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New Ground Tester

DET2/3

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Why do Earth Testing?

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 Two types of testing

M g e • Soil resistivity: to help design electrical systems

• Electrode & Earth resistance: to ensure safety compliance

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 A low Ground resistance is required to:
• Enable protective devices to operate in good time.
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• Reduce ground potential rises (GPR).

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• Minimise the energy of electric shock from GPR during fault:
– Step potential.
– Touch potential.
– Adjacent conductors.
 Testing is done to Standards (e.g. IEEE 81, 80, CFE 11)

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Megger’s DET Range

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Price

DET2/2 DET2/3
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DET4

DET3

DET14 & 24C

Performance
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Installed Earth/Ground System

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 Systems must be checked
regularly, especially if they
have high fault currents
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 Large systems must have
very low resistances
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<90mΩ is typical

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 Noisy readings are
common in built up areas

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Example: Substation Ground System

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Ground Testing Theory at a Glance

 Measuring Ground Resistance

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• Using basic Ohm’s Law

M g e V = IR
• Soil is a special case
– Must not polarise it during testing

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– So, using switching signal
– Must allow time for energy
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saturation

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– So, use a slow switching rate
• Must avoid noise in built-up areas
– Most noise is at 60Hz

 Test Frequency setting is a balance

between avoiding noise and getting
good soil penetration
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Case Study:
Medway Power Station (UK)

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Case Study Location

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 Medway Power Station, United Kingdom
 735 megawatts gas-fired power station
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Planning & Visual
Inspection

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 Visual inspection
of the site was

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done
 Planning for
every test was
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made

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 Risk assessment
was completed
 Approval for site
access granted

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Instrument and Test Lead Check

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On Day 2:

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 Use a calibration checker to inspect the instrument before and
after testing
 Use a continuity checker to ensure test leads are intact with a
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low resistance <100Ω
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Leakage Current

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Day 2 continued…

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 Test done before shutdown of site
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 Test over a few minutes to view fluctuations

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 High amount of leakage current is an indication of
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faults within the system (assets or ground system)

 A record of trend from tests over several years will

show any degradation

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Ductor (DLRO) Test
Day 2 continued…
 A test to ensure integrity of

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connections throughout the system

M g Focus on connections from asset to

eGround Bar as well as Ground Bar to
Electrodes/Grid

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Ensure no high resistance in
Ground connections to prevent this
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Fall of Potential Tests

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Day 2 continued…

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 At least two full tests
are done
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 Look for the

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signature pattern
 True resistance to
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ground is calculated

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from this test

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FoP Background

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 Fall of Potential Test

M g e • For measuring resistance

between an installed system
and the soil

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• Auxiliary current probe must be
placed far outside zone of
influence (at least 4 times the
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diagonal length of Ground

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61.8%
System)
100%
• Several readings are taken to
build the graph and determine
the true resistance

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Step & Touch Potentials

Day 3:

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 Measurement of resistance over 1m steps next to the fence

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 Measurement of resistance when touching the fence
 Calculate potentials using max. fault current of the power plant
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What are Step & Touch Potentials

Station

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M g e Step & Touch

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Potentials
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Earth/Ground
system

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 Any medium to high voltage installation must ensure safe step and touch potentials.
 These potentials are the voltage levels that a typical person would experience when
touching the fence or walking around the perimeter of the installation when a fault is
happening.
 In worst case scenarios, the maximum fault current will flow through the Earth/Ground
system and dangerous voltage levels could be experienced by people in the immediate
vicinity.
 Megger provides the test equipment that can assist in determining these potentials.
 Standards such as IEEE 81, and BS 7430 provide further information
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Dangers of Step & Touch Potentials

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Measuring Touch Potentials

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 It is recommended to use a DET2/3 in the 4P test mode
 Connect C1 terminal to the Earth/Ground system inside the installation
 Connect P1 terminal to the fence
 Connect P2 to a spike 1m away from the fence
 Connect C2 to a spike outside the zone of influence of the Earth/Ground
system. This is the auxiliary current spike. This spike could be placed 30m
away or even 1km away depending on the size of the system under test.

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Measuring Step Potentials

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1.0m 0.5m

 It is recommended to use a DET2/3 in the 4P test mode

 Connect C1 terminal to the Earth/Ground system inside the installation
 Connect P1 terminal to a spike placed 0.5m away from the fence.
 Connect P2 to a spike 1m away from the P1 spike
 Connect C2 to a spike outside the zone of influence of the Earth/Ground
system. This is the auxiliary current spike. This spike could be placed 30m
away or even 1km away depending on the size of the system under test.

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Soil Resistivity Tests
 It is important to test the soil around the site in at least two
different locations

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 Soil Resistivity trend over time will show if the ground system

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DET2/3 Features and Benefits

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All in One Ground Tester

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Resistivity

M g e 4P ART
4 Pole

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3P ART
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3 Pole

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2 Pole
Dual Clamp

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Continuity

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Features & Benefits

Feature Benefit

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Colour Display
e • Full graphical functionality
• Daylight viewable with backlight
• Set distances for Resistivity

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calculations
• Wenner & Schlumberger
methods
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• View spike check results

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Analogue Filter & • Keeps measurements accurate
Auto-Frequency Selection • Allows use of low power testing to
meet safety requirements
• Scans for “quiet” frequency and sets
the test accordingly

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Features & Benefits

Feature Benefit

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Data logging: 500 record
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•
•
Save up to 500 data points or graphs
Edit name of individual records
Download directly to flash drive

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• Use PowerDB and auto-fill forms
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Graphical Results Trace • View live measurements over time
• Diagnose problems by viewing
trends
• Start/Stop graphs to capture fall of
potential curve

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Features & Benefits

Feature Benefit

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Weatherproof: IP54 & IP65
protection
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CATIV 300V protection
• Keep working outdoors with IP54
• Storage in vehicles with IP65

• Protect the user and the instrument

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• Safe for ART testing on live
systems
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10hr Battery life, with fast • Work all day, continuously
recharge to 50% • Recharge to 5hrs use during lunch

Continuity Mode • Ensure test leads are good

• Ensure installation has not
corroded
Stakeless and ART Modes • Provides flexibility & full
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New Kit: Features & Benefits

Feature Benefit

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All new test leads on
reels:
• Smooth action reels
• Spikes included on reels
ETK30, ETK50, ETK100C • Daisy-chain reels for longer and longer
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lengths
• Supplied in 20m to 100m lengths
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