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Grounding System Design and Testing

The document discusses grounding systems for critical facilities. It covers what grounding is, reasons for grounding including safety and equipment protection. It discusses soil resistivity testing and provides examples of typical grounding system resistance requirements. It also discusses fall of potential testing and clamp-on resistance testing methods.

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Mohamed Ahmad
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
89 views

Grounding System Design and Testing

The document discusses grounding systems for critical facilities. It covers what grounding is, reasons for grounding including safety and equipment protection. It discusses soil resistivity testing and provides examples of typical grounding system resistance requirements. It also discusses fall of potential testing and clamp-on resistance testing methods.

Uploaded by

Mohamed Ahmad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Grounding System

Design and Testing


for
Critical Facilities

Roy “Chip” Whitten


Senior Applications Engineer/Education Specialist
Lyncole Grounding Solutions, LLC
What Is Grounding ?

An electrical connection , whether intentional or accidental between


an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth, or to some conducting
body that serves in place of the earth.
Reasons For Grounding

– Personnel safety and equipment protection by providing a


path to safely dissipate any unwanted charges or potentials.
– Ensure equipment performance and protection

– Satisfy manufacturer’s warranty


Electrical Protection Pyramid®

RF
AC Surge
Telco / Data
Lightning
Grounding
Resistance To Earth

25 Ohms

20v 16v 12v 11v 10.6v 10.5v 10.45v 10.18v 0


Soil
Resistivity
Basics
Soil Resistivity

Key Variable in System Design

– Determines grounding system resistance


– Changes from Site to Site
– Dependent on:
– Soil type
– Moisture
– Electrolytes
– Temperature
Soil Resistivity Comparison

Soil Type Resistivity (ohm-cm)


Surface Soils 100 - 5,000
Clay 200 - 10,000
Sand and Gravel 5,000 - 100,000
Surface Limestone 10,000 - 1,000,000
Limestone 500 - 400,000
Shale 500 - 10,000
Sandstone 2,000 - 200,000
Granites, Basalts, etc 100,000
Decomposed Gneisses 5,000 - 50,000
Slates, etc 1,000 - 10,000
Soil
Resistivity
Testing
4-Pt. Wenner Method

– Visually Survey Lease Area to Determine Location


and Direction For Test
– Not parallel to buried metallic objects
– Not parallel overhead power lines
– Sufficient straight line distance to allow for test
– Minimal distance 300 feet
4-Pt. Wenner Method

C2 P2 P1 C1

A
15 ft 10 ft 5 ft 0 ft
4-Pt. Wenner Method
ρ = 1.915 AR
Probe Spacing Meter Reading Calculated Resistivity
(Feet) (Ohms) (Ohm-Meter)

5 52.00 497.90
10 19.68 370.87
15 10.16 292.00
20 6.53 250.10
30 4.30 247.04
40 10.80 827.28
60 7.40 850.26
80 5.58 855.60
100 4.44 850.26
Typical
Grounding Electrode System
Resistance Requirements
Typical Resistance Requirements

– NFPA 70 NEC 25 OHMS or Two Rods


– IEEE Standard 142 & 1100 Equipment Dependent
– Motorola Standard R-56 10 OHMS (Design Goal)
– Telecommunications 5 to 10 OHMS
– Emerson DeltaV 3 OHMS
– Essilor 3 OHMS
– GE Medical Systems 2 OHMS
25 Ohm Grounding System

Lightning
Strike
18,000A Potential Rise will be
~450KV at the site
5 Ohm Grounding System

Lightning
Strike
18,000A Potential Rise will be
~90KV at the site
Grounding System
Resistance Testing
Grounding System Testing

– Why Test Grounds?

– Determine Baseline
– Validate Construction
– Confirm Design Spec
Satisfied
– Satisfy Warranty Reqs
– Ensure Equip Protection & Performance
Testing Methods

• Two Test Methods

− Fall of Potential (Three Point) Test


− Clamp-on Test
Fall-of-Potential Method

Remote
C1 Current
Electrode
P1
C2

Ground
P2 Auxiliary Voltage Electrode
Earth
Rod 1 ft 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Under
Test 10 x depth of electrode
Fall of Potential

– Why 10+ Samples?


– Single Point Could Be Misinterpreted
– Data Must Be Plotted
– Visual Plateau
– Confirms Test Validity
145
135
Resistance (ohms)

125
115
105
95
85
75
65
55 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
P2 Probe Spacing
Fall Of Potential Test

Why Invalid?
– #1 Reason
– Not Isolating System Under Test
– Meter is a constant amperage meter
– Part of the current travels through the connection
– The ground system is part of a parallel network
– Test Is Invalid Unless Disconnected
Fall Of Potential Test

Why Invalid?

– #2 Reason
– Insufficient Probe Spacing
– Req’d to Avoid the Spheres of Influence
Fall of Potential Test

– Spacing For Current Probe?


– Single Electrode
– Minimum 5X Length of Rod
– Ideal, 10X Length of Rod
– 10 Foot Rod, 50-100 Feet Away
– 200 Foot Well, 1000-2000 Feet Away
Clamp-on Ground Resistance Testing
Clamp-on Resistance Testing
Clamp-on Ground Resistance Meter
– Convenient, Quick, Easy
– Does Not Require Disconnecting
Equipment
– Measures Current on the Ground

May Read Ground Loops vs. Ground Resistance


Clamp -on Meter Operation

2 Control Xformers

Current Flow

R=E/I
??? ohms

Current Flow
Clamp-On Resistance Testing Example
3 Phase Utility
Line

Service Meter

Induced Current Flow

Ground Conductor

Current From Other Grounds Ground Rods Current From Other Grounds
Invalid Clamp-on Reading

Reading: < 1 Ohm


Invalid
Current Path
Bonding
Bonding
Do the words bonding and grounding mean the same thing?
• Bonding - The permanent joining of two metallic parts to form an electrically
conductive path that ensures electrical continuity and the capacity to safely
conduct any current likely to be imposed.

Grounding - An electrical connection , whether intentional or accidental


between an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth, or to some
conducting body that serves in place of the earth.
Bonding
Why is Bonding More Important Now than Ever Before?
Grounding Processes/Grounding Electrode Systems -V- Technological Advances
• Except for the advent of electrolytic electrodes and different grounding
enhancement materials, grounding processes and grounding electrode
systems have changes little in the past 100 years.
• Are we using the same technology that our grandparents did?
• Personal Computers • Cellular Telephone
• Television • Ground Positioning Systems
• Microwave • Photovoltaic Cells
• Radar • Radio Communications
• Solar Panels • Computer controlled
• Electronic Points of Sale Systems manufacturing
• Electronic Cash Registers • Medical Equipment
• Voice Over Internet Protocol • Fiber Optic Voice/Data Transfer
• Digital Networking
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
BICSI Fall Conference & Exhibition

Roy “Chip” Whitten


Senior Applications Engineer/Education Specialist
Lyncole Grounding Solutions, LLC
310-802-2783

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