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Introduction To Grounding System Design

Grounding and earthing terms refer to connecting electrical systems to earth or ground for safety. Grounding refers to a direct connection, while earthing is a term used in some countries like the UK. Grounded systems are intended to carry current, while grounding systems provide a path for fault currents. Bonding connects non-live metal parts for safety, while grounding connects live or non-live parts to earth. Effective grounding uses connections of low enough impedance to prevent hazardous voltage buildup during faults.

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Rajendra Prasad Shukla

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

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Introduction To Grounding System Design

Uploaded by

Rajendra Prasad Shukla

Available Formats

Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Introduction to Grounding System Design Part One

1- Differences between Grounding and Earthing Terms

Grounding is a term used rather exclusively in North American to

indicate a direct or indirect connection to the planet Earth or to some
conducting body that serves in place of the Earth.
Or, "Grounding": A conducting connection, whether intentional or
accidental, by which an electric circuit or equipment is connected to the
Earth, or to some conducting body of relatively large extent that serves in
place of the Earth.
Earthing is a term developed by the United Kingdom and part of
the British Electrical Code and is employed in Europe or other countries that
employs International Electric Commission (IEC) standards.
so, The term earthing in European or IEC countries is synonymous
with the term grounding in North America.

2- Differences between Grounded and Grounding systems

Grounded system refers to a system where a conductor is grounded

and is intended to or may carry current in the normal operation. The neutral
on a wye system is a prime example of a grounded conductor.
The grounding conductor system is not intended to carry operational
current in its design. This path is intended to carry unwanted and fault
currents for protection.

3- Differences between Bonding and Grounding

The terms bonding and grounding are often employed

interchangeably as general terms in the electrical industry to imply or mean
that a specific piece of electrical equipment, structure, or enclosure is
somehow referenced to earth.
In fact, bonding and grounding have completely different
meaning and employ different electrical installation methodologies.
Comparison between bonding and grounding is given in the following
table:

s/n
1
2

Bonding
Connection between non-live
conductive objects
Bonding is achieved by using
bonding conductors, metallic
raceways, connectors, couplings,
metallic-sheathed cable with
fittings, and other devices
approved by the authority having
jurisdiction as recognized for this
purpose
Bonding for grounded system
provides the safety during fault
current for persons
Bonding objects without
grounding one of them gives no
protection from stray currents
but it protect from static charges

Grounding
Connection between live or nonlive conductive objects to earth
Grounding is achieved by using a
rod or other suitable grounding
electrodes.

Grounding provides the safety

during fault current for
equipments without a need for
bonding its enclosure
Grounding is independent on
bonding it gives equipment
protection disregard it is bonded
to its enclosure or not.

4- Grounding system definitions

What is Ground?
The ground is now simply the planet earth.

What is Effectively Grounded?

The 2005/2008/2011 National Electrical Code defines effectively grounded
as:
Intentionally connected to earth through a ground connection or
connections of sufficiently low impedance and having sufficient currentcarrying capacity to prevent the buildup of voltage that may result in undue
hazards to connected equipment of persons."

What is Grounded?

The 2005 NEC defines Grounded as: Connected to earth or to

some conducting body that serves in place of the earth."
The 2008 NEC defines Grounded as: Connected to earth.
The 2011 NEC defines Grounded as: Connected (connecting) to
ground or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection.

What is Solidly Grounded?

Connected to ground (earth) without inserting any resistor or impedance
device."

What is Grounded Conductor?

A grounded conductor is the conductor of an electrical system that is

intentionally connected to earth via a grounding electrode conductor and a
grounding electrode at the service of premises, at a transformer secondary,
or at a generator or other source of electric power. It is most commonly a
neutral conductor of a single-phase, 3-wire system or 3-phase, 4-wire
system but may be one of the phase legsas in the case of a cornergrounded delta system.
A grounded conductor carries current during normal operations
of the power distribution system.
(The grounded conductor is commonly referred to as the neutral
conductor.)

Grounded conductor in different system types:

In 3-wire, single-phase systems (see fig.1) the midpoint of the

transformer Winding, the point from which the system neutral is derived, is
grounded.

Fig (1): 3-wire, single-phase systems

For grounded 3-phase, 4-wire wiring systems (see fig.2) the neutral
point of the wye-connected transformer(s) or generator is usually the point
connected to ground.

Fig (2): grounded 3-phase, 4-wire wiring systems

In delta-connected transformer hookups (see fig.3) grounding of the

system can be effected by grounding one of the three phase legs, by

grounding a center-tap point on one of the transformer windings (as in the
3-phase, 4-wire red-leg delta system), or by using a special grounding
transformer which establishes a neutral point of a wye-connection which is
grounded.

Fig (3): delta-connected transformer hookups

The need for a grounded conductor:

It limits the voltage upon the circuit that might otherwise occur
through exposure to lightning or other voltages higher than that for which
the circuit is designed.
It limits the maximum voltage to ground under normal operating
conditions.
It provides automatic opening procedure of the circuit if an
accidental or fault ground occurs on one of its ungrounded conductors.

What is Grounding Conductor?

A conductor used to connect equipment or the grounded circuit of a

wiring system to a grounding electrode or electrodes."
A grounding conductor is intended to only carry current during an
abnormal operation of the power distribution system or a faulted
condition.

What is the Equipment Grounding Conductor? (see fig.4)

Equipment grounding is the intentional electrical interconnection of

all metal enclosures that contain electrical wires or equipment with the
grounding electrode conductor (all systems) and with the grounded
conductor of the system (grounded systems only).

Fig (4): Equipment ground

The term equipment grounding conductor includes bare or insulated

conductors, metal raceways [rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal
conduit, electrical metallic tubing (EMT)], and metal cable jackets where
the Code permits such metal raceways and cable enclosures to be used for
equipment groundingwhich is a basic Code-required concept.
Equipment grounding function:

When the insulation failure occurs on a grounded system, equipment

grounding serves to ensure adequate current flow to cause the affected
circuits over-current protective device to open, . This prevents the
enclosures from remaining energized, which would otherwise constitute a
shock or fire hazard.

What is Grounding Electrode?

The grounding electrode is any one of the building or structural

elements that is in actual physical contact with the earth, such as: see fig.5
1.
Metal Underground Water Pipe.
2.
Metal Frame of the Building or Structure.
3.
Concrete-Encased Electrode.
4.
Ground Ring.
5.
Rod and Pipe Electrodes.
6.
Plate Electrodes.
7.
Other Local Metal Underground Systems or Structures (such as piping
systems and underground tanks).

fig (5): grounding electrode Types

What is Grounding Electrode Conductor? See fig.5

It is the connection between either the grounded conductor of a

grounded electrical system (typically the neutral) and the grounding

electrode system, or the connection between the equipment ground bus and
the grounding electrode system for ungrounded systems.
The conductor that runs from the bonded neutral block or busbar or
ground bus at service equipment, separately derived systems, or main
building disconnects to the system grounding electrode is clearly and
specifically identified as the grounding electrode conductor.

What is Bonding Jumper? See fig.6

This is the connection between noncurrent-carrying metallic

components of the electrical system that are provided to ensure continuity.
They may be bare, covered, or insulated conductors, or it may be a
mechanical device, such as screws often provided to connect a neutral
terminal bar to a service enclosure.
The primary function or purpose of a bonding jumper is to provide a
low impedance electrically conductive connection between separate
enclosures, conduits, raceways, structures, or equipment frames.
It must be properly sized to effectively carry any and all current
likely to be imposed on it.

fig (6): Bonding Jumper

What is Equipment Bonding Jumper? See fig.7

These are bonding connections made between two portions of the

equipment grounding system.

fig (7): Equipment Bonding Jumper

The purpose of the equipment bonding jumper is to provide the lowimpedance fault-current path necessary to facilitate the operation of
overcurrent protection devices in order to remove dangerous voltage
potentials between conductive parts of building components and electrical
systems

What is Main Bonding Jumper (MBJ)? see fig.8

A main bonding jumper provides the Code-required connection

between the grounded system conductor and the equipment ground bus at
the service equipment for a building or structure.
The MBJ must be adequately sized to effectively carry all phase-toground fault current likely to be imposed on it.

Fig (8): Main Bonding Jumper

The connection between equipment ground and the grounding

electrode system in ungrounded services is a bonding jumper, but not a
main bonding jumper.

What is System Bonding Jumper? see fig.9

The conductor, screw or strap that bonds the equipment bonding

conductor (metal parts of a separately derived system) to one of the system
conductors or terminal.

Fig (9): System Bonding Jumper

The system bonding jumper provides the low-impedance fault-current

path to the source neutral for fault current.
The primary function or purpose of the system bonding jumper is to
provide for an applicable reference to earth for the system voltage at the
origins of the specific and separately derived system. The system bonding
jumper is a connection between the Xo terminal of a transformer, generator,
or UPS output terminals and earth. This jumper is not normally sized to
carry ground fault current.