EARTHING
What is earthing?
Earthing a equipment means connecting that equipment to general mass of earth by means of an
electrical conductor. Connection to earth is achieved by embedding a metal plate or rod or
conductor in earth. This metal plate or rod or conductor is called as "Earth electrode". Effectiveness
of the earthing connection made by embedding a metal plate in earth is quantified as "Earth
Resistance". This earth resistance is measured in ohms.
Earth resistance consists of following components
a) Resistance of metal electrode
b) Contact resistance between electrode and soil
c) Resistance of soil away from electrode surface
. Need of Good Earthing:
1. To save human life from danger of electrical shock or death by blowing a fuse
2. To protect machinery & appliances under fault conditions
3. To provide safe path to dissipate lightning and short circuit currents.
4. To provide stable platform for operation of sensitive electronic
5. To provide protection against static electricity from friction
Main Objectives of Earthing systems are:
• Provide an alternative path for the fault current to flow so that it will not endanger the user.
• Ensure that all exposed conductive parts do not reach a dangerous potential.
• Maintain the voltage at any part of an electrical system at a known value so as to prevent
over current or excessive voltage on the appliances or equipment.
There are two types of Earthing:
1. Neutral Earthing: This earthing provides a path for a fault current to flow to earth by GI
wire. Such Earthing is provided in star connected winding of motors, generators and
transformers.
2. Equipment Earthing: Such earthing is provided to the electrical equipment. This earthing
provides a path for a fault current to flow to earth by conducting wire.
There are 4 ways to provide earthing
1. Strip or wire Earthing: Strip earthing is the process of transmission of current from the
electrical appliances to the ground through a metallic trip of lo resistance. Strip used in
earth stripping have a diameter of 6mm and are galvanized in a hot dipped solution.
2. Rod Earthing: Rod earthing is a grounding system that uses one or more metal rods,
typically made of copper or galvanized steel, driven vertically into the ground to provide
a safe path for fault or lightning currents to dissipate into the earth. This method offers a
low-resistance connection to the ground, protecting electrical systems and people from
hazards like electrocution by safely channeling excess electrical energy away from
equipment and structures, especially in situations where other earthing methods are
impractical or less effective.
3. Pipe Earthing: Pipe earthing is a common electrical grounding method where a
perforated galvanized iron (GI) pipe is buried vertically in the soil to create a low-
resistance path to the earth. This process protects against electric shock and equipment
damage by safely diverting fault currents. The pipe's effectiveness is maintained by
surrounding it with a mixture of charcoal and salt to improve conductivity and moisture
retention, and regular watering through a funnel at the surface.
4. Plate Earthing: Plate earthing is an electrical grounding method where a metal plate
(copper or galvanized iron) is buried in the ground to safely discharge fault currents into
the earth. The plate is typically placed vertically at a depth of at least 3 meters and
surrounded by layers of charcoal and salt to increase moisture retention and conductivity. A
conductor is then connected from the plate to the electrical system to provide a low-
resistance path for current during an electrical fault, preventing electric shock and
protecting equipment.