Substation Automation Products

Power System Protection

Earthing system

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Earthing system

 A network is earthed in all galvanic

connected parts when one point is
connected to earth.

 The earth connection is normally done

by connecting a transformer neutral or
the neutral of a special earthing
transformer to earth.

 A network can be earthed in multiple

points or in only one point

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 2
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Earthing system

 The grid is earthed to prevent

dangerous voltages on a part of the grid
due to capacitive charging.
 The System earthing will minimize
overvoltages on healthy parts of the grid
at earth faults.
 Ferro - resonance is avoided.
 The System earthing shall provide earth
fault currents of magnitude to allow
protection relays to detect and clear the
faults
 System earthing shall protect people in
the vicinity of the plant

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 3
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Earthing system

 Direct Earthed systems

 The neutrals are directly connected to earth. (If Z0/Z1< 2 the system is solidly earthed)
 Reactance Earthing
 Earthing through Z/0 transformer with a reactance giving earth fault current of levels 100 A
to 2 kA.
 Earthing through a high or low ohmic reactor direct in a transformer neutral.
 Resistance Earthing
 Can be High or Low resistive. Earth fault current can typical be of levels approx 10A resp.
300 A.
 Resonance Earthing
 The system is earthed through a Reactor tuned to the network capacitance.
 A parallel earthing resistor can be provided. Fault currents of only a few Ampere.

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 4
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Damage of equipment at earth faults


 The damages will depend on the size
and duration of the fault current ().
 Fault currents smaller than 20 A gives
minimal burn marks.
 It is the total fault current which
makes the difference. The phase
angle is not of importance.
 To arrange selective earth fault
currents the fault current need to be
of a certain magnitude.
 The risk of fires and human injuries is
related to the current magnitude

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 5
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Comparison of methods

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 6
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Direct earthing (Solid)

 Is normally used in the transmission levels all

over the world(>130 kV) (there are exceptions
on 130kV).
 Normally all transformer neutral points are
connected to earth. The fault level will be of
same level as short circuit currents (Solid
earthed >1/2*Isc).
 The power transformer can be designed with
graded insulation which gives considerable
cost savings. At direct earthing BIL(Basic
Impulse Level) at neutral shall be>75kV.
Normally design gives 1/3 of Un rating at
neutral due to testing principles.
 The damages of equipment due to the fault
currents are heavy and step and touch
voltages are high.

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 7
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Reactance Earthing

 Is often used on distribution levels e.g. in Iran,

Iraq (Middle east)
 Z/0-Earthing transformers with an reactance
giving the required fault current is normally
used.
 Normally fault currents are 750 to 2000 A.
 The earthing is normally done in the
transformer bays (all transformers).
 The damages of equipment due to the fault
currents are heavy and step and touch
voltages are high.
 Z/0- transformer can be provided with an
station service winding with up to approx.1000
kVA.

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 8
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Resistance Earthing
 Is/was used in many European countries but
also e.g. in Malaysia (low ohmic)
 The earthing is done with a resistor direct in
the neutral or with a low voltage resistor on
the secondary of a single-phase transformer
(normally on 240V).
 Normally the earthing is done only at the
infeed into the grid. With parallel transformer
that normally means possibilities to
disconnect the resistors.
 The damages of equipment due to the fault
currents are very small and step and touch
voltages are low.
 The protection equipment must be able to
detect earth fault current of only individual
phases, which means that cable current
transformers surrounding all phases must be
used. Secondary summation is not acceptable

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 9
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Resonance Earthing
 A Petersén reactor tuned to the network total
capacitance is connected in the neutral. The
fault level is then compensated down to
individual phase.
 The Reactor is with taps or a gliding core to
allow tuning to the service situation.
 Normally the earthing is done only at the
infeed into the grid. With parallel transformer
that normally means possibilities to
disconnect the reactors.
 The damages of equipment due to the fault
currents are very small and step and touch
voltages are low.
 The protection equipment must be able to
detect earth fault current of only individual
phase, which means that cable current
transformers surrounding all phases must be
used. Secondary summation is not
acceptable.
© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 10
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Measuring of the earth fault current

 Measuring of the earth fault current can be

done in two ways:
 Residual sum connection where the three
current transformers in the phases are
summated (direct and low ohmic earthed
systems).
 Cable current transformers surrounding all
the phases.
 The cable screen must be brought back
through the cable current transformer before
the arthing.
 The cable shall be centrally located in the
current transformer

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 11
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Neutral point control
 A special method of neutral point
control is marketed by Swedish
neutral.
 A phase wise compensation circuit
compensates for the network
asymmetry and thus the neutral
point displacement normally
existing in a distribution network.
 Fault currents at an earth faults are
very small <1A.
 Earth fault protection is provided by
transient measuring protection
relays (Wischer relays) or with
special detection of changes in
capacitances in the network
(developed by Swedish neutral)

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 12
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Current in the earthing grid

  

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 13
 Section 02
Power System Protection
Personnel safety

 The authorities puts high demands on

the electric utilities to ensure that
people are not injured.
 A couple of cases are shown in the
figure:
 Step voltages.
 Touch voltages.
 The requirement must be fulfilled by a
careful calculation of the earthing grid.
 The resistance of the grid to earth is
measured with low- or high- current
method before the station is put into
service.

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 14
 Section 02
Power System Protection
A common Earthing in a distribution station

 It is quite common to have a single

earthing equipment also with parallel
transformers.
 A common earthing equipment at
sectionalized networks means that
the unsymmetry at an earth fault will
be seen also in the healthy system
with an increased risk of a double
earth fault.
 Normally the neutral point equipment
is not dimensioned for continuous
service as the fault is disconnected.
 Typical values are 10 sec or 30 sec.

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 15
 Section 02
Power System Protection
The earthing of a distribution system with a small generator

 In today distribution system it is

common to introduce generation
(small hydro power, combined
cycle, wind power)
 The problem is then to select the
earthing principle to have secured
earthing in any service condition.
 Only one earthing point shall be
available at any time.
 The choice of principle depends
on the generator and the
requirement on capability to run in
”islanding” e.g. without connection
to the grid.

© SA-T Training
1MRG005312
Slide 16
 Section 02

© SA-T Training 1MRG005312 Slide 2