5/26/2016

How to Determine Correct Number of Earthing Electrodes (Strips, Plates and Pipes) part 2 | EEP

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How to Determine Correct Number of

Earthing Electrodes (Strips, Plates and
Pipes) part 2

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How to Determine Correct Number of Earthing Electrodes (Strips, Plates and Pipes) part 2 | EEP

How to Determine Correct Number of Earthing Electrodes (Strips, Plates and Pipes) part 2

Continued from first part:

How to Determine Correct Number of Earthing Electrodes (Strips, Plates and Pipes) part 1

2. Calculate Number of Plate Earthing

The Earth Resistance of Single Plate electrode is calculated as per IS 3040:

R=/A(3.14/A)
Where:
= Resistivity of Soil ( Meter),
A = Area of both side of Plate (m2),
Example: Calculate Number of CI Earthing Plate of 600600 mm, System has Fault current 65KA for 1 Sec
and Soil Resistivity is 100 -Meters.
Current Density At The Surface of Earth Electrode (As per IS 3043):
Max. Allowable Current Density I = 7.571000/(xt) A/m2
Max. Allowable Current Density = 7.571000/(100X1)=757 A/m2
Surface area of both side of single 600600 mm Plate= 2 x lxw=2 x 0.060.06 = 0.72 m2
Max. current dissipated by one Earthing Plate = Current Density x Surface area of electrode
Max. current dissipated by one Earthing Plate =7570.72= 545.04 Amps
Resistance of Earthing Plate (Isolated)(R)=/A(3.14/A)
Resistance of Earthing Plate (Isolated)(R)=100/0.72x(3.14/.072)=290.14
Number of Earthing Plate required =Fault Current / Max.current dissipated by one Earthing Pipe.
Number of Earthing Plate required= 65000/545.04 =119 Nos.
Total Number of Earthing Plate required = 119 Nos.
Overall resistance of 119 No of Earthing Plate=290.14/119=2.438 .

3. Calculating Resistance of Bared Earthing Strip

1) Calculation for earth resistance of buried Strip (As per IEEE)
The Earth Resistance of Single Strip of Rod buried in ground is:

R=/Px3.14xL (loge (2xLxL/Wxh)+Q)

Where:
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= Resistivity of Soil ( Meter),

h = Depth of Electrode (Meter),
w = Width of Strip or Diameter of Conductor (Meter)
L = Length of Strip or Conductor (Meter)
P and Q are Koefficients

2) Calculation for earth resistance of buried Strip (As per IS 3043)

The Earth Resistance of Single Strip of Rod buried in ground is:

R=100x/23.14xL (loge (2xLxL/Wxt))

Where:
= Resistivity of Soil ( Meter),
L = Length of Strip or Conductor (cm)
w = Width of Strip or Diameter of Conductor (cm)
t = Depth of burial (cm)
Example: Calculate Earthing Resistance of Earthing strip/wire of 36mm Diameter, 262 meter long buried at
500mm depth in ground, soil Resistivity is 65 Meter.
Here:
R = Resistance of earth rod in W.
r = Resistivity of soil( Meter) = 65 Meter
l = length of the rod (cm) = 262m = 26200 cm
d = internal diameter of rod(cm) = 36mm = 3.6cm
h = Depth of the buried strip/rod (cm)= 500mm = 50cm
Resistance of Earthing Strip/Conductor (R)=/23.14xL (loge (2xLxL/Wt))
Resistance of Earthing Strip/Conductor (R)=65/23.14x26200xln(2x26200x26200/3.650)
Resistance of Earthing Strip/Conductor (R)== 1.7

4. Calculate Min. Cross Section area of

Earthing

Conductor
Cross Section Area of Earthing Conductor As per IS 3043

(A) =(If xt) / K

Where:
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t = Fault current Time (Second).

K = Material Constant.
Example: Calculate Cross Section Area of GI Earthing Conductor for System has 50KA Fault Current for 1
second. Corrosion will be 1.0 % Per Year and No of Year for Replacement is 20 Years.
Cross Section Area of Earthing Conductor (A) =(If xt) / K
Here:
If = 50000 Amp
T = 1 Second
K = 80 (Material Constant, For GI=80, copper K=205, Aluminium K=126).
Cross Section Area of Earthing Conductor (A) = (500001)/80
Cross Section Area of GI Earthing Conductor (A) = 625 Sq.mm
Allowance for Corrosion = 1.0 % Per Year & Number of Year before replacement say = 20 Years
Total allowance = 20 x 1.0% = 20%
Safety factor = 1.5
Required Earthing Conductor size = Cross sectional area x Total allowance x Safety factor
Required Earthing Conductor size = 1125 Sq.mm say 1200 Sq.mm
Hence, Considered 1Nox12x100 mm GI Strip or 2Nox6 x 100 mm GI Strips

Thumb Rule for Calculate Number of Earthing Rod

The approximate earth resistance of the Rod/Pipe electrodes can be calculated by:
Earth Resistance of the Rod/Pipe electrodes:

R= K x /L
Where:
= Resistivity of earth in Ohm-Meter
L = Length of the electrode in Meter.
d = Diameter of the electrode in Meter.
K = 0.75 if 25< L/d < 100.
K = 1 if 100 < L/d < 600
K = 1.2 o/L if 600 < L/d < 300
Number of Electrode if find out by Equation of R(d) = (1.5/N) x R
Where:
R(d) = Desired earth resistance
R = Resistance of single electrode
N = No. of electrodes installed in parallel at a distance of 3 to 4 Meter interval.
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How to Determine Correct Number of Earthing Electrodes (Strips, Plates and Pipes) part 2 | EEP

Example: Calculate Earthing Pipe Resistance and Number of Electrode for getting Earthing Resistance of 1
,Soil Resistivity of =40, Length=2.5 Meter, Diameter of Pipe = 38 mm.
Here:
L/d = 2.5/0.038=65.78 so K = 0.75
The Earth Resistance of the Pipe electrodes R= K x /L = 0.7565.78 = 12
One electrode the earth resistance is 12 .
To get Earth resistance of 1 the total Number of electrodes required = (1.512)/1 = 18 No

Calculating Resistance & Number of Earthing Rod

Reference: As per EHV Transmission Line Reference Book page: 290 and Electrical Transmission &
Distribution Reference Book Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Section-I Page: 570-590.
Earthing Resistance of Single Rods:

R = x[ln (2L/a)-1]/(23.14xL)
Earthing Resistance of Parallel Rods:

R = x[ln (2L/A]/ (23.14xL)

Where:
L = length of rod in ground Meter,
a = radius of rod Meter
= ground resistivity, ohm-Meter
A = (axS)
S = Rod separation Meter

Earthing rod arrangements

Factor affects on Ground resistance

The NEC code requires a minimum ground electrode length of 2.5 meters (8.0 feet) to be in contact with the
soil. But, there are some factor that affect the ground resistance of a ground system:
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Length / Depth of the ground electrode: double the length, reduce ground resistance by up to 40%.
Diameter of the ground electrode: double the diameter, lower ground resistance by only 10%.
Number of ground electrodes: for increased effectiveness, space additional electrodes at least equal to
the depth of the ground electrodes.
Ground system design: single ground rod to ground plate.

The GI earthing conductor sizes for various equipment

No

Equipment

Earth strip size

HT switchgear, structures, cable trays &

fence, rails, gate and steel column

Lighting Arrestor

25 X 3 mm (Copper)

PLC Panel

25 X 3 mm (Copper)

DG & Transformer Neutral

Transformer Body

Control & Relay Panel

25 X 6 mm (GI)

Lighting Panel & Local Panel

25 X 6 mm (GI)

Distribution Board

25 X 6 mm (GI)

Motor up to 5.5 kw

4 mm2 (GI)

10

Motor 5.5 kw to 55 kw

25 X 6 mm (GI)

11

Motor 22 kw to 55 kw

40 X 6 mm (GI)

12

Motor Above 55 kw

55 X 6 mm (GI)

55 X 6 mm (GI)

50X6 mm (Copper)
506 mm (GI)

Selection of Earthing System:

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Installations/Isc Capacity

IR Value
Required
8 ohm

House hold earthing/3kA

Soil Type/Resistivity
Normal Soil/ up to 50 ohm-meter

Single Electrode

Sandy Soil/ between 50 to 2000 ohmmeter

Single Electrode

Rocky Soil/ More than 2000 ohm-meter

2 ohm
Commercial premises,Office /
5kA

Transformers, substation
earthing, LT line equipment/
15kA

LA, High current Equipment./

50kA

PRS, UTS, RTUs, Data

processing centre etc./5KA

less than
1 ohm

less than
1 ohm

less than
0.5 ohm

Earth System

Multiple Electrodes

Normal Soil/ up to 50 ohm-meter

Single Electrode

Sandy Soil/ between 50 to 2000 ohmmeter

Multiple Electrodes

Rocky Soil/ More than 2000 ohm-meter

Multiple Electrodes

Normal Soil/ up to 50 ohm-meter

Single Electrode

Sandy Soil/ between 50 to 2000 ohmmeter

Multiple Electrodes

Rocky Soil/ More than 2000 ohm-meter

Multiple Electrodes

Normal Soil/ up to 50 ohm-meter

Single Electrode

Sandy Soil/ between 50 to 2000 ohmmeter

Multiple Electrodes

Rocky Soil/ More than 2000 ohm-meter

Multiple Electrodes

Normal Soil/ up to 50 ohm-meter

Single Electrode

Sandy Soil/ between 50 to 2000 ohmmeter

Multiple Electrodes

Rocky Soil/ More than 2000 ohm-meter

Multiple Electrodes

Size of Earthing Conductor

Ref IS 3043 and Handbook on BS 7671: The Lee Wiring Regulations by Trevor E. Marks.

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Size of Earthing Conductor

Area of Phase Conductor
S (mm2)

Area of Earthing conductor

(mm2) When It is Same
Material as Phase
Conductor

Area of Earthing conductor

(mm2) When It is Not Same
Material as Phase Conductor

S < 16 mm2

SX(k1/k2)

16 mm2<S< 35 mm2

16 mm2

16X(k1/k2)

S > 35 mm2

S/2

SX(k1/2k2)

K1 is value of Phase conductor,k2 is value of earthing conductor

Value of K for GI=80, Alu=126,Cu=205 for 1 Sec

Standard earthing strip/plate/pipe/wire weight

GI Earthing Strip:
Size (mm2)

Weight

20 x 3

500 gm Per meter

25 x 3

600 gm Per meter

25 x 6

1/200 Kg Per meter

32 x 6

1/600 Kg Per meter

40 x 6

2 Kg Per meter

50 x 6

2/400 Kg Per meter

65 x 10

5/200 Kg Per meter

75 x 12

7/200 Kg Per meter

GI Earthing Plate

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Plate

Weight

600 x 600 x 3 mm

10 Kg App.

600 x 600 x 4 mm

12 Kg App.

600 x 600 x 5 mm

15 Kg App.

600 x 600 x 6 mm

18 Kg App.

600 x 600 x 12 mm

36 Kg App.

1200 x 1200 x 6 mm

70 Kg App.

1200 x 1200 x 12 mm

140 Kg App.

GI Earthing Pipe
Pipe

Weight

3 meter Long BISE

5 Kg App.

3 meter r Long BISE

9 Kg App.

4.5 meter (15 Long BISE)

5 Kg App.

4.5 meter (15 Long BISE)

9 Kg App.

4.5 meter (15 Long BISE)

14 Kg App

GI Earthing Wire
Plate

Weight

6 Swg

5 meter in 1 Kg

8 Swg

9 meter in 1 Kg

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Jignesh Parmar
jiguparmar - Jignesh Parmar has completed M.Tech (Power System Control) ,B.E(Electrical). He is member of
Institution of Engineers (MIE),India. Membership No:M-1473586.He has more than 13 years experience in
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