Fault Current & GPR

How to reduce GPR & Fault Current?

Milan I. Vaishnav, Asst. Electrical Inspector, Akola

 Fault Current, Split Factor & Ground Potential Rise (GPR) Calculations
1. Fault Current (If): - Maximum current which will be drawn by the electrical
system whenever short circuit fault occurs on it. Short Circuit fault is
Symmetrical Fault type. Under short circuit fault, phase angle remains constant
however system draws huge current which causes electrical and mechanical
stress on it. If short circuit fault not cleared within time (second) it may damage
the connected electrical equipment completely. Complete burning of electrical
equipment may happen because of short circuit fault.
2. Ground/Earth Grid Current (IG): - It is the fault current which will be
discharged into earth through Earth Mat (Earthing system) and will contributes
to rise in GPR
3. Ground Potential Rise (GPR): - It is the voltage to which earth mat is going
to rise when it discharges current into earth/soil.
4. Split Factor (K): - Used to calculate that fraction of fault current which will get
discharged into earth during fault condition. (K is less than or equal to 1)

GPR = IG x R G
IG = K x IF
Here,
K = Split Factor (No Unit, Range- 0.1 to1)

IF = Fault Current (Short Circuit Current) (A)

IG = Earth Gird Current (A)
RG = Resistance of Earth Grid or Earth Mat (Ω)
From above formula it becomes clear that-
 GPR can be reduced by - i) Reducing earth grid/mat resistance of
Substation or Receiving station or generating
station
ii) Either by reducing (Fault Current) IF or
(Ground Current) IG
iii) Reducing Split Factor (K)

Milan I. Vaishnav, Asst. Electrical Inspector, Akola Page 2

 1. Technique to reduce resistance of Earth Mat/Earth Grid (R G): -
Earth Resistance is not dependant on material of earth electrode or earth
strip or earth wire. Whether Copper or Aluminum or GI when it comes for
earth resistance they offer nearly same earth resistivity.
It is always mistaken by power engineers & common man that Copper
earth electrode or Earth Strip will offer lower earth resistance as compared to
normal GI strip or electrode. It happens because they mistakenly compare
conductor resistivity with earth resistivity.
Conductor resistivity is important only for taking fault current from faulty
electrical equipment to earth electrode while Earth Resistance compromises
capacity of earth electrode to discharge the fault current fully into the soil.
Copper strip of 75x10 mm & Aluminum strip of 45x10 mm of same
length will offer almost same earth resistance even though they have different
metallic resistivity. Hence, metal of earth conductor & electrode is not that
important from the point of earth resistance.
Earth resistance is mainly the function of physical properties such as
length & soil resistivity.

Earth Resistance of Earth Mat or Grid depends upon –

Length of Earth Electrode buried under soil of substation or plant
Length of Earth Strip running under the soil of substation or plant
Soil Resistivity of that particular layer at which earth mat and earth
electrodes are buried in substation or plant.

 Length of Earth Electrode : -

Earth Electrode shall be buried at such a
level it gets minimum soil resistivity (ρ). However, generally it is found that
soil offers lower resistivity as the one goes deeper and deeper (up to some
depth only after that very little change in resistivity). Hence, greater the
length of earth electrode lower is the earth resistance.

Milan I. Vaishnav, Asst. Electrical Inspector, Akola Page 3

 However there is limitation as increasing
the length of earth electrode and earth strip will increase budget (capital
expenditure) of substation or plant & may cause economic burden on owner.
Also, after some point increase in length of electrode won’t lower resistance
to that much extent. Hence, sweet spot among capital expenditure and earth
resistivity shall be selected for best resistance. Same thing is applicable for
earth strip.
Diameter of earth electrode doesn’t contribute much for reduction of earth
resistance. However, diameter of earth electrode is important to carry the
fault current towards earth. If less diameter electrode is selected and huge
current flow through it (above current density of electrode) then electrode
will melt down.
 Soil Resistivity: -
Soil resistivity is the function of physical (moisture &
Temperature) & chemical properties of soil. Generally soil offers
resistivity in the range of 5 Ω-Meter to 10,000 Ω-Meter. Rocky soil offers
very high resistivity.
Hence, treatment of soil through artificial means such
as Bentonite clay, Sodium Chloride (NaCl) & water treatment is done to
reduce general soil resistivity.
However there is limitation to this method –
 Bentonite offers resistivity of the range of 3Ω-M to 5Ω-M (we can’t
achieve any lower resistivity that that)
 Addition of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) causes chemical reaction on metal &
will aid in fast rusting of Earth Electrode and Earth Strip buried in ground
 Wetness or Addition of water causes reduction in soil resistivity only
when water content in soil up to 25%. After that addition of water has no
significant impact on reduction of earth resistance.

Milan I. Vaishnav, Asst. Electrical Inspector, Akola Page 4

 2. Technique to reduce Fault Current (Short Circuit Current) IF: -
 Fault current (IF) is always limited to impedance ratio (Z%) of transformer
and generator. Hence, high value of impedance ratio means that fault level
of that equipment will be lower.
 Transformer of 6% impedance ratio will offer 33% lower fault current (IF)
as compared to transformer of 4% impedance ratio.
 In some plant series reactors are used to increase the impedance ratio of
generator so that fault current will be limited. However modern generators
are made with high impedance ratio of 8-12% or as per demand.
However this method is also having limitation that equipment having high
impedance ratio will cause to poor Voltage Regulation of system.
Impedance ratio is directly proportional to voltage regulation.
%Z α V.R.

3. Technique to reduce Ground Current (Earth discharge current) IG & Split

Factor (K): -
Since, IG is directly proportional to the product of Split Factor (K) & Fault
Current both IG & split factor (K) have been discussed under same point.
 IG = K x IF
 Split Factor is the factor which will give information about the fault current
likely to be discharged into earth mat or soil of substation or plant.
 If the full fault current of substation or receiving station is taken to the
source via ground/guard wire then split factor will become nearly zero and
in that case IG will be insignificant.
 Very low of Split Factor (K) means IG is irrelevant and hence GPR will be
lower. Low value of GPR means Touch & Step potential may be neglected.
 Hence, fault current shall be returned to source via metallic connection and
not by earth. If earth is used as conductor for return of fault current back to
source then split factor (K) value may increase up to 1 and IG will become
significant.

Milan I. Vaishnav, Asst. Electrical Inspector, Akola Page 5

  High value of IG means we have to calculate and design earth mat or earth
grid in such a way to reduce RG. (But value of RG can be lowered up to
some limit.)
 Metallic connection between source and substation lowers the value of split
factor (K) and GPR. If Fault current returned to source through earth, it
increases value of split factor (K) & GPR.
Cases considered for Split Factor (K) only with respect to EHV
Substation: -
 CASE-1 (STAR-DELTA Transformer): - Even though Star-Delta
Xmer is never used in EHV receiving station but just to understand the
point case is taken.
 If any fault occurs on transmission line (within switchyard) after
STAR-DELTA Xmer then entire fault current can not return towards
source (which is STAR-DELTA Xmer) and hence split factor (K) will
be 1 in this case, as the fault current will travel through ground & will
reflect remote Transformer located at remote EHV substation whose
secondary is STAR connected or earthed. Entire Fault current will
travel through ground. In this case Earth strip has to be designed as
per IF as K=1.

 CASE-2 (DELTA-STAR Transformer): -

 If any fault occurs on transmission line (within switchyard) after
DELTA-STAR transformer then major part of fault current is
brought to source via metallic connection and some of the fault
current is discharged to earth to return towards remote substation
(source-2) and thus causing GPR rise that substation (source-2). In
this case K<1 and generally best value of (lowest value) GPR is
achieved by this practice.

Milan I. Vaishnav, Asst. Electrical Inspector, Akola Page 6

  CASE-3 (DELTA-STAR Transformer) & Fault outside switchyard:-
 Fault is on transmission line outside the switchyard or STAR-DELTA
transformer. Major part of fault current returns toward to STAR-
DELTA transformer via metallic connection (ground wire) while rest
of the fault current is returned towards another source substation and
will cause GPR at that higher voltage receiving station (Source-2). In
this case also K<1 and generally best value of (lowest value) GPR is
achieved by this practice.
 Hence, Transmission line must have guard wire and it shall be
connected at both end’s earth mat/earth grid to bring fault current
back to source and to have low value of split factor and GPR.

How to know exact value of Split Factor?

Ans: - Exact and accurate value of Split Factor (K) can only be drawn
with the help of CDEGS software only. Calculation of split factor
value is highly complex. Hence, assistance of CDEGS software is
must to find the exact value of split factor (K) before construction
of substation or receiving station or plant. Normally for DELTA-
STAR transformer of EHV switchyard value of K is in the range
of 0.6 to 0.8.

 Sizing of Earth Mat (Strips) & Earth Electrode :-

 Earth Electrode shall be designed as per (Maximum) Entire Fault Current IF
likely to happen on system.
 Earth strip shall be designed as per IG or current discharged into earth mat
considering about split factor.
 If earth strip is designed as per IF then it will cause unnecessary economic loss
to the owner of substation. (However in case of transformer is having delta connected
secondary then K=1 & hence earth mat shall be designed as per IF)

Milan I. Vaishnav, Asst. Electrical Inspector, Akola Page 7

 Key Points
 Fault Current always tries to go toward source. If no metallic connection is provided
then fault current will travel through ground and GPR will increase.
 Guard Wire (on Transmission Tower) causes fast reflection of fault current toward
source as the fault current will travel through Guard Wire. Hence, low value of GPR on
receiving station. For that Guard wire shall be connected with the earth mat of both
switchyards.
 Earth Electrode shall be designed as per entire fault current or standard fault current as
specified in Regulation No- 41(1) of CEA (Technical standards for construction of
Electrical Plants and Electrical lines) Regulation, 2010. Additional factor of corrosion
allowance shall be considered as per IS-3043.
 Earth strip shall be designed as per IG by considering parameter of split factor (K).
Design of earth strip as per IF will cause unnecessary economic burden having Xmer
winding Delta-Star. Generally split factor is in the range of 0.6 to 0.8 for this case.
 Copper strip of 75x10 mm & Aluminum strip of 45x10 mm of same length will
offer almost same earth resistance even though they have different metallic
resistivity
 However Copper Strip of 75x10 mm will carry more current as compared to 45x10
mm of Aluminum strip. Use of copper strip will enhance capacity to carry larger
fault current.
 Earth resistance is the resistance offered by the Earth to the flow of fault current
(electrons) in it. It is not dependant on type of material (Copper or Aluminum or
GI) but on soil resistivity and length of Earth Electrode. Hence, change in
material will have nearly no change in Earth Resistance. (Almost negligible change if
we use Copper instead of GI)
 Change in diameter (ɸ) of Earth Electrode has very little impact on reducing Earth
Resistance. However diameter is important aspect from the point view of maximum
allowable current density. Hence, diameter of earth electrode shall be designed only with
respect to fault current and not for improving earth resistance. Length of electrode is
important factor.
 Low diameter (ɸ) of Earth Electrode and huge fault current may cause melting of earth
electrode during fault condition. Because, current always travels on surface of conductor.

References:-
1. IEEE Std 80-2013 (Guide for safety in AC Substation grounding)
2. IS 3043

Milan I. Vaishnav, Asst. Electrical Inspector, Akola Page 8