M S Suresh
Earthing
Grounding
Bonding
Earthing
Grounding
Grounding is connecting electrical circuits
and metal parts to planet earth
Bonding
Bonding is connecting adjacent conducting materials
together reliably to ensure interconnected objects are at
the same potential
Earthing Nomenclatures
Clean Earth
Dirty Earth
Plant Earth
Structural Earth
Power Earth
Neutral Earth
Panel Earth
Restricted Earth
Surge Earth
Protective Multiple
Earth(PME)
Screen Earth
System Earth
Computer Earth
Instrument Earth
Secure Earth
DC Earth
Intrinsic Safe Earth
Chassis Earth
Ground/Earth Symbols
Ground Point
0V reference(chassis)
not connected to ground
Grounding is done
5mA
10-20mA
50mA
100-300mA
Fatal
Bond to minimize
potential difference
Large Potential difference due to ground
resistance
Electrical interference
The inter-winding capacitance causes stray current to flow through the
instrument amplifier and cable capacitance to main supply neutral causing
interference problem.
Grounding 0V reference line (link X-Y) provides bypass path for interference
current and eliminates the path through instrument amplifier
Grounding requirements
IS Barriers
A fault current of 100A will raise the voltage at X1 to 100V assuming resistance of
ground wire(X1-X) is 1 . This will result in potential difference of 100V between
body of instrument and internal components in hazardous area, which is not
acceptable. It should be restricted to 10V. This means ground wire resistance
should be 0.1. The ground wire resistance can be higher if the fault current is
lower. Standards specify 1
Body is at 0V and
internal circuit is at 100V
Grounding requirements
IS Barriers & Isolators
As in the previous example a 100A fault to ground will result in 100V potential
difference between screen and body of instrument in hazardous area. The
ground wire resistance should be limited to 0.1 to limit the potential difference
to 10V.
Grounding requirements
Surge Arrestors
Is grounding in fig-1 correct? Why?
The voltage across conductor and body of protected equipment is Vc+Vt.
Vc - SPD limiting voltage . Vt - Surge voltage. Vt can be 1000V or more
depending on ground wire resistance. Even though SPD limiting voltage is 16V,
the potential difference in protected equipment is 1016V or more. This will
damage the protect equipment.
In fig-3 the potential difference is SPD limiting voltage Vc thus equipment is
protected
Fig - 1
Fig - 2
Fig - 3
Panel Earth
in MP
Connect to System
Earth.
Grounding requirements
Surge Arrestors & IS barriers
Grounding requirements
Non hazardous application
C
G
Cabinet
0
V
Fault current
System Cabinet
Equivalent Circuit
Vc
Vc+Vt
Vc
Vt
Safety
Earth
System
Earth
SPD limiting voltage Vc is typically 16V and peak inductive voltage Vt across ground
wire can be as high as 1000V. Voltage across the module terminal and body is
therefore 1016V. This will damage the module.
Module
Module
TP
Power
Distribution
Cabinet
MCB
MCB
Power Cable
Rack Insulated
Insulation
Safety Earth
System Earth
Rack
Insulation
System Earth
Safety Earth
IMPORTANT
Grounding eliminates potential
difference between equipment
and earth and always provides
safety by whatever name it is
called
Safety violations
Fused Terminal
230V AC
Fan
Disconnecting Terminal
OR
L
230V AC
Fan
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
50A
50A
1
G
100A
1
In real life situation since cabinets are connected by mounting frame and
metal frames of cabinets, there will be some current flow through other
cabinets ground bar and there will be some potential raise in all the cabinets.
This however will be very small.
Other
Cabinet
100A
1V
0V
100V
99V
98
M
100A
99A
1A
Cable Screen
Why ground only on one side?
Junction Box
Marshalling
Panel
Circulating Current
Although the different grounds in the plant are bonded, potential difference still exists
due to capacitance and inductive current flowing to the grounds. This results in
circulating current in the cable screen which induces emf in the conductors.
Connect Screen at marshalling end only to ensure all cable screens are at
same potential
Ground fault in field will result in fault current flow as shown. If the ground
resistance between plant earth and instrument earth is high then the fuse will not
blow. If the earths are bonded then fault current will be sufficiently high to blow
the fuse
ELR
No change when an earth fault occurs. Earth leak current will flow as shown and
ELR will indicate earth fault. To locate the fault, each circuit has to be isolated one
by one. This may be difficult in running plant. External fault or interference can
affect the signal voltage and prolonged fault condition may damage the module
Ground fault in field will result in fault current flow as shown. If the ground
resistance between plant earth and instrument earth is high then the fuse will not
blow. If the earths are bonded then fault current will be sufficiently high to blow
the fuse
A second
fault
will result
short
circuit
and
one
the fuses
thewill
No
changeearth
in the
status.
Earth in
leak
current
will
flow
asofshown
and in
ELR
associated
circuit
will blow.
will continue
to affect
indicate
status as the circuit
indicate
fault.
External
fault ELR
or interference
may
thefault
module.
with healthy fuse still has earth fault.
References
TP 1121 A definitive guide to earthing and bonding in hazardous area (MTL)
TAN 1003 Earthing guide for surge protection (MTL)
IEC 60364-1 Electrical Installation of buildings
IEC 60364-4-41 Protection against electric shock
IEC 60363-4-54 Earthing arrangements, protective conductors and protective
bond conductors
Further reading
Practical Grounding, Bonding, Shielding and Surge Protection by
G. Vijyaraghavan, Mark Brown & Malcom Barnes
Thank You