Earthing
Content
• Necessity of earthing
• System earthing
• Advantage of neutral earthing of generator in power station
• Equipment earthing - Objective
• Types of earth electrodes
Contd.
• Earthing procedure & Methods of earthing : plate earthing,
pipe earthing and coil earthing
• Earthing in extra high voltage and underground cable
• Earthing resistance- factors affecting, Determination of
maximum permissible resistance of the earthing system –
• Comparison between equipment earthing and system
grounding
Earthing
• Earthing is the general term used
– Connecting the Non Current Carrying Metallic parts of Electrical
Equipment to ground
– By Efficient Manner
• Water Line Pipes also earthed
• Patient test table of EEG, ECG, CT Scan, MRI Scan Etc. also
earthed
Why Earthing?
• Metallic parts / Cover of Electrical Equipment could
become live if a fault/Insulation Failure occurred.
– Washing machines, Heaters, Iron Box, Etc.
– Anyone touching it could then receive a shock or even be killed
depending on the current flowing through them to earth
• To prevent this, an earthing conductor should be provided
to all socket outlets, lighting circuits and any fixed
appliances to which exposed metal parts are then
connected.
Protection Principle
• Earth connection limits the voltage that can appear on
the exposed metal parts under fault conditions to a safe
value.
– Until the fuse blows or the MCB or RCD trips.
• It is desirable to make the impedance (resistance) of the
earth wiring a low as practicable.
Earthing of Electrical Installations
• Each circuit requires an earth conductor throughout the
distribution
• The bare tails of earth conductors must be insulated with
green sleeving from the exit from the cable sheath to the
earth terminal.
• All metal boxes should be connected to the earth; either
through a short tail covered with green sleeving to the
socket earth terminal or directly by the earth conductor
for a switch box.
Modern Safety Devices
• Trips can sense Phase & Neutral Current
– When IPh > IN, Switches OFF the Supply
• Working Capacity
– 1000s of Amps compared to a fuse which operates at 10s 100s or 100s of
amps
• Trips also operate much faster than fuses - seconds for a fuse -
milliseconds for a trip
• These safety devices fuse trip RCD, RCCB, RCBO isolator (switch) are
now called protective devices
• Earthing Arrangements
Earthing (or grounding) provides a low-resistance path for
fault currents to safely dissipate into the ground, protecting
people and equipment from electric shock and fire.
• Earth Pit
• Earth Electrodes
• EARTH WIRE
• Common Earthing Practice
– Pipe Earthing System
– Plate Earthing System
1. Earth Pit
•A dug hole in the ground where the earth electrode is placed.
Filled with soil and moisture-retaining materials like charcoal and salt to
improve conductivity.
•Acts as the final point of fault current dissipation.
2. Earth Electrode
•A metallic conductor (pipe, plate, rod) buried in the earth pit.
•Ensures direct electrical contact with the soil.
•Made of GI (galvanized iron), copper, or steel.
3. Earth Wire (Earthing Conductor)
•A bare or insulated wire that connects the electrical installation
(equipment, panels) to the earth electrode.
•Transfers fault current safely to the earth pit.
•Should have low resistance and high conductivity.
Purpose of Earthing
Safety of human life – Prevents electric shock if a
live wire touches metal parts.
Protection of equipment – Prevents damage due
to voltage surges or fault currents.
Stabilizes voltage – Provides a reference point
for system voltages.
Ensures proper operation of protection devices
(like MCBs, RCCBs) – Helps them detect and
isolate faults quickly.
Basic Components of an Earthing System:
Component Function
Earth Electrode (pipe
Buried in soil to discharge fault current to ground
or plate)
Pit where electrode is installed and filled with
Earth Pit
conductive material
Earth Wire / Strip Connects the equipment to the earth electrode
Charcoal, salt, or chemical compounds to reduce
Backfill Material
resistance
Types of Earthing Systems:
1. Pipe Earthing
•Uses a GI or copper pipe (75 mm dia, 2.5–3 m long).
•Surrounded by charcoal and salt or chemical compound.
•Most common in residential and commercial areas.
2. Plate Earthing
•Uses a 600 mm × 600 mm metal plate (copper or GI), 3 m deep.
•Surrounded by charcoal and salt layers.
•Used for substations or industrial systems.
3. Chemical Earthing
•Uses electrodes filled with conductive gel or powder.
•Low maintenance and stable over time.
•Suitable for poor soil conditions.
Earthing Procedure
• 1.Earthing Pit : Size 1600 X
1600 X 2500 mm Depth.
• 2.Copper / M.S. / C.I. Plate
: 600 X 600 X 20 mm Thick.
• 3.Electrode Assembly
• The Electrode assembly is
prepared from 75 mm Ǿ GI / CI
Perforated pipe
• 2.5 Mtr. length
• Duly tied up with flat by bolts
and nuts
• Firmly fitted with base plat as
shown in case of Plate earthing
• 4.Mixture - I : Homogeneous mixture of black soft soil 1.75 CMT.
approx. with Conductivity Enhancing Material of 50 Kilograms.
• 5.Mixture - II : Homogeneous mixture of common salt 500 Kgs. +
wood charcoal pieces 500 Kgs. + Black soft soil 4 CMT. approx.
• 6.Crushed Rock pieces Gravel Size 50 X 35 mm 0.25 CMT. approx.
• 7.Arrangement for earthing lead terminations from equipment
body, and connection for main earthing Grid.
Thank You
