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Week 11 Grounding Problem

The document discusses whether high resistance grounding can help prevent arc flash hazards. It notes that 98% of faults start as phase to ground faults, so high resistance grounding would lower the current supplied during a fault. However, it also notes that a phase to phase fault could still produce high currents. The document also addresses several considerations for retrofitting a system to high resistance grounding and the use of neutral grounding resistors in generator applications.

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Eugene Chin
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© © All Rights Reserved
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145 views21 pages

Week 11 Grounding Problem

The document discusses whether high resistance grounding can help prevent arc flash hazards. It notes that 98% of faults start as phase to ground faults, so high resistance grounding would lower the current supplied during a fault. However, it also notes that a phase to phase fault could still produce high currents. The document also addresses several considerations for retrofitting a system to high resistance grounding and the use of neutral grounding resistors in generator applications.

Uploaded by

Eugene Chin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Should High Resistance Grounding be used to

help prevent Arc Flash Hazards to Personnel?

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
IMPORTANT: Since 98% of faults start off as a phase to
ground faults, this will lower the current that is supplied to
the fault.

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
Can I lower the Amps Interrupting Capacity (AIC)
rating of my switchgear, if I have a neutral
grounding resistor?

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
No. You could still have a phase to phase fault that
could produce the high current fault levels.

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
Retrofit from Solidly or Ungrounded Grounded System to High
Resistance Design Considerations

1. Are cables rated line to line or line to neutral. On


a 480 Volt system some people have installed 300
Volt cable.
2. Are there surge arrestors and MOV’s on the system.
Are they sufficiently rated?
3. Are the Neutrals on the transformers fully
insulated?
4. Are there other sources of power on the circuit?
Generators or Tie Breakers
MOVs on Drives
Resolve NEC requirement

Add small 1:1


transformer and solidly
ground secondary for 1Φ
loads (i.e. lighting).

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
High Resistance Grounding

What if no neutral exists (i.e. delta systems)?


A grounding transformer is installed (either a zig-zag or a
wye-delta) from all three phases to create an artificial
neutral for grounding purposes only.

AØ BØ CØ AØ BØ CØ AØ BØ CØ

Zig-Zag
HRG
Grounding
Transformer

Wye-Delta Broken Delta


Grounding Grounding
Transformers Transformers
HRG HRG
Zig-Zag Wiring
Minimum Specifications
120 Volt Control Circuit
385ºC Temperature Rise Resistor
Line Disconnect Switch
Ground Bus (freestanding units only)
Pulser, Including Pulsing Contractor, Pulsing Timer, Normal/Pulse Selector
Switch
Relays for under and over voltage
Relays for under and over current measuring only fundamental
Auxiliary contacts
Test Push-button
Fault Reset Push-button
Green Indicating Light for “Normal” Indication
Red Indicating Light for “Fault” Indication
KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability
Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud Ahmed
CHARGING CURRENT CALULATIONS
Some manufactures are now bringing in the 3 phase
voltages and determining the capacitive charging current
on the actual system.
Slides to Calculate are hidden due to time
allowed for Presentation
GENERATOR APPLICATONS OF NEUTRAL
GROUNDING RESISTORS

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability
Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
GENERATOR APPLICATONS OF NEUTRAL GROUNDING RESISTORS
(NGR)
NGR(Neutral Grounding Resistor) is nothing but a high resistance grounding
which in context of electrical power system means the grounding of the system.
neutral through a resistance which limits ground-fault current to a value equal
to , or slightly greater than the capacitive charging current of that system.

All generators should use a NGR.


If you have 2 generators on a system with different pitches you will need to use
2 NGRs to limit the harmonics that are generated.
On a delta generator you should use an NGR with a zig-zag transformer.

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
Generator Grounding – IEEE
I EEE Std 242-2001 (Buff Book)
12.4 Generator Grounding
• A common practice is to ground all types of generators through some
form of external impedance. The purpose of this grounding is to limit the
mechanical stresses and fault damage in the machine, to limit transient
voltages during fault, and to provide a means for detecting ground faults
within the machine…

Solid grounding of a generator neutral is not generally used because this


practice can result in high mechanical stresses and excessive fault damage
in the machine…

Generators are not often operated ungrounded. While this approach greatly
limits damage to the machine, it can produce high transient over-voltages
during faults and also makes it difficult to locate the fault.
KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability
Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
Generator Grounding – IEEEIEEE Std. 142-1991 (Green Book)
1.8.1 Discussion of Generator Characteristics
…Unlike the transformer, the three sequence reactances of a generator are not equal.
The zero-sequence reactance has the lowest value, and the positive sequence
reactance varies as a function of time. Thus, a generator will usually have higher
initial ground-fault current than a three-phase fault current if the generator is
solidly grounded. According to NEMA, the generator is required to withstand
only the three-phase current level unless it is otherwise specified…
A generator can develop a significant third-harmonic voltage when loaded. A
solidly grounded neutral and lack of external impedance to third harmonic current will
allow flow of this third-harmonic current, whose value may approach rated current. If
the winding is designed with a two-thirds pitch, this third-harmonic voltage will be
suppressed but zero-sequence impedance will be lowered, increasing the ground-
fault current. Internal ground faults in solidly grounded generators can produce
large fault currents. These currents can damage the laminated core, adding
significantly to the time and cost of repair…Both magnitude and duration of these
currents should be limited whenever possible.
KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability
Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
Amps Interrupting Current (AIC) Rating

This example is taken from lowzero.pdf by Power Systems Engineering


– 3 Phase Short Circuit Calculations for the Generator is 11.1 kA
– Line to Ground Fault Current for the Generator is 13.8 kA because the zero sequence impedance (X0) is
lower than the positive sequence impedance (X1)

Line to Ground Fault Current is 125% of the Phase Current Fault in this
example
Solution – Make sure you check your AIC rating of the equipment and use
a Neutral Grounding Resistor.

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
GENERATOR APPLICATONS OF NEUTRAL GROUNDING RESISTORS

 A large generator (> 20 MVA, 13,800 volt) may take 5 to 20 seconds to stop.
An IEEE working group wrote a series of four papers. They proposed a hybrid
system having a low resistance grounding system and when the fault occurred
switch to a high resistance grounded system.

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud
HYBRID SYSTEM
REFERENCES

1. Glover, Inc. USA, 2016


2. Previous Lectures, Prof Dr. Musse Mohamud Ahmed
3. IEEE REGULATIONS, 2006-2016.

KNR 3483 Power Quality and Reliability


Professor Dr. Musse Mohamud Ahmed

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