SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

THE PURPOSE OF EARTHING

A number of points from Generators to consumers installations are earthed (or Grounded). In our country we have an effectively grounded system. The purpose of earthing is: To provide a low impedance path to facilitate satisfactory operation of protective schemes during fault conditions. To ensure that living beings in the vicinity of sub stations are not exposed to unsafe potentials under steady state or fault conditions. To retain system voltages within reasonable limits under fault conditions and ensure that insulation breakdown voltages are not exceeded. To provide an alternative path for induced current and there by minimize electrical noise in communication circuits.
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SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

UNGROUNDED SYSTEM A system, circuit, or apparatus without an intentional connection to ground. Though called ungrounded, this type of system is in reality coupled to ground through the distributed capacitance of its phase windings and conductors. In the absence of a ground fault, the neutral of an ungrounded system under reasonably balanced load conditions will usually be close to earth potential, being held there by the balanced electrostatic capacitance between each phase conductor and earth. GROUNDED SYSTEM A system of conductors in which at least one conductor or point(neutral point of transformer or generator windings) is intentionally grounded, either solidly or through an impedance.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

EFFECTIVELY GROUNDED SYSTEM
Grounded through a sufficiently low impedance such that for all system conditions the ratio of zero sequence reactance to positive sequence reactance (X0 / X1) is positive and less than 3, and the ratio of zero sequence resistance to positive sequence reactance (R0 / X1) is positive and less than 1. The effectively grounded system permits the application of surge arresters with less than line- to- line voltage ratings. Ground fault currents will be approximately of the same magnitude as three phase fault currents.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Advantage of neutral grounding
The system is not subjected to over voltage surges due to arcing grounds during earth faults as the current flowing through the neutral to ground connection will be almost equal and opposite to the capacitive current from healthy lines to ground. During a line to ground fault the voltage of healthy line do not increase beyond 3 times the normal value. Earthing the neutral point secures maximum effectiveness of automatic protective gear immediately after an earth fault occurs.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Advantage of neutral grounding Earth fault relaying is simple and isolation of faulty circuit is quick and fast. Earth fault can be located easily as compared with ungrounded system. Improved service reliability.

Due to stable neutral point, the voltages are held nearer the declared voltages.
The over voltage due to lightning is discharged to earth as an easy earth path is provided.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Advantage of neutral grounding
When solidly earthed, the voltage of any live conductor cannot exceed the voltage from line to neutral and neutral is held at earth potential(almost zero). It is possible to effect appreciable reductions in the insulation to earth of cables and over head lines and hence saving in cost.

Similar insulation reductions can be made in major insulation of transformers by grading down from line terminal to the neutral point.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Advantage of neutral grounding
In EHV systems, on account of their electrostatic capacitance, the voltage of the two sound lines may, at the first instant of the fault, reach a value approaching twice the normal line voltage. If the neutral point is earthed, the induced static charges on lines are conducted to earth as they appear, and all danger to the insulation of the line and apparatus is removed. Therefore, no part of the system can reach more than line to neutral voltage. The insulation of line can be limited to the line to neutral voltage.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

EQUIPMENT GROUNDING Equipment grounding is different from system neutral grounding. Equipment grounding is to ground the non-current carrying parts with ground connection.

The objective of equipment grounding is ;

1. 2. 3. To ensure freedom from dangerous electric shock voltage exposure to persons in the area. To provide current carrying capability both in magnitude and duration, adequate to carry ground fault current permitted by over current protective system without creating a fire or explosive hazard. To contribute to better performance of the electrical system.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

SUB STATION EARTH

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SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

SUB STATION EARTH

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 Causes of over voltages

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Neutral displacement during line to ground faults. Operation of switching and over current protective equipment. Resonance effects associated with inductance and capacitance in series. Accidental contacts with higher voltage system. lightning

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Causes of over voltages
Neutral displacement
When a line to ground fault occurs, even on a solidly grounded system, the line to ground voltage of the healthy phases increases because of the neutral displacement. For effectively grounded systems, during single line to ground fault, the voltage rise of the healthy phase (phase to neutral) is up to 80 % of the line to line voltage.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Causes of over voltages Operation of switching and over current protective equipment. The operation of switches and over current protective devices produces a short time transient over voltage or switching surge. The normal operation of these devices will not produce voltages exceeding twice normal voltage. During switching of capacitors the voltage may rise to 2.5 times the normal due to re-striking phenomenon

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Causes of over voltages
Resonance effects Ferro resonance is another potential source of transient over voltages. In three phase circuits, single phase switching can result in over voltages when ferroresonance occurs between the magnetising impedance of a transformer and the system capacitance of isolated phase or phases. The term ferro is used because of the steel core of the transformer.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Causes of over voltages
There is an external cause for over voltages due to the atmospheric conditions of lightning dischargesinter clouds, intra clouds and cloud to ground or line. These may be in the form of direct lightning strokes, and indirect lightning, i.e., induced strokes. Basically, lightning is a gigantic spark resulting from the development of millions of volts between clouds or between a cloud and the earth. It is akin to the dielectric breakdown of a huge capacitor.

Effects of Lightning

A: Coupling driven effects C: Increases in site potential

B : Direct effects D : Direct conducted effects

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

INSULATION CO-ORDINATION Transformers are subjected to over voltages. The insulation level of a transformer should co-ordinate with the protective level of the surge arrester.

Neutral grounding at each voltage level from generation to distribution is necessary from the view point of over voltages.
The transformers experience the over voltage at power frequency and also impulse voltage due to lightning and switching surges. Switching transients and travelling waves are the major cause for over voltages.

The surge arresters (lightning arresters) divert the transient over voltages to earth and protect the transformer insulation.

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

INSULATION LEVEL OF A TRANSFORMER Basic insulation level is a term which includes the following characteristics of a transformer; 1. Power frequency voltage withstand level 2. Lightning impulse voltage withstand level 3. Switching impulse voltage withstand level

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

Insulation co-ordination is correlation of insulation of equipment and circuit with the characteristics of protective devices such that the insulation is protected from over voltages.

The surge arrester provided for transformer protection should spark over at a voltage less than the insulation withstand voltage of the transformer. In other words , the protective device must have a lower break down voltage than insulation to be protected.

INSULATION COORDINATION
Insulation coordination is the process of bringing the insulation strengths of electrical equipment into the proper relationship with expected over voltages and with the characteristics of surge protective devices. The insulation withstand level of equipment is usually defined at three points through the use of the standard switching surge and the full wave(basic impulse insulation level BIL -) and the chopped wave tests.

Intrument Transformers
Lightning impulse test - Full wave (1.2/50 ms)
100 % 90

Lighting impulse BIL

Front
50 30

T1=1,67 x ( t90 - t30 )

Queue

t T T1

T2

Simulates a lightning stroke overvoltage travelling along a HV transmission line

Intrument Transformers
Switching impulse test (250/2500 ms) U Tc
50

100 % 90

Tcr= 250 ms T2 = 2500 ms

t Tcr T2
Simulates overvoltages resulting from line switching operations

Intrument Transformers
Lightning impulse (chopped wave) Imulse wave is chopped by using sparking gaps after 2 5 ms

100 % 90

U
a

30

t Tc
Simulates a flash over on an insulator resulting from a lightning stroke

Instrument transformers
Lightning impulse - chopped on the front

100 % 90

Tc < 1,2 ms

30

t Tc
Simulates a direct lightning on the transformer. The quick voltage increase provoke a floshover.

INSULATION COORDINATION
The insulation withstand of electrical equipment is generally quantified in terms of its basic impulse insulation level (BIL) which is based on tests made with a voltage surge rising to crest in 1.2 micro seconds and falling to half value in 50 micro seconds, which is denoted as a 1.2/50 wave. The three point method is usually applied for insulation coordination.

INSULATION COORDINATION
The minimum protective ratios recommended by ANSI and IEEE standards for satisfactory coordination are Switching-surge withstand ------------------------------------------------ >= 1.15 Switching surge protection level

INSULATION COORDINATION
BIL ------------------------------------Lightning protection level

>= 1.2

Chopped wave withstand ------------------------------------------ >=1.2 Front-of-wave protective level

 STANDARD VALUES OF WITHSTAND VOLTAGES

Normal voltage kV Highest system voltage kV Impulse withstand standard wave kV (peak) 75 170 325 550 650 1050 1550 One minute power frequency withstand kV (rms) 35 75 140 230 275 450 680

SYSTEM NEUTRAL EARTHING

11 33 66 110 132 220 400

12 36 72.5 123 145 245 420

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