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Earthing Purpose of Earthing
• Earthing systems, apart from addressing safety from
shock and fire, help in limiting the interference
between one appliance and the other. This is of
Building Services II (ARCH 602) particular importance in the case of voice and data
communication devices. With the proliferation in
electrical/electronic gadgets and greater dependence
Module II on voice and data communication systems, proper and
effective earthing or grounding is very important.
Topic 6 • Earthing is also necessary for diverting the effects of
Dr. Sumanta Deb lightning strikes from the buildings and its contents,
including from sensitive equipment.
Requirements for Earthing
Earthing
Arrangements
• Earthing provides safety of persons and apparatus against earth • is reliable and suitable for the protective
faults.
• The object of an earthing system is to provide as nearly as possible
requirements of the installation
a surface under and around a station which shall be at a uniform • can carry earth fault currents and protective
potential and as nearly zero or absolute earth potential as possible. conductor currents to earth without danger from
The purpose of this is to ensure that in general all parts of
apparatus, other than live parts, shall be at earth potential, as well thermal, thermo-mechanical and
as to ensure that operators and attendants shall be at earth electromechanical stresses and from electric
potential at all times.
• Also by providing such an earth surface of uniform potential under
shock arising from these currents;
and surrounding the station, as nearly as possible, there can exist • if relevant, is also suitable for functional
no difference of potential in a short distance big enough to shock or requirements; and
injure an attendant when shortcircuits or other abnormal
occurrence take place. • is suitable for the foreseeable external
influences
Purpose of Earthing Components of an Earthing System
Earthing is an essential part of any electrical • an earth electrode, (electrode can be one vertical
rod/pipe/buried plate or an earth mat with several vertical
installation, essential for the safety from electrical installations or a ring earthing with vertical installations
shock, and fire and for operation of most of the • a main earthing wire
protective systems of the electrical installation. • an earth bar (located on the main switchboard for small
installation and installed in the wall/ room in case of large
The earthing provides the necessary reference of industrial electronic installations) for the connection of the
main earthing wire, protective earthing wires and/or
zero potential and helps in activating the operation bonding wires within the installation
of the circuit breaker provided for the safe • a removable link, which effectively disconnects the
disconnection of power in the event of an neutral bar from the earth bar.
abnormality in the flow of current.
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Types of Earth Electrodes
• Rod and pipe electrodes,
• Strip or conductor electrodes,
• Plates electrodes, and
• Cable sheaths.
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Earthing Wire Connection
• be mechanically and electrically sound
• be protected against damage, corrosion, and
vibration
• not place any strain on various parts of the
connection
• not damage the wire or fittings
• be secured at the earth electrode