Ground-Fault Detection, Charging Current and
Neutral-Grounding Resistor Selection
Don Selkirk, P.Eng
Startco Engineering Ltd.
406 Jessop Avenue
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Canada S7N 2S5
Abstract—Choosing appropriate ground-fault
protection and neutral-grounding resistor (NGR) let-
through current requires careful consideration of
several factors including system voltage, ground-fault
relay co-ordination, tripping action, harmonics, and
system charging current.
In order to facilitate system design and
troubleshooting, this paper reviews charging current
and sympathetic tripping, protective relay co-
ordination, and the factors that affect NGR selection for
alarming and tripping applications. A systematic
method is proposed for selecting an NGR, and setting
ground-fault protection.
I. INTRODUCTION
Resistance grounding has been used in three-phase
industrial applications for many years. Properly designed
resistance grounding resolves many of the problems
associated with solidly grounded and ungrounded systems
while retaining many of their benefits. Resistance
grounding can limit point-of-fault damage, eliminate
transient overvoltages, reduce the risk of an arc flash, limit
personnel exposure to voltage, allow continuity of service
with a ground fault, and provide adequate current for
ground-fault detection and selective coordination.
However, proper sizing of the NGR is critical in order to
provide system stability. In this paper resistance grounding
refers to a resistive element connected between the
transformer or generator neutral and the system ground on
the secondary side.
There are two levels of resistance grounding, high-
resistance grounding and low-resistance grounding. The
difference between these levels is a matter of perception
and, therefore, is not well defined. Generally speaking
high-resistance grounding refers to a system in which the
NGR let-through current is less than 50 to 100 A. Low-
resistance grounding indicates that NGR current would be
above 100 A. As an example a 480 V system with a 100 A
NGR would be considered low-resistance grounding
because 5 A is a common let-through current for a 480 V
system. A 35 kV system with a 100 A NGR could be
considered high-resistance grounding.
A better distinction between the two levels might be
alarm only and tripping. An alarm-only system continues
to operate with a single ground fault on the system for an
unspecified amount of time. In a tripping system a ground
fault is automatically removed by protective relaying and
circuit interrupting devices. Alarm-only systems usually
limit NGR current to 10 A or less.
II. SYSTEM VOLTAGE CONSIDERATIONS
In the application of resistance grounding the system
voltage and NGR let-through current are the primary
considerations that influence whether to deploy an alarm-
only or tripping system.
The NGR let-through-current rating in an alarm-only
system should be no more than 10 A. This value of fault
current is usually small enough to prevent burning of the
insulation and the subsequent escalation to a phase-to-
phase fault, and burning of core material on motors,
generators and transformers [1]. This level is the maximum
let-through current for an alarm-only system as defined by
section 10-1102 of the Canadian Electrical Code.
Alarm-only systems are seldom used at system
voltages above 5 kV because higher system capacitance
necessitates an NGR let-though current greater than 10 A,
and because higher voltage increases the probability of a
ground-fault escalation to a phase-to-phase fault. [2] On a
tripping system, an NGR with a higher let-through-current
rating can be used and NGR’s of 15 A and 25 A are
common. Higher-voltage systems, which must trip on a
ground fault, can have let-through currents up to hundreds
of amps. Designers comfortable with solidly grounded
systems often choose NGR’s with let-through currents
much larger than necessary for either system stability or
selective coordination [3]. This practice increases potential
damage to equipment and danger to personnel during a
ground fault.
III. UNDERSTANDING CHARGING CURRENT
Each phase of a distribution system has capacitance to
ground. Although a system may be ungrounded in that
none of its current-carrying conductors are intentionally
connected to ground, an ungrounded system has its neutral
point established by distributed system capacitance as
shown in Fig. 1. For simplicity, the distributed capacitance
of the system is shown as a single capacitor per phase.
When the system is energized current flows between the
phase conductors and the capacitive neutral; this current is
referred to as charging current. Extensive damage can
occur when an ungrounded power-distribution system
experiences a transient overvoltage condition caused by an
intermittent ground fault [3].
Ground-Fault Detection, Charging Current and Neutral-Grounding Resistor Selection Page 2

Fig 1: Ungrounded System

On an ungrounded system a transient overvoltage can IV. SYMPATHETIC TRIPPING

result from a re-striking ground fault. When the strike
occurs, charging current only flows for a short time and is
then extinguished. This results in a capacitive charge that
elevates system voltage-to-ground for all phases and
neutral. Phase-to-phase and phase-to-neutral voltages are
not affected. The repetition of the re-strike process over
several cycles can result in a voltage built up of 5 or 6
times the nominal voltage [4]. To prevent this transient
overvoltage condition in a resistance-grounded system, the
grounding resistor must have a let-through-current rating
large enough to drain the charge between successive re-
strikes. This is especially important in an alarm-only
system that continues to operate with a ground fault. The
minimum let-through-current value is generally accepted to
be equal to system charging current.
Fig. 2 shows a system similar to Fig. 1 with a 5.0-A
NGR added. Voltages and currents in the unfaulted case
are the same as in the ungrounded system. If phase A is
faulted to ground, voltages and currents in phases B and C
are also the same as in the ungrounded system; however,
fault current is the vector sum of NGR current and system
charging current. If the system in Fig. 2 has three equal
feeders, currents will be as shown in Fig. 2. Meters A1 and
A3 on the unfaulted feeders each read 1.0 A—the charging
current of their respective feeders. NGR current and fault
current remain unchanged at 5.0 A and 5.8 A respectively.
Meter A2 on the faulted feeder will read 5.4 A—the vector
sum of NGR current and the charging currents of the
unfaulted feeders.

Fig. 2: Resistance-Grounded System

Sympathetic tripping is when unfaulted feeders trip in the operating value of the feeder’s ground-fault relay is less
response to a ground fault elsewhere in the system, and is than the feeder’s charging current. Sympathetic tripping
an undesirable situation. Sympathetic tripping can occur if cannot occur, regardless of the

Don Selkirk, P.Eng Startco Engineering Ltd. May 2008

Ground-Fault Detection, Charging Current and Neutral-Grounding Resistor Selection
relative feeder sizes, if an operating value above the
charging current of the largest feeder is used for all ground-
fault relays in the system. Personnel-level ground-fault
protection is difficult to achieve in a three phase system
because of the magnitude of charging currents.
V. TRIPPING RATIO AND NGR SELECTION
Tripping ratio is defined as the ratio of prospective
ground-fault current to the operating value of the ground-
fault protection. An adequate tripping ratio ensures that
sufficient ground-fault current is available for detection
when a ground fault occurs. Reference [5] shows that a
tripping ratio of at least 7 is necessary to detect a two
phase-to-ground fault. It can be argued that this type of
fault should be cleared by overcurrent devices and that
ground-fault detection does not require a tripping ratio of 7.
On the other hand, a higher tripping ratio is required to
provide machine-winding ground-fault protection.
Reference [2] states that the generally accepted protection
philosophy is based on protecting 90 percent of a wye
connected winding, and that the probability of a ground
fault on the last 10 percent nearest the neutral is small. A
tripping ratio of 10 is required to meet this protection
philosophy; however, tripping ratios of 5 are common.
If the operating value of the ground-fault relays is
greater than the charging current of the largest feeder, and
if a tripping ratio of 5 is selected to ensure adequate
tripping levels and machine-winding ground-fault
protection, the let-through current of the NGR must be
greater than 5 times the charging current of the largest
feeder. Charging current is a function of system voltage
and can be measured on an existing system or estimated
from tables. Typically, charging current will be 0.5 A per
1000 kVA on low voltage systems and 1.0 A per 1000 kVA
on medium voltage systems. Consequently, 5-A, 15-A, and
25-A grounding resistors are common.
VI. RELAY COORDINATION
Resistance-grounded facilities benefit from orderly
ground-fault clearing. On a solidly grounded system a
bolted fault can result in a relay race in that several
protective devices, both overcurrent and ground fault,
detect the fault and begin to trip at the same time. The fault
is then cleared by the device that operates the fastest rather
than the device that would remove the least amount of
equipment from the system. This problem can be solved
using zone-selective interlocking but zone-selective
interlocking requires a great deal of control wiring.
By contrast a resistance-grounded system can be
designed so that the available ground-fault current is much
smaller than the pickup setting of overcurrent devices—
thus only ground-fault relays will respond to a ground fault.
Since ground-fault current is controlled to a level that will
reduce fault damage, and an arc flash will not occur, some
time is permitted to coordinate tripping.
Time-selective ground-fault coordination on a tripping
system requires ground-fault relays to be set to operate on
the same current value, with ground-fault relays furthest
from the supply set to operate with the least delay. Moving
toward the source the time delay is increased. When a fault
Don Selkirk, P.Eng
Page 3
occurs, the nearest upstream relay is the first to operate.
Coordination is achieved without the need for zone-
selective interlocking. On an alarming system a ground
fault can be easily located by the indication given by an
upstream relay.
Reliable ground-fault protection requires the addition
of continuous NGR monitoring. When a NGR fails, the
failure mode is usually open circuit, leaving the ground-
return path incomplete. Current-sensing ground-fault
protection, which is the type most commonly employed in a
resistance-grounded system, will not operate with an open
NGR. Unless additional protection is provided, the
advantages of resistance grounding are unknowingly lost.
A continuous NGR monitor provides protection against
failures that previously rendered ground-fault protection,
coordination, and annunciation systems inoperative, as well
as leaving the system exposed to damaging transient
overvoltages.
VII. HARMONIC CURRENTS
The presence of harmonic-frequency voltages (integer
multiples of the fundamental frequency) in an electrical
system cause harmonic-frequency currents that can affect
ground-fault detection and minimum trip set points.
Harmonics can be the result of the use of adjustable-speed
drives and solid-state starters. Static switching of line
currents cause harmonic voltages that drive harmonic-
capacitive current from the phases to ground. Capacitive
impedance is inversely proportional to frequency (Xc =
1/(2πfC) where f = frequency in Hertz). The higher the
frequency, the lower the capacitive impedance, and the
greater the current per volt. Except for the triplens,
harmonic currents to ground add in the same manner as the
fundamental components of capacitive current to ground.
Only the unbalance portion contributes to neutral current.
Triplen harmonic-frequency currents present a special
case. In a three-phase system, triplen harmonics are in
phase and their sum is three times the individual
magnitude. In a 60-Hz system, 180-Hz, 360-Hz, 540-Hz,
etc. components add to the 60 Hz fundamental component
and can cause false ground-fault trips.
Harmonic-frequency current components can make it
necessary to set undesirably high ground-fault current-
protection pickup levels to avoid nuisance tripping. To
eliminate this problem, use a ground-fault protection device
that ignores dc-offset and harmonic-frequency current, and
responds only to the fundamental-frequency component of
current. The filtering characteristic must be fast to allow a
short ground-fault trip time. Digital filtering of the zero-
sequence-current waveform provides a fast and accurate
solution to many low-level ground-fault detection
problems.
VIII. NGR AND GROUND-FAULT RELAY
SELECTION
The following list summarizes the items required
when selecting NGR let-through current and ground-fault
protection.
 Determine the system charging current.
Startco Engineering Ltd. May 2008
Ground-Fault Detection, Charging Current and Neutral-Grounding Resistor Selection
o This can be done via estimation, calculation
or measurement.
o See reference 5 and 6 for more information
on determining charging current.
 Determine whether the system will be alarm only or
tripping
o As per reference 2 alarm only should be
considered only for systems where system
voltage is less than 5 kV and NGR let-
through current is less than 10 A.
o If the system is tripping determine the
amount of time that a fault will be allowed
to remain on the system.
 Determine the desired trip level for ground-fault
protection.
o The trip level should be above the charging
current of the largest feeder.
o Ground-fault relaying with harmonic
filtering should be used to eliminate false
operation on harmonic current.
 Select an appropriate tripping ratio, usually between
5 and 10.
o The higher the tripping ratio the better the
ground-fault relays will be at detecting high-
resistance ground faults. If there is more
than 10 A of ground-fault current a tripping
system should be used.
 Determine the NGR let-through current based on
the ground-fault protection trip level, and the
tripping ratio.
 Include continuous NGR monitoring as an NGR
failure results in the loss of current sensing ground-
fault protection and the loss of many of the benefits
of resistance grounding.
Don Selkirk, P.Eng
Page 4
References
[1] D. Shipp and F. Angelini, “Characteristics of different
power systems neutral grounding techniques: fact &
fiction,” in Conference Record of IEEE IAS Annual
Meeting, 1988.
[2] J.R. Dunki-Jacobs, "The reality of high-resistance
grounding," IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. 1A-13, No.
5, September/October 1977.
[3] G.E. Paulson, “Monitoring neutral-grounding
resistors,” IEEE Pulp and Paper Industry Technical
Conference, Jun 1999.
[4] D. Beeman, “Industrial Power System Handbook –
First Edition,” 1955, Page 286 – 289.
[5] J. Stoddard, "Sensitive earth fault protection in mines,"
IEE Conference on Electrical Safety in Hazardous
Environments, March 16-18, 1971.
[6] J. Lewis Blackburn and Thomas J. Domin, “Protective
Relaying, Principals and Applications, Third Edition,”
December 2006, Page 204 – 208.
[7] David S. Baker, “Charging Current Data for
Guesswork-Free Design of High-Resistance Grounded
Systems,” IEEE Transactions on Industry
Applications. March/April 1979.
Startco Engineering Ltd. May 2008