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DCS Grounding - LinkedIn

This document discusses grounding classifications and methods for distributed control systems (DCS). It describes three types of grounding needed - protective ground, working ground, and intrinsically safe ground. It then discusses specific grounds like protected ground, logical ground, and shielding ground. The document provides recommendations on setting up independent or shared grounding grids and requirements for grounding electrodes. It also outlines grounding principles, materials, and common precautions for DCS system grounding.

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148 views8 pages

DCS Grounding - LinkedIn

This document discusses grounding classifications and methods for distributed control systems (DCS). It describes three types of grounding needed - protective ground, working ground, and intrinsically safe ground. It then discusses specific grounds like protected ground, logical ground, and shielding ground. The document provides recommendations on setting up independent or shared grounding grids and requirements for grounding electrodes. It also outlines grounding principles, materials, and common precautions for DCS system grounding.

Uploaded by

maryam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Published on October 27, 2020

1. DCS grounding classification

In general, DCS control system needs two kinds of grounding:


protective ground and working ground (logic ground, shield ground,
etc.). For systems equipped with safety barriers and explosion-proof
measures, such as those used in the chemical industry, power plant
intrinsically safe ground is also required.

1.1 Protected Ground (CG, Cabinet Grounding)


:
It is a protective measure to prevent the accumulation of static charge
on the equipment shell and avoid personal injury. All the control
cabinets, field control station cabinets, printers, terminal cabinets, etc.
of the DCS system should be connected to the protective ground. The
protective ground should be connected to the electrical dedicated
grounding grid of the plant, and the grounding resistance should be
less than 4Ω.

1.2 Logically

Also called machine logic ground and host power ground, it is the
common ground of the negative end of the logic level inside the
computer (upper and lower), and the power output ground. Such as the
negative terminal of 5 volts and 12 volts of the CPU. Need to connect to
the common ground electrode.

1.3 Shielding ground (AG, Analog Grounding)

Also called analog ground, it can shield the interference received


during the field signal transmission to improve the signal accuracy. The
shielding layer of the signal cable in the DCS system should be
shielded and grounded. The cable shielding layer must be grounded at
one end to prevent the formation of closed loop interference. The metal
armor of the armored cable should not be used as a shield for
grounding. It must be a copper wire mesh or aluminized shield for
grounding. Connect to the common ground electrode.

Separate grounding system should be set up, grounding resistance ≤


4Ω. The grounding system of the intrinsically safe ground should be
kept independent, and the distance from the grounding network of the
plant's electrical grounding network or other instrument system should
:
be at least 5m.

2. DCS system grounding method

DCS system grounding configuration method are:

a. Use the electrical grounding grid as the DCS grounding grid, that
is, share the ground with the electrical grounding grid;

b. Set up a dedicated and independent grounding grid for the DCS


system;

c. Set up a dedicated grounding grid for DCS, which is connected to


the electrical grounding grid via the grounding wire.

Since the third grounding method has many similarities with the second
grounding method, in the past, computers or DCS systems used more
dedicated grounding grids. However, the disadvantages of this
grounding method are: too much floor space, high investment, large
steel consumption of cables and grounding grids, considerable
distance from the plant (because it is not easy to find a suitable
location in the plant), management, maintenance, It is inconvenient to
measure and find the ground electrode and ground wire, and the effect
is not very good. According to actual operation, it is difficult to set up a
dedicated DCS grounding grid.

3. Requirements of grounding electrode

The requirements of grounding electrode are:

a. When the distributed resistance of the electrical grounding grid in


the plant area to the ground is less than or equal to 4Ω, the electrical
grounding grid in the plant area can be used as the common ground
:
electrode of the DCS system.

b. When the grounding resistance of the electrical grounding grid in


the plant is large or messy, an independent grounding system should
be set up for common grounding electrode of the DCS system.

c. There is no access point for lightning protection ground within 15


meters around the grounding electrode, and no access point for high
and low voltage electrical equipment enclosures of more than 30KW
within 8 meters. When the conditions cannot be met on site, the
lightning protection ground is connected to the main line of the
common ground electrode through a lightning arrester/shock wave
suppressor. Do not overlap the electric welding ground with the
common ground electrode and its grounding grid, and the distance
between the two should be more than 10 meters.

4. Grounding principle of the DCS system

4.1 Grounding device installed in DCS system

a. Operation desk, printing desk, server cabinet: equipped with


protective ground screws.

b. Relay cabinet, UPS cabinet, power distribution cabinet: with


protective ground screws.

c. DCS I/O cabinet: equipped with shielding grounding bus, protective


ground screw, system ground (+24V ground) floating.

d. Instrument cabinet and hand console: equipped with shielding


grounding bus bar and grounding screw.

e. Safety barrier cabinet: equipped with shielding grounding busbar,


:
intrinsically safe grounding busbar, and protective ground screw.

4.2. Signal shielding and grounding

According to the requirements of relevant technical regulations, the


shielding layer of the computer or DCS system signal cable must not be
floating and must be grounded. The grounding method should meet
the following requirements:

a. When the signal source is floating, the shielding layer should be


grounded on the computer side;

b. When the signal source is grounded, the shielding layer should be


grounded on the signal source side;

c. When the shielded cable is divided or merged through the junction


box, the shielding layers of the two ends of the cable should be
connected in the junction box.

5. DCS system grounding method to reduce soil resistivity

a. Change the soil structure around the grounding body. In the range of
2～3m of the soil around the grounding body, mixed with water-
incompatible and water-absorbing substances, such as charcoal, coke
cinder or slag, etc., this method can reduce the soil resistivity to 1/5 ~
1/10 from original resistivity.

b. Use salt and charcoal to reduce soil resistivity. Use salt and charcoal
to layer and compact. Mix charcoal and finely into a layer, about 10-15
cm thick, and then spread 2 to 3 cm of salt for a total of 5 to 8
layers. After laying, drive into the grounding body. This method can
reduce the resistivity to 1/3 ~ 1/5 from the original resistivity. However,
:
salt will be lost with the running water over time, and it is usually
replenished once more than two years.

c. Use long-acting chemical resistance reducers. The long-term


chemical resistance reducer method can reduce the soil resistivity to
40% of the original.

6. DCS system grounding materials and requirements

The specifications of the steel used for the grounding body and the
grounding network trunk line can be selected according to the
following table. If the grounding resistance cannot meet the
requirements, copper can also be used. If the grounding body and the
grounding network trunk line are installed in a place with strong
corrosiveness, anti-corrosion measures such as hot-dip galvanizing
and hot-tinning should be taken according to the nature of the
corrosion, or the cross section should be appropriately enlarged.

6.1 Material requirements for grounding body and grounding network


trunk

If the grounding resistance cannot meet the requirements, copper can


also be used. If the grounding body and the grounding network trunk
line are installed in a place with strong corrosiveness, anti-corrosion
measures such as hot-dip galvanizing and hot-tinning should be taken
according to the nature of the corrosion, or the cross section should be
appropriately enlarged.

6.2 Ground connection requirements

The protective grounding and shielding ground connection of the DCS


system should be connected to the electrical grounding net or
:
grounding body of the plant by using copper core insulated wires or
cables. When the grounding connection distance is long, the DCS
system has high grounding resistance requirements, or the number of
branch lines tapped by the grounding trunk line is large, the wire and
cable with a larger section in the table should be used.

7. Common precautions for on-site grounding

7.1 On-site control station

The grounding screw is insulated using rubber between the cabinet


body and the base, and the shielding ground bus bar is insulated from
the base. The on-site control station must be grounded as
required. That is, they are respectively connected to the ground bus
bar of the field control station. The power ground of the I/O cabinet and
the power ground of the UPS must be connected to the same ground
to ensure equipotential.

7.2 Each hardware device

The operator station, engineer station, network switch, server host,


system display, etc. use the shell grounding or directly connect the
power ground wire to the electrical grounding grid.

7.3 I/O components

In general, the negative terminal of analog module (24 volts DC), is


connected to the logic ground bus, the logic ground bus is connected
to the shielding ground, and then it is connected to the general ground
bus.

7.4 Shield ground


:
The protective ground of the on-site control station should be
connected to the grounding sub-trunk from the grounding screw under
the cabinet, and the shielding ground of the on-site control station
should be connected from the grounding busbar to the common
connection board.

7.5 Ground resistance test

The resistance of the grounding system must be tested to ensure that


the grounding can meet the requirements of the control system
manufacturer.
:

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