POWER SYSTEM

PROTECTION
AND SWITCHGEAR
Earthing or Grounding
What is grounding or Earthing?
In power Systems grounding or earthing means
connecting frame of electrical equipment (non-
current carrying part) or some electrical part of the
system (e.g. neutral point in a star-connected
system, one conductor of the secondary of a
transformer etc.) to earth i.e. soil.
Advantages of grounding
• Provides protection to the Power System
• Ensures the safety of the persons handling the
equipment (e.g. domestic appliances, hand-held
tools, industrial motors etc.).
• Continuity of supply can be maintained
Classification of grounding
1. Equipment grounding: Earthing the non-
current-carrying metal parts of the electrical
equipment.
2. System grounding : Earthing some part of the
electrical system e.g. earthing of neutral point
of star-connected system in generating stations
and sub-stations.
Equipment Grounding
The process of connecting non-current-carrying
metal parts (i.e. metallic enclosure) of the electrical
equipment to earth (i.e. soil) in such a way that in
case of insulation failure, the enclosure effectively
remains at earth potential is called equipment
grounding.
Ungrounded enclosure.
Enclosure connected to neutral wire
Ground wire connected to enclosure
System Grounding
The process of connecting some electrical part of
the power system (e.g. neutral point of a star
connected system, one conductor of the
secondary of a transformer etc.) to earth (i.e. soil)
is called system grounding.
The need of system grounding.
The need of system grounding
Ungrounded Neutral System
Ungrounded Neutral System behaviour
during Normal Condition
Ungrounded Neutral System behaviour
during Fault Condition
Effects of Ungrounded Neutral System
1. The potential of the faulty phase becomes
equal to ground potential. However, the
voltages of the two remaining healthy phases
rise from their normal phase voltages to full line
value. This may result in insulation breakdown.
2. The capacitive current in the two healthy
phases increase to √3 times the normal value.
3. The capacitive fault current (IC) becomes 3
times the normal per phase capacitive current.
Neutral Grounding
Advantages of Neutral Grounding
• Voltages of the healthy phases do not exceed line
to ground voltages i.e. they remain nearly
constant.
• The high voltages due to arcing grounds are
eliminated.
• The protective relays can be used to provide
protection against earth faults. In case earth fault
occurs on any line, the protective relay will
operate to isolate the faulty line.
• The overvoltages due to lightning are discharged
to earth.
Advantages of Neutral Grounding
• It provides greater safety to personnel and
equipment.
• It provides improved service reliability.
• Operating and maintenance expenditures are
reduced.
Methods of Neutral Grounding
• Solid or effective grounding
• Resistance grounding
• Reactance grounding
• Peterson-coil grounding
Solid Grounding
Solid Grounding
Advantages of Solid Grounding
• The neutral is effectively held at earth potential.
• No arcing ground or over-voltage conditions can
occur.
• The phase to earth voltages of the remaining two
healthy phases remain at normal phase voltage
because the potential of the neutral is fixed at
earth potential.
• It becomes easier to protect the system from
earth faults which frequently occur on the system.
Disadvantages of solid grounding
• Since most of the faults on an overhead system
are phase to earth faults, the system has to bear
a large number of severe shocks. This causes the
system to become unstable.
• The heavy earth fault currents may cause the
burning of circuit breaker contacts.
• The increased earth fault current results in
greater interference in the neighbouring
communication lines.
Resistance Grounding
Advantages
• By adjusting the value of R, the arcing grounds
can be minimised.
• The earth fault current is small due to the
presence of earthing resistance. Therefore,
interference with communication circuits is
reduced.
• It improves the stability of the system.
Disadvantages
• Since the system neutral is displaced during earth
faults, the equipment has to be insulated for
higher voltages.
• This system is costlier than the solidly grounded
system.
• It becomes difficult to dissipate large amount of
energy to atmosphere.
Reactance Grounding
• Ensures for satisfactory relaying operation.
• Partial grading of apparatus insulation
• Reduced interference to near by communication
lines.
• Ground fault current s reduced but is much
smaller than capacitive ground fault current
• The voltages across healthy phases are between
80 to 100 % of line to line voltages.
• Arcing grounds are avoided.
• Transient ground faults are converted to
controlled current faults.
Arc Suppression Coil Grounding or
Resonant Grounding
Advantages
• The Peterson coil is completely effective in
preventing any damage by an arcing ground.
• The Peterson coil has the advantages of
ungrounded neutral system.

• Disadvantages:
Calculate the reactance of Peterson coil suitable
for a 33 kV, 3-phase transmission line having a
capacitance to earth of each conductor as 4.5 μF.
Assume supply frequency to be 50 Hz.

Ans: 235.8 Ω
A 230 kV, 3-phase, 50 Hz, 200 km transmission
line has a capacitance to earth of 0.02 μF/km per
phase. Calculate the inductance and kVA rating of
the Peterson coil used for earthing the above
system.

L=0.85 H
Current through Peterson coil is IF =500A
𝑉𝐿
Voltage across Peterson coil is =
3
Rating of Peterson coil=Vph * IF
Voltage Transformer Earthing
Advantage
• The transient overvoltages on the system due to
switching and arcing grounds are reduced.

Disadvantage:
• When earth fault occurs on any phase, the line
voltage appears across line to earth
capacitances. The system insulation will be
overstressed.
Grounding Transformer
Earth Electrode: Any wire, rod, pipe, plate or an array of
conductors embedded in ground horizontally or vertically is
known as the earth electrode.

Resistance-To-Earth or Earth Resistance: The

resistance offered by the earth electrode to the flow of
current into the ground is known as resistance to earth.
It is equal to the ratio of the potential of earth electrode with
respect to remote point, to the current dissipated by it.
Large Power Stations - 0.5 Ω
Major Power Stations - 1.0 Ω
Small substations – 2.0 Ω
In all other cases - 8.0 Ω
Step Potential: is the potential difference between the feet
of a person standing on the floor of the substation, with
0.5m spacing between two feet (one step) during the flow
of earth fault current through the grounding system.

Touch Potential: is the potential

difference between the fingers of
raised hand touching the faulting
Structure and the feet of the person
Standing on the substation floor.
Soil Resistivity
When an electrode is driven into the ground, the region
around the electrode is known as resistance area or
potential gradient area.

The raise in ground potential or the flow of current in

ground depends on the soil resistivity in which the earthing
conductor is driven.

Sea Water – 2.5 Wet concrete - 100

Tap Water - 20 Dry Concrete - 10,000
Clay - 50 Rock - 10,000
Sand Clay mixture – 100 Chalk - 250
Sand - 2000
• Soil resistivity depends on
Soil
Moisture,
Dissolved Salt
Temperature
Grounding Resistance

• Total resistance is
1. Resistance of conductor
2. Resistance between surface of electrode and
earth
3. Resistance of body of earth surrounding the
electrode