a direct low-resistance path to earth is provided for short-cireuit currents. When these high fault currents flow in the earth, voltage gradients are established within and around the substation which can be lethal to a person standing nearby. Although completely accurate precalculation of the gradients is seldom practical because of the variables involved, sufficient general data is available on which to base a design that will be reasonably safe. PROBABILITY p_AN CLDENT, ‘The probability of an accident depends on the coincidence of several adverse factors, as follovs:~ (a) ‘The fault current must generally be high in relation to the size of the earth mat. High fault currents at small substations are the most dangerous. (b) Soil resistivity must generally be high and the distribution of fault current through the bonded earthing system must be euch as to produce high gradients, During the storm season the soil ie usually moist and the resistivity low. (c) An individual must be bridging two points of high potential difference during the very short perfod when fault current is flowing. Since modern protective systems operate rapidly the total danger period is. unlikely to exceed a few seconds in any one year,8.1.0.6, 13-1/0 (a) Absence of any significant contact resistance to limft the current through the body (e.g. rubber-soled shoes, dry hands). (e) The magnitude of the current flowing through the body and the time for which it flows must be sufficient to cause harm, Thus, while voltage gradients are theoretically .hazardous, and vhile it is impossible to ensure complete safety at all times and at all places, the low probability of all adverse factors occurring similtancously makes it possible to design an earthing system of reasonable proportions. BASIS OF DESIGN 4. 1 "safe" body current £1 mA + Threshold of perception 10 - 15 mA : Painful and possible Lack of muscular control Greater currents ; a) Breathing problene b) Ventricular fibrillation of the heart. Venteteutar fibetttatton does not respond to resuscitation and the threshold of this condition is thus of major concern. From experimental data the "safé" body current (1%) is a function of time (t, in sees) according to the equation Ty, 2 = 0,027 whence Tp 0,165 amps r.m.s, at 50 Hertz, ve ; values are"perhaps 5 times greater and lightning surge currents even higher, D.8.1.0.6, 13-1/0 4.2. Step Potential he V a se St —w— ww wl > 1 RD Ry pene RK Step AM ply —fp. Potential RL Re Ro Rj = Body resistance % 1000 ohms Rg © Resistance under feet = 3P, Ps = Surface resistivity in ohm-metres "Safe" Step Potential = Ty (Ry + 2%s) = 0,165 (1000-6 5) ye 4. 3 Touch Potential | ba Ro nn Re Rp/2 Tk’ [st —-——---— Touch Potential (Y Ww "Safe" Touch Potential (R, + 0,5Rp) = 0,165 (1000 + 1,575) € 165 + 0,258.1.0.6, 13-1/0 4. 4 Mesh Potential Barth ot grid Fault ( Han TRV] Re Rp Lj! Mesh Potential Mesh Potential = Voltage across a man standing in the centre of the mesh and touching a structure bonded to the earth mat some distance avay. "Safe" Mesh Potential = Tj (Ry + 2Rp) 4, 5 Transferred Potential Cable armouring earthed only at remote station "Safe" Transfer Potential Ty (Re + 2B) 165 +0,25P, (See 4.3) ve8.1.0.6, 13-1/0 “5+ Actual Potentials in Yards Calculations show that the usual range of potentials to be expected in a yard are as follows:~ Estep + 0,1 to 0,15P% Inside yard $0,100,274 At Periphery Feouch # 0,6 to 0,87 4 Bmesh = P i WhereP= soil resistivity in ohm-metres + 4 = current per unit length of buried grid in amps per metre Vault L L Total length of earth grid in metres The worst case is the mesh potential Actual Emesh = PL.K Where K is a factor of safety, L usually 1,25 Length of grid required By equating the actual mesh voltage with the tolerable or 'safe" value we get PIX 165 + 0,25P5 ve fdé L = _KPIYE_ metres Behe ies 165 + 0,25P 5 wa antes 2, $4 91 Bias For = (103, ‘bry soit os t= "5 sec. Ps 3x 103 i Then for 1 = 3IkKA 9700 m s x 25kA 7650 m T= 16kA Ly 4900 m 88.1.0.6, 13-1/0 4, 8 Soil Resistivittes P) Wet organic soil 10 obm-netres Moist soil 10? ohm-metres Dry soil 103 ohm-netres Bed rock 10" ohm-metres Wet crushed stone 3 x 10? ohm-metres (can be used forPs) R= Prk aR L Where R = Radius of circle (in metres) having the same area as that enclosed by the grid,JULY 1974 8.1.0.6, 13+2/0 COPPER EARTHING CONDUCTOR stzEs REFERENCE DOCUMENT Burndy Catelogue 50, page 83. Old Blectrical Eng, Dept. Directive BED 10/4/1-1. COPPER AREA REQUIRED For exposed copper i.e. for the connections between equipment and the earthmat, a temperature rise of 250°C is permissible and on the basis of a 5-second rating the copper area required is given by A= U,9T sqem where I = Pault current in ka, rms. A rating of 5 seconds is, selected firstly because this value exceeds the 3-second rating normally specified for equipment and, secondly, because modern protective systems will virtually never require such a long period to clear a fault of maximum amplitude. Where the conductor is buried for its entire length, as in the case of the earth mat, a temperature rise of 450°C can be allowed and the required area is given by A = 99% sqemm Brazed joints to the earth mat can withstand a temperature of 640°C without harm. EARTHING COPPER SIZES A variety of copper rod and strap sizes are available, but for the sake o£ standardisation it {8 proposed.to limit the number of sizes that are used, multiple connections being made where necessary to provide the required current rating. ‘The standard sizes are:~ Rod ; 10 mm diameter Strap : 50 x 3.15 (or 3)mm and 40 x 3.15 (or 3) mm (See Note 3)ae 8.1.0.6, 13-2/0 The following table illustrates the conductor arrangements required to meet standard fault levels. Copper area Main earth mat” Connections to Equipment Fault required = ~ Current | sq,mm No. of | Actual] No. of Actual t Direction area | Connections | area ka Rod | Strap | (wote 1)| sq.mn_| Note 2) | sq.m 12,5 | 125 | 150 2 160 h 150 16 160 | 190 4 320 2 300 20 200 | 246 4 320 2 300 25 250 | 300 4 320 2 300 31,5, 3is’] 375 a 320 3 450, 40 400 | 480 6 480 4 600 50 500 | 600 8 640 4 600 Where one connection is made to the earthmat the current can flow in two directions, 4 Directions implies 2 connections, 6 directions implies 3 connections and 8 directions implies 4 connections, each connection being made to a different side of the rectangular grid, Assumes 50 x 3 mm strap. The 40x 3 mm strap is for use on multiple-earthed items, such as fences.JULY 1974 S.L,D,G, 13~3/0 i. NOTES ON EARTHING YARD_SURFAGING The equations in $.L,D.G. 13-1 indicate that the surface resistivity Ps plays an important part in ensuring the safety of personnel. Crusher stone has a particularly high resistivity and while it is relatively expensive, it is nevertheless recommended as the yard surfacing material, FENCES High potential gradients tend to oceur along the periphery of the earth mat and fences defining the substation area are thus danger zones. Yo Limit the touch-potentials it Ls recommended that the earth mat and the crusher-stone surfacing be extended 1 metre outside the security fence with the fence being securely bonded to the mat. Boundary fences, which are generally situated somé distance from the security area and well outside the earth mat, should not be bonded to the mat, LID -STA RELAYS, Attention is dram to DSI/1-73 which recommends that particular care be taken to ensure that static relay cases and special relay earth terminals are adoquately earthed. The earthing connections to the relay panel earth bar should be as straight as possible. EARYHING OF EQUIPMENT Drawing 0,54/393 (24 Sheets) details various standards relating to substation earthing.