Presentation on

Earthing & Lightning

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INDEX
• Earthing
• Codes & Standard
• Step & Touch Potential
• Design Basis of Earthing System
• Selection of Grounding Conductors
• Grounding of Plant Auxiliaries
• Types of Joints
• GI Pipe Earthing
• 3mtr Rod Earth Pit
• Electrical Resistivity Test

• Lightening Protection
• Zone of Protection
• Power House Area
• Material
• Zone Covered Under Chimney

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Earthing
Earthing system is provided in the Power station to limit the effect of ground
potential gradients to such a voltage and current levels that will not endanger
the safety of people or equipment under normal and fault conditions, as well
as ensure operation of protective relays during a fault.

Earthing system of generating station shall meet the following requirement.

To ensure low impedance earth fault current return path for operation of
the earth fault protection / alarm.

To limit the step and touch voltage to acceptable limits during an earth
fault.

Earthing conductors & connections should withstand the earth fault

current for the duration of the fault. 3
Codes & Standards
The earthing and lightning protection system shall confirm to the following
standards and codes:

• IEEE 80 : IEEE Guide for safety in AC substation grounding.

• IEEE 665 : IEEE Guide for generating station grounding.
• IS 3043 : Code of Practice for Earthing.
• CBIP Manual on Substation - Publication No. 223
• IS 2039 : Code of Practice for Protection for Buildings and Allied Structures
Against Lightning

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Step Potential & Touch Potential

When current is flowing from the tower to the earth ground, the ground
potential rises at the tower and a voltage gradient will occur based on the
resistivity of the soil, resulting in a potential difference between two points on
the ground. This is called a Step Potential as it can cause voltage between a
person’s feet.
If the ground connection between the tower and the soil is high resistance 5
(common with some soil conditions), the tower itself (and any conductive item
touching the tower) can be energized. Touch potential is the voltage between
the energized object and the feet of a person in contact with the object.
Design Basis Of Earthing System
• 50 kA is considered for the design of earthing system for Main Plant Area,
Switchyard and Auxiliary Buildings. Fault clearing time for sizing the main
grounding conductor is taken as 1 second
• The shock duration for calculating the step and touch potential is taken 0.5
second (As per CBIP manual & cl. 5.2.7.1 of IEEE 665).
• Plant grounding system will be designed such that over all grounding
resistance is less than 1.0 ohm
• Earthing conductors in outdoor areas will be installed at a minimum depth
of 600mm.
• Connection between the equipment earth lead and the grid conductor will
be welded. For rust protection, the welds will be treated with zinc chromate
primer and coated with zinc rich paint
• Instrumentation system & computer system will be provided with a
dedicated earthing system suitable for the equipment
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Selection Of Grounding conductors
Steel is considered as the grounding conductor material as per
Specification.
• Conductors above ground level and in trenches : Galvanized Steel
• Conductors buried in ground or embedded in concrete : Mild Steel
• Electrodes : GS Pipe / Rod
• Lightning Protection air termination & down conductors for buildings : GS Flat

Size Of Conductor

36mm diameter, 3000mm long, galvanized steel rod will be provided for direct
driven rod. For test pits with electrodes the electrodes will be 36mm diameter
heavy-duty type (Class-C) GI pipe with perforations. Electrodes installed in the
test pits will have disconnecting facilities.
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Grounding of Plant Auxiliaries
Grounding of Power Plant Auxiliaries shall include the following:
• Neutral Grounding
• Electrical Equipment Grounding
• Grounding of Structures and non Electrical Equipment
• Electronic Cubicle Grounding

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 Neutral Grounding
• Neutral of alternators will be earthed at two separate earth pits through
NGT/NGR, which in turn connected to Station ground grid
• Neutral of UAT and Station Transformer will be earthed at two separate
earth pits through NGR, which in turn connected to station ground grid
• Neutral of Generator Transformer will be earthed at two separate earth pits,
which in turn connected to station ground grid.
• Neutral of LV service Transformers will be earthed at two separate earth pits
which in turn connected to station ground grid
• Neutral of DG will be earthed at two separate earth pits through NGR,
which in turn connected to Station ground grid

Cable Screen/ Armour Grounding

• For multicore cables, cable screen / armour will be grounded at both the
ends. For Single core cables, cable screen / armour will be grounded at one
end at preferably at Switchgear end only 10
Grounding of Structure & Non Electrical Equipments
Metallic handrails, fencing of transformer yard, etc. are connected to the
below ground grounding system. Grounding conductor is buried at least
2000mm outside the fence of electrical installations. Every alternate post of
the fences and all gates are connected to grounding grid by one lead.
Galvanised M.S. flats are run as main ground conductor along building
columns / walls and securely fixed to the same by welding / clamping at
intervals not exceeding 750mm. Removable type GIS Clamps shall be provided
as structural joints for structural continuity.

Electronic Cubicle Grounding

Electronic panels and equipment, where required, shall be grounded utilizing
an insulated ground wire. Signal earth bus shall be connected to main
earthmat at single point using insulated cable. Specific requirements if any
specified by DCS/Electronic panel manufacturer will be considered.
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Type Of Joints

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Cont..

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GI Pipe Earthing

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3 mtr GI Rod Test Pit

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Symbol for Earthing

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Electrical Resistivity Test
Twenty Electrical Resistivity test have been conducted at project site as per IS:
3043 – 1987. Test result was presented graphically
Test Methodology
Electrical resistivity of the at site was determined at the location specified by
the client. The test procedure is in accordance with IS: 3043:1966
The test is conducted using the Wenner four-electrode configuration along
four lines at 45 degree inclination to each other. The test were done at
electrode spacing of 1.5m, 2.0m, 3.0m, 5.0m, 7.0m, 10.0m & 15.0m the
reading were taken for both positive and reverse current flow- so to obtain 8
sets of reading for each electrode spacing.
The apparent resistivity is determined by following formula.

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ERT-1 Boiler Area

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Lightning Protection
• Lightning protection system shall comprise air terminations down
conductors, test links, earth terminations & earth electrodes
• The probability of a structure / building being struck by lightning in any one
year is the product of ‘Lighting Flash Intensity’ & the Collective Area of the
Structure’.
Proposed power plant has following building / structures which need to be
assessed for Lightning Protection.
Power House Building Chemical Storage
Boiler Area Chimney
Transformer Yard Cooling tower
ESP Area Compressor House
ESP Control Room Filtered Water Storage
Effluent Treatment Plant Fuel Oil Pump House
DG Area Water Treatment plant
Raw Water Intake Pump House DM Clarifier Water Pump & House
Cooling water pump house 21
Zone of Protection
Zone of protection is the volume within which a lightning conductor gives
protection against a direct lightning stroke by directing stroke to itself. For a
vertical conductor rising from ground level, the zone has been defined as a
cone with its apex at the tip of the conductor, its base on the ground.

As per IS: 2309, 45 zone of protection is considered for one vertical or

horizontal conductor and 60 zone of protection for two adjacent conductors.

For the structures with explosive or highly flammable contents, 30 zone of

protection will be for one vertical or horizontal conductor and 45 zone of
protection for two adjacent conductors.

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Power House Area
• The tallest structure in the Power Station is Main Chimney, (275 M high) and
it is essential that it be fitted with protection system. ESP Structure, ESP
control building, Boiler House, TG hall & Air washer room are located with in
the 45 zone of protection of chimney and hence separate lightning
protection system is not required for these structures.

• Though TG building is covered within zone of lightning protection of

Chimney, the same shall be provided with separate lightning protection
system as desired by GVK/TCE.

• Transformers are protected by the shield wires connected between

powerhouse building and Switch yard.

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Material
Galvanized Steel is used as the material for lightning protection conductor as per
specification. The sizes of the conductors for lightning protection system are
decided based on mechanical strength. The minimum size for air terminations
and down conductor, as per IS-2309, Table-4 is 20 x 3 mm. However higher size is
selected considering mechanical strength. Selected sizes are given below:

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Zone Covered Under Chimney

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Zone Covered in Lightening Protection

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Chimney

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Material Used for Chimney Lightning

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Chimney
Thanks
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