VIZCARRA SUB-STATION

220 kV TRANSMISSION LINES

GROUNDING SYSTEM
CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

Revised

Report

Approved

21-30-20-E Rev. 0

Date

GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

21-30-20-E Rev B

REVISION
REV

DESCRIPTION

First Issue

Incorporate Rev A comments and recalculate

for measured resistivity. Approved

DATE

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GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

21-30-20-E Rev B

220 kV VIZCARRA SUBSTATION

GROUNDING SYSTEM
CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN
CONTENT
1.00

PURPOSE

2.00

STANDARDS

3.00
3.01
3.02
3.03
3.04
3.05

PROJECT DATA
Ground Current
Conductors and Joints
Ground Rods
Grounding Grid
Soil Characteristics

4.00

SELECTION OF CONDUCTOR

5.00
5.01
5.02

CRIETRIA FOR PERMISSIBLE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

Step Voltage
Touch Voltage

6.00

DETERMINATION OF THE MAXIMUM GROUNDING CURRENT

7.00
7.01
7.02
7.03

DESIGN OF THE GROUNDING SYSTEM

Estimated of the Conductor Length
Mesh Voltage
Step Voltage

8.00

EVALUATION OF THE GROUND RESISTANCE

9.00

PRINCIPAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

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GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

21-30-20-E Rev B

220 kV VIZCARRA SUBSTATION

GROUNDING SYSTEM
CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

1.00

PURPOSE
This document provides the calculations and the basic design that will be
applicable for the 220 kV Vizcarra Substation.
The report checks, the safety of the previous design for the conductors and the
grounding mesh, according to the short circuit current flowing through the mesh.
Also, an evaluation of the grounding resistance is done in order to check low
value for the protection system.

2.00

STANDARDS
The report is done on the basis of the IEEE Std 80-1986, Guide for Safety in AC
Substation Grounding

3.00

PROJECT DATA

3.01

Ground Current
For Vizcarra Substation, the rated short circuit level is:
I =6KA
and the duration of the fault will be estimated for the backup protection. Also,
the same value will be used to size the conductor. Then:
ts = 0.5 sec

3.02

tc= 0.5 sec

Conductors and Joints

The estimated size of the conductor will be120 mm copper wire, hard drawn,
which has the following characteristics:
D = 14 mm

r = 0.00381

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GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

21-30-20-E Rev B

Ko = 242
Tm =1084
Ta =30

r = 1.7774.10-6 .cm
TCAP = 3.422

3.03

joule
cm 3

Ground Rods
There will be installed ground rods in the corners and on the perimeter of the
grid. Each ground rod will be 2.4 meters long and they will be located as
follows
Twelve in the corners
Twelve on the perimeter
Fifteen for Surge Arresters
Two for the Control Building
Four for the neutral of the power transformers:

3.04

N = 45

lr = 2.4 m

Lr = N lr

Lr = 108 m

Grounding Grid
The first approach for the grounding grid is to use horizontal electrodes that
consist of interconnected conductors buried in the earth in the total area of the
substation. The dimensions are:
a = 110 m

b = 140 m

The spacing of the ground grid conductors and their depth will be:
D = 10 m

h = 0.70 m

Then there will be the following number of conductors:

Nn =

b
+1
D

n =

a
+1
D

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GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

Nn = 15
3.05

21-30-20-E Rev B

n = 12

Soil Characteristics
The mean value of measured soil resistivity is:

= 350 .m
Crushed rock will be used for the finish grading of the substation, then the
thickness of this surface layer and the resistivity will be:
hs = 0.15 m

s = 3000 .m
4.00

SELECTION OF CONDUCTOR
The minimum size of the conductor must be according with (Eq 33) of the IEEE
Guide. It is not necessary to include the factor 104 for unit conversion:

S = l

tc.r.r
Ko + Tm
TCAP. ln

Ko + Ta

S = 15 mm2
However, minimum conductor size is established for mechanical strength, then
copper 4/0 AWG will be used

5.00

CRITERIA OF PERMISSIBLE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

5.01

Step Voltage
The maximum permissible step voltage and touch voltage should be calculated
with the reflection factor from the Fig 8 of the IEEE Guide. The K value is:
s

K = + s
K = -0.791

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GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

And from Fig 8:

Cs =

21-30-20-E Rev B

0.75
m

According with (Eq 24) the maximum permissible step voltage will be:

Estep =

0.116.amp. sec 0.5

ts

.(1000.+ 6.Cs.s )

Estep =2378.7.volt
5.02

Touch Voltage
In the same way, according with (Eq 26) the maximum permissible touch
voltage will be:
Etouch =

0.116 amp sec 0.5

(1000. +1.5.Cs.s )
ts

Etouch = 717.7 volt

6.00

DETERMINATION OF THE MAXIMUM GROUNDING CURRENT

The portion of the ground fault current that flows between the grounding grid and
the surrounding earth will be only a fraction Sf which estimated value is:
Sf = 0.60
and the grid current will be:
IG = Sf I
IG = 3.6 K A

7.00

DESIGN OF THE GROUNDING SYSTEM

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GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

7.01

21-30-20-E Rev B

Estimated of the Conductor Length

According to the first approach for the ground grid, the conductor length is
Lc = ( nn + 2 ) a + ( n + 2 ) b + 24 D
Lc = 4070m

The total length of the ground grid and the ground rods will be
L = Lc +1.15 L r

L = 4194.2 m

7.02

Mesh Voltage
In order to check the mesh voltage with respect the maximum permissible touch
voltage, it is necessary to calculate the parameter Km and Ki according (Eq 68)
and (Eq 69). For Vizcarra Substation, the values of Kii, ho and Kh are
K ii = 1

ho = 1m

K h = 1+

Km =

1
2

h
ho

D2

( D + 2 h ) 2 h + K ii
8

ln
+

8 D d
4 d K h ( 2 n 1)
16 h d

K m = 0.783

K i = 0.656 + 0.172 n
K i = 2.72

With these parameters and Eq (66) the mesh voltage will be

IG
Em = K m K i
L

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GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

21-30-20-E Rev B

E m = 639.9volt

The ratio with respect to the permissible value is

E
E touch

7.03

= 0.892

Step Voltage
In order to check the step voltage with respect to the maximum permissible, it is
necessary to calculate the parameter Ks. For compatible units, It is necessary to
include a factor of 1 meter.
Ks =

1 m 1
1
1

+
+ 1 0.5 ( n 2 )
2 h D + h D

K s = 0.289

With this parameter and Eq (67) the step voltage will be

IG
Es = K s Ki
L
E s = 236.1volt

The ratio with respect to the permissible value is

Es
= 0.099
E step

8.00

EVALUATION OF GROUND RESISTANCE

The area of the ground grid is
A = a b
A = 15400m 2

According to Eq (40) the ground resistance of the grid will be

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GROUNDING SYSTEM CALCULATIONS & BASIC DESIGN

1
Rg = +
L

21-30-20-E Rev B

1+
20 A
20
1+h

R g = 1.329

9.00

PRINCIPAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

The ground system must be installed in a manner that limits the effect of ground
gradients to such voltages that will not endanger the safety of people and
equipment under normal and fault conditions.
The ground grid will be constructed with copper conduct 120 mm and the
connections will be welded by exothermic process.
The ground mat will be extended outside the fenced area at a minimum distance
of at least 2 meters. The mat will protect personnel during opening and closing
of gates. All fence posts will be exothermically welded to the mat.
The connections from the ground grid to the steel equipment support will be
with copper conductors of 70mm2
After installation, the grounding resistance of the network will be measured.
The measured resistance shall be 1 ohm or less. Test results will be submitted to
owner for approval.

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