Designing Effective Earthing Solutions

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Earthing in Domestic Appliances

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Earthing in Domestic Appliances

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Unearthed Equipment

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Earthed Equipment

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What is Earthing And Grounding?

• During abnormal condition, rapid discharge of electrical energy from the electrical system

to earth through the dedicated low resistance path is called earthing.

• The process of connecting current carrying conductor of an electrical system to earth for

limiting the potential of the system (with respect to the general mass of the earth) is called

system earthing.

• The process of connecting non current carrying metal work association with equipment,

apparatus and appliance connected to the system is called equipment earthing.

Earthed Equipment
Discharge from an Earth Electrode

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Ground Potential Rise (GPR)

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Step & Touch Potential

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Step & Touch Potential

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There is no need of any Physical contact for being Electrocuted…..

Step Voltage can do that disaster
 Why Earthing?

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•To ensure the safety of operator

•To provide low resistance path to the fault current bypassing the operator.

•Maintaining step and touch voltage within limit.

•To ensure the safety of equipment from overvoltage and leakage current.

•To improve the stability of system during ground faults.

•To provide common reference point to the electrical supply system.

•To discharge the lightning surges as soon as possible without much increase in

Ground potential Rise.

•To dissipate the static charges in fuel storage tanks.

Components of Earthing

Terminal connector
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• Earth electrode

• Earth enhancing compound

Earth Electrode
• Terminal connector

Earth Enhancing
compound

Soil
 Earth Electrode Resistance

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There are two types of Resistance.

Ohmic Resistance
Electrolytic Resistance

As mentioned by IS 3043, the conduction of current in an earthing system is electrolytic in

nature. In earthing, the soil surrounding the electrode acts as the electrolyte and hence the
earth electrode resistance mainly depends on the resistivity of the soil and not on the
resistance of the earth electrode.
 Soil Resistivity

The Earthing Resistance of any electrode is made up of following factors:

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•Resistance of the (metal) electrode,

•Contact resistance range between the electrode and the soil
•Resistance of the soil from the electrode surface outward in the geometry (which is set up for
the flow of current outward from the electrode) to infinite earth.

Among these three, Soil Resistivity plays a vital role in performance of Earthing

Soil resistivity has a direct effect on the resistivity of the earthing system and it is an
indication of a given soil’s ability to carry electric current to flow.

Moisture and Salt content plays a greater role in the soil resistivity value.
Soil Resistivity of different Soils – IS 3043

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 Soil Resistivity & Corrosion

The generally accepted correlation between the electrical resistivity of soil and its corrosivity is
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as indicated in the table below:

Soil Resistivity and Corrosion

Range of Soil Resistivity

Class of Soil
(Ω.m)
Less than 25 Severely corrosive

25-50 Moderately corrosive

50-100 Mildly corrosive
Above 100 Very mildly corrosive
 Earth Electrode

Earth Electrodes are the most important part of earthing system.

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The main function is to dissipate the fault current to ground as soon as possible
without rise in ground potential.

It should be capable of withstanding the fault currents of the system without any
damages.

The electrode should have good Corrosion resistance property.

Earth Electrode Configurations

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 Plate Earth Electrode

Plate electrode shall be the size of at least 600mm X600mm,

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normally not exceed 1200mm x 1200mm.

The thickness of plate electrode varies based on the corrosion

resistance property.
As per IS3043:2018,
• Cast Iron – not less than 12mm
• GI or Steel – Not less than 6.3mm
• Copper (CU) - Not less than 3.15
 Plate Earth Electrode

As per IS3043, the resistance of the plate electrode to soil is calculated by

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𝝆 𝝅
𝑹= 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔
𝟒 𝑨

Where,
ρ = Resistivity of soil in Ω.m.
A = Surface area of Plate in m .2

From the above formula, we can find that the earth resistance value R,
✓Directly proportional to the resistivity of the soil.
✓Inversely proportional to square root of the surface area.
✓Does not depend on the thickness of plate.
✓Does not depend on the material and its resistivity.
 Pipe/Rod Earth Electrode

The resistance of the pipe or rod electrode to soil is calculated by

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𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟐𝒍
𝑹= 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝒆 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔
𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒅

Where,
ρ = Resistivity of soil in Ω.m.
l = Length of the pipe or rod in cm.
d = Diameter of the pipe in cm.

From the above formula, we can find that the earth resistance value R,
✓Directly proportional to the resistivity of the soil.
✓Inversely proportional to length of the electrode.
✓Does not depend on the material and its resistivity.
Plate & Pipe Earth Electrode

Plate Earthing Pipe Earthing

𝝆 𝝅 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟐𝒍
𝑹= 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔 𝑹= 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝒆 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔
𝟒 𝑨 𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒅

Soil Resistivity – 100 Ω.m

Soil Resistivity – 100 Ω.m
Diameter of pipe – 7.6cm
Plate dimension – 0.6mX0.6m
Length of pipe – 300 cm
Surface area of 1 side – 0.36m2

Surface area of both sides – 0.72m2

Surface area of both sides – 0.72m2

100 3.14 100 ∗ 100 2 ∗ 300

R= 𝑅= log 𝑒
4 0.72 2 ∗ 3.14 ∗ 300 7.6

𝐑 = 𝟓𝟐 . 𝟐𝟎𝟖 Ω 𝑹 = 𝟐𝟑. 𝟏𝟗 Ω

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Pipe Earth Electrode – Different Soil Resistivity

Pipe Earthing Pipe Earthing Pipe Earthing

𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟐𝒍 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟐𝒍 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟐𝒍
𝑹= 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝒆 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔 𝑹= 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝒆 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔 𝑹= 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝒆 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔
𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒅 𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒅 𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒅

Soil Resistivity – 10 Ω.m Soil Resistivity – 100 Ω.m Soil Resistivity – 1000 Ω.m
Diameter of pipe – 7.6cm Diameter of pipe – 7.6cm Diameter of pipe – 7.6cm
Length of pipe – 300 cm Length of pipe – 300 cm Length of pipe – 300 cm

100 ∗ 10 2 ∗ 300 100 ∗ 100 2 ∗ 300 100 ∗ 1000 2 ∗ 300

𝑅= log 𝑒 𝑅= log 𝑒 𝑅= log 𝑒
2 ∗ 3.14 ∗ 300 7.6 2 ∗ 3.14 ∗ 300 7.6 2 ∗ 3.14 ∗ 300 7.6

𝑹 = 𝟐. 𝟑𝟐 Ω 𝑹 = 𝟐𝟑. 𝟏𝟗 Ω 𝑹 = 𝟐𝟑𝟏. 𝟖𝟗 Ω

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 Strip Earth Electrode

The resistance of the strips electrode to soil is calculated by

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𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟒𝒍
𝑹= 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔
𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒅
Where,
ρ = Resistivity of soil in Ω.m.
l = Length of the strips in cm.
d = width (for strip) or twice the diameter (for conductors) in cm.

From the above formula, we can find that the earth resistance value R,
✓Directly proportional to the resistivity of the soil.
✓Inversely proportional to length of the strip.
✓Does not depend on the material and its resistivity.
Steps for Reducing Earth Electrode Resistance

Increasing the length of electrode provides better resistance value than increasing the
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diameter of the electrode.

Parallel connection of multiple earth electrodes.

Artificial treatment of electrodes can be used to reduce the earth resistance value.

Increasing the moisture content of soil reduces the earth resistance value.

Increasing the salt content in soil reduces the earth resistance value.

The material of earth electrode has very low impact on the earth resistance value.
Parallel Connection of Earth Electrodes – IS 3043:2018

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Parallel Connection of Earth Electrodes – IS 3043:2018

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Parallel Connection of Earth Electrode IS 3043:2018

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Parallel Connection of Earth Electrode IS 3043:2018

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Parallel Connection of Earth Electrodes – IS 3043:2018

The combined resistance of electrodes in parallel connection can be calculated from the following equation
from IS 3043:2018
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𝟏 + 𝝀𝒂
𝑹𝑡𝑜𝑡 = 𝑹𝟏 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔
𝒏
𝝆
𝒂=
𝟐𝝅𝑅1 𝒔
Parallel Connection of Earth Electrodes – BS7430:2011

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Parallel Connection of Earth Electrode

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Current Carrying Capacity

The current density of the earth electrode can also be calculated by the formula,
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𝑰 𝟏
=𝒌∗ 𝑨/𝐦²
𝑺 𝒕
The k factor can be derived by the following formula provided by IS3043,

𝑸𝑪 𝑩 + 𝟐𝟎 𝜽𝒕 − 𝜽𝟏
𝒌= 𝐥𝐧⁡(𝟏 + )
𝜹𝟐𝟎 𝑩 + 𝜽𝟏
1 s current rating in 3 s current rating in
A/mm (k1)
2 A/mm (k3)
2

Bare conductor with no risk of fire 205 118

Protective bare conductors in hazardous

131/153 76/88
area where there is risk of fire
Butyl XLPE/ Butyl XLPE/
PVC PVC
Rubber EPR Rubber EPR
Insulated protected conductors not
incorporated in cables or bare conductors 136 160 170 79 92 98
touching other insulated cables
Protective conductor as a core in multicore
115 134 143 66 77 83
cables
Current Carrying Capacity – IS 3043

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² ²

² ²

1 3

≃ ≃
Current Carrying Capacity of Pipe – IS 3043

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The terminologies which we used for the calculation are as follows.

R – Outer diameter of the pipe

r - Inner diameter of the pipe

T – Thickness of the pipe

Current Carrying Capacity of Pipe

Safe Area:
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Initial temperature: 40 ͦC ; Final temperature: 500 ͦC ; k= 80A/mm²

2 2 2 2 2 2
𝜋∗ 𝑅 −𝑟 𝜋∗ 𝑅 −𝑟 𝜋∗ 𝑅 −𝑟

² ² ²

1 1 1
𝐼 =𝑆∗𝑘∗ 𝐴/m² 𝐼 =𝑆∗𝑘∗ 𝐴/m² 𝐼 =𝑆∗𝑘∗ 𝐴/m²
𝑡 𝑡 𝑡
1 1 1
≃ ≃ ≃
 Current Carrying Capacity of Pipe

Hazardous Area:
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Initial temperature: 40 ͦC ; Final temperature: 200 C

ͦ ; k=56 A/ mm²

2 2 2 2 2 2
𝜋∗ 𝑅 −𝑟 𝜋∗ 𝑅 −𝑟 𝜋∗ 𝑅 −𝑟

² ² ²

1 1 1
𝐼 =𝑆∗𝑘∗ 𝐴/m² 𝐼 =𝑆∗𝑘∗ 𝐴/m² 𝐼 =𝑆∗𝑘∗ 𝐴/m²
𝑡 𝑡 𝑡
1 1 1
≃ ≃ ≃
Current Carrying Capacity of Rod – UL 467

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Conductor Sizing Factors – IEEE 80

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HDGI & Copper Bonded Rod

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Earth Enhancement Compound

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• Earth Enhancing Compounds (EEC) are highly Earth

Electrode
conductive compounds which are filled around the
earth electrode by replacing the existing high
resistance soil to provide low earth resistance value
and improve the performance of earthing system. Earth
Enhancing
Compound

• They are also called as Back filling compounds

Existing Soil
Characteristics of EEC/BFC

Since the materials are used directly on soil, the impact of these materials on environment is very
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high and it may pollute the land and ground water. Hence, special care should be taken on selecting
the materials for BFC. The materials should have the following characteristics.

• It should be chemically inert to subsoil.

• It should not pollute the environment.

• It should provide a stable environment in terms of physical and chemical properties and exhibit

low resistivity.

• It should not be corrosive to the earth electrodes being used.

• It should be hygroscopic in nature.

• It should be able to maintain moisture to enhance conductivity.

• It should not leach into normal soil.

 Testing of EEC/BFC

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•Considering the importance of earth enhancing compounds in providing low earth

resistance and the impact that the materials can create on environment, IEC 62561-7
specifies the requirements and tests for earthing enhancing compounds producing low
resistance of an earth termination system.
•The tests are,
[Link] test
[Link] determination test
[Link] of resistivity test and
[Link] test
Earth Electrode Resistance with EEC

As per BS7430, the formula for finding the earth resistance (R) is,
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𝟏 𝟖𝑳 𝟖𝑳
𝑹= 𝝆 − 𝝆𝒄 log 𝒆 − 𝟏 + 𝝆𝒄 log 𝒆 −𝟏 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔
𝟐𝝅𝑳 𝑫 𝒅

Where,
𝝆 - Resistivity of soil (in Ω.m)
𝝆_𝒄 - Resistivity of Compound (in Ω.m)
d – Diameter of the electrode (in m)
D – Diameter of the compound filled (in m)
L – Length of the earth electrode (in m)
Earth Electrode Resistance Measurement
Earth Electrode Resistance Measurement

Fall Of Potential – 61.8% test:

Earth Electrode Resistance Measurement
 Myths & Facts

Pipe and Plate electrode, Which has lower earth resistance

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value & Why???

If we fill the earth pit completely with water, Will it provide
very low resistance value???
If we fill the earth pit completely with salt, Will it provide very
low resistance value???
Shall we increase the length of electrode till achieving the
desired value???
Will replacing Copper electrode with GI electrode reduces the
resistance value, since copper has much lower resistivity than
GI???;
 Plate & Pipe Earth Electrode

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Myth:

Plate earth electrode has greater surface area than pipe electrode. Since the

resistance is inversely proportional to the area, plate earth electrodes will have lower

resistance value than pipe earth electrodes.

Fact:

IS 3043 states that a pipe, rod or strip has a much lower resistance than a plate

having equal surface area.

 Plate & Pipe Earth Electrode

Plate Earthing
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Pipe Earthing
𝝆 𝝅 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟐𝒍
𝑹= 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔 𝑹= 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝒆 𝒐𝒉𝒎𝒔
𝟒 𝑨 𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒅

Soil Resistivity – 100 Ω.m Soil Resistivity – 100 Ω.m

Plate dimension – 0.6mX0.6m Diameter of pipe – 7.6cm

Surface area of 1 side – 0.36m2 Length of pipe – 300 cm

Surface area of both sides – 0.72m2 Surface area of both sides – 0.72m2

100 3.14 100 ∗ 100 2 ∗ 300

R= 𝑅= log 𝑒
4 0.72 2 ∗ 3.14 ∗ 300 7.6

𝑹 = 𝟐𝟑. 𝟏𝟗 Ω
𝐑 = 𝟓𝟐 . 𝟐𝟎𝟖 Ω
 Plate & Pipe Earth Electrode

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Conclusion:

From the above calculations, we can compare the resistance values of pipe electrode and plate
electrode having same surface area of 0.72m . The resistance value of plate electrode 52.2Ω is greater
2

than that of pipe electrode of 23.19Ω for same surface area of 0.72m .
2

IS3043 states that, to obtain a low overall resistance value, the current density should be as low as
possible in the medium adjacent to the electrode. This requirement is met by making the dimensions in
one direction large as compared with those in the other two, thus a pipe, rod or strip has a much lower
resistance than a plate of equal surface area.
 Effect of Water

Myth:
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Earth resistance value highly depends on the moisture content of the soil. So we can

achieve very low resistance value by watering the earth pits.

Fact:

Moisture content of soil is one of the main controlling factors of soil resistivity. However,

that moisture alone is not the predominant factor in the low resistivity of soils. The

percentage of moisture above 20% has very low impact on earth resistance value.
Effect of Water

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Resistivity of soil in ohm meter

Moisture in soil, percent

Let the soil resistivity be ρ Ω.m, The soil resistivity value for
❖ 10% moisture content is 290 Ω.m
❖ 20% moisture content is <10 Ω.m
 Effect of Salt

Myth: 57

Providing salt in the area surrounding the earth electrode reduces the earth resistance value.

More the salt content lesser will be the resistance.

Fact:

Lower earth resistance can be achieved by reducing the resistivity of the soil immediately

surrounding the earth electrode. Salt in the presence of moisture provides lower resistance

value but the salt content beyond 5% of weight of contained moisture has very negligible

effect.
Myths & Facts

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Resistivity of soil in ohm meter

Curve Flattens beyond 5%

Percent of Salt in Moisture

Conclusion:

From the above graph from Is 3043, It is evident that the increase in the percent of salt
beyond 5% of weight of moisture has very low impact on earth resistance value.
Effect of Earth Electrode Length

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Myth:

Increasing the length of earth electrodes reduces the earth resistance values.

Fact:

Increasing the length of electrode provides better resistance value than increasing the

diameter of the electrode. But the variation of vales for earth electrodes of length

beyond 4m is very negligible.

Myths & Facts

The variation of earth resistance values with respect to the length on pipes of diameter
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13mm, 25mm and 100mm on soil of resistivity 100Ω.m is plotted below.

Copper & GI Earth Electrodes

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Myth:

Copper has very good electrical conductivity than GI. Hence, Copper earth electrodes will provide

lower earth resistance than earth electrodes made of GI

Fact:

Earth resistance value mainly depends on the dimension of the earth electrodes and hence the

conductivity of the material has very low impact on the earth resistance value.
Copper & GI Earth Electrodes

The resistance of the plate electrode to soil is calculated by

𝝆 𝝅
R = √( )
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𝟒 𝑨

The resistance of the pipe or rod electrode to soil is calculated by

𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟐𝒍
R= 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒆
𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒅

The resistance of the strips electrode to soil is calculated by

𝟏𝟎𝟎𝝆 𝟒𝒍
R= 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒆
𝟐𝝅𝒍 𝒕
Where,
ρ = Resistivity of the soil in Ω.m,
l= Length of pipes or strips in mm
d= diameter of pipe in mm
A= Area of the both side of the plates

From the above equations, all the formulas depend only on physical dimensions of pipes and soil
resistivity not with material of electrodes.
Copper & GI Earth Electrodes

Conclusion:
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•Copper is commonly used as an earth electrode mainly because of their corrosion

resistance property and not because of their lower resistance.

•The conduction in an earth electrode is electrolytic in nature and hence the ohmic
resistance value of a material has very negligible effect.

•The corrosion rate of GI material (0.5% per year) is higher than that of copper(0.2%
per year). Hence if we go for GI material then the thickness should be greater than that
of copper.

•The combination of superior Corrosion resistance, Temperature tolerance, Mechanical

properties and Ease of Joining makes the copper more suitable material for earthing.
 Dedicated Earthing for Lightning Protection

Myth:

We need to provide dedicated earthing for Lightning Protection Systema and this earthing should

not be connected with other earthing.

Fact:

The earthing provided for Lightning Protection System shall be connected to the main earth

network to maintain the uniform earth potential.

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Interconnection of Earthing – IS/IEC 62305 part 3
Interconnection of Earthing – IS732:2019
Interconnection of Earthing – NEC 2023
 Grid Resistance value less than 1 ohm

Myth:

For any substation, the resistance value of the earth grid should be less than 1 ohm.

Fact:

The earth resistance value is not the deciding parameter for the substation earthing system

design. If the touch and step voltages are in the tolerable limit, then the design can be considered

safe even if the resistance value is greater than 1 ohm. It is impossible to achieve less than 1 ohm

in all the site conditions as the resistance mainly depends on the resistivity of the soil.
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Earthing Design Procedure – IEEE80

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Grid Resistance is not the deciding parameter

Step 1: Field data collection

Step 2: Conductor sizing based on fault current
Step 3: Tolerable step & touch voltage
Step 4: Initial design of earth mat
Step 5: Grid Resistance for the considered mat
Step 6: Max. Grid current for any fault at the site
Step 7: GPR Calculation
Step 8: Actual mesh & step voltage values calculation
Step 9: Comparison of mesh voltage & and tolerable touch voltage
Step 10: Comparison of step voltage & and tolerable step voltage
Step 11: If any of the values are beyond the limit, design has to be modified
Step 12: Additional conductors & earth rods if any needed shall be provided for
connecting the equipment to grid.
Earthing Design Procedure – IEEE80

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IEEE Std 80 – 2013 under clause 4.1 states that,

• A low substation ground resistance is not, in itself, a guarantee of safety.

• There is no simple relation between the resistance of the ground system as a

whole and the maximum shock current to which a person might be exposed.

• Therefore, a substation of relatively low ground resistance may be dangerous,

while another substation with very high resistance may be less dangerous or
can be made less dangerous by careful design.
N-G Voltage & Earthing

Many people arrives at a conclusion that improper earthing is the reason for higher N-G
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voltage values but that is not the actual case. Some of the other reasons that will result
in higher N-G voltage value even though the proper earthing is provided are as follows.

1) Unbalanced load conditions

2) Improper conductor sizing
3) Loose Connections
4) Third order harmonics
Conclusion

▪ Simply placing a rod and connecting it to the equipment or system won’t be a proper solution
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for earthing issues.

▪ The fault level varies for each site locations and hence the earthing conductor sizing should be
calculated as per the specific site conditions.
▪ If the site contains any hazardous area then the temperature limit also has to be considered.
▪ Corrosion is the major threat for earthing system. Hence proper sizing of conductors has to
made by considering the corrosion rate at specific site.
▪ Earth electrode resistance value mainly depends on the soil resistivity.
▪ Lower the soil resistivity higher will be the corrosion rate.
▪ Parallel connection of multiple earth electrodes shall be used to reduce the earth electrode
resistance value.
▪ Earth Enhancing compounds serves two purposes.
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