Electrical Earthing or Grounding System

A. Main earthing bar or loop is to be conveniently located in electrical/mechanical plant rooms, and connected by earthing conductors to exposed conductive parts of motor control centre at its earthing bar, and to motors, switches and other electrical equipment etc. at their earthing terminals, using 20 x 2 mm insulated copper strips or 35 mm2 insulated copper conductor (minimum size) or as required to carry maximum earth fault current for 1 second with final conductor temperature not exceeding 200 deg. C (392 deg. F).

Earthing or Grounding of Diesel Generator Plant is important to ensure correct operation of the plant and safety of the people who work over there. Generator neutral (star point) is to be connected by insulated earthing conductor through the neutral earthing link or device to main earthing bar. Neutral earthing conductor is to be suitably sized to carry maximum earth fault current for time it takes the system protection to operate with final conductor temperature not exceeding 160 deg. C, but not less than 30 mm2 per 100 kVA of generator rating, with a minimum of 50 mm2. All emergency power diesel gensets including portable gensets to be connected to grounding conductor.

A. Ground Rod:

16 mm diameter stainless steel. Driving head is to be high strength steel. Couplings are to be long length silicon bronze, internally threaded. Threads are to be rolled onto rod to ensure uniform layers of copper and strength. Earth rod is to be complete with non-corrosive couplings, head and bolted connector of sufficient size, and number of bolted clamps to connect all cables terminated thereto.

In electrical projects, both construction as well as maintenance, the following terms used on the Drawings, Specifications and in the actual Work site are equivalent and may be used interchangeably: "earth" and "ground"; "earthing" and "grounding". Besides, this article tries to rectify misinterpretation of some important terms often used by people involved in the electrical earthing / grounding work.

A. Protection against Corrosion:

Protect bolted connections against corrosion either hy filling with vaseline or coating with a special anti-corrosion compound and proper capping (Denso tape / grease caps).

Lightning Protection System should be in accordance with BS 6651 and IEC 61024 to protect the building structure and personnel from the risk of a lightning strike. The installation shall comprise air networks connected to roof and down conductors and finally terminated in earth electrodes, via structural re-bars and suitable test points in accordance with the details included on the attached drawings or in the Specification Section.

The metallic sheath and armour of multicore cables shall be bonded together and earthed. Cable earthing conductors shall be copper strip with appropriate section laid in formed cable trenches or ducts, or fixed to walls, concrete or steel work, by means of clamps or claw type cleats, appropriately secured into suitable wall plugs or tapped holes. The spacing of fixings shall not be greater than 1 m.