Ground Fault Protection
Chris M. Finen, P.E.
Senior Application Engineer
Eaton
[email protected] © 2020 Eaton. All rights reserved..
Ground Fault Protection
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Ground Fault Protection
• Ground Fault protection is essential for safety of
personnel and equipment
• The degree of protection depends upon the device
selected.
• Ground Fault Protection Devices
• Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) – People Protection
• Ground Fault Protection of Equipment (GFPE) – Equipment
Protection
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GFCI Protection
• NEC Article 100 – GFCI Definition
• A device intended for the protection of personnel that functions
to de-energize a circuit or portion thereof within an established
period of time when a current to ground exceeds the values
established for a Class A device.
• Note: Class A ground-fault circuit interrupters trip when the current
to ground has a value in the range of 4mA to 6mA.
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Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI)
• Monitor the difference in the current returning to the breaker versus the current leaving the
breaker
• Typical use a Zero Sequence Sensing method (single sensor)
• If an unacceptable difference is measured, the device trips and interrupts power to the load.
4.993A
5.000A
X
OK
5.000A
0.007A
(ground return path)
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GFP(E) Protection
• NEC Article 100 – Ground-Fault Protection of Equipment
Definition
• A system intended to provide protection of equipment from
damaging line-to-ground fault currents by operating to cause a
disconnecting means to open all ungrounded conductors of the
faulted circuit. This protection is provided at current levels less
than those required to protect conductors from damage through
the operation of a supply circuit overcurrent device.
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NEC Levels of Ground Fault Protection
Ground Fault Requirement Protection Level Examples:
• GFP • Up to 1200 amps
• Required on Service Entrance • ~15-20 amps are minimum Services – Art. 230.95
Mains 1000amps or greater with • Up to 1-second delay
more than 150v to ground
• 4 to 6 milliamps Art. 210.8 – Areas near
• GFCI • No time delay water, outdoor, roof,
garage, kitchen, crawl
• Personnel protection - Required • Class A space
when in vicinity of water
• ANSI/UL943 Listed Art. 555 – Marina receps
Art 426 Snow Melt / Deicing
• 6-100 milliamps equipment
• GFPE • No time delay Art 427.22 Heat trace
• Equipment protection Art 555 Marina
Feeders/Branch
Circuits/Shore Power recep
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Ground Fault Protection 215.10 – Feeder Circuits
(Similar requirement in 210.13 Branch Circuits)
• Ground Fault Protection is required on feeder disconnect
switches, in accordance with 230.95, where:
• System voltage is more than 150V to ground, but not exceeding
600V phase to phase
• Rated 1000A or more
• Exceptions:
• If ground-fault protection is provided on the supply side of feeder.
This typically applies to 6-disconnect rule systems without a single Main. Only Health Care
systems (Art. 517) require GF on Feeders as well as the Main.
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Ground Fault Sensing
Three Methods of Sensing Ground Faults:
1. Residual Sensing 2. Zero Sequence Sensing 3. Ground Return Sensing
• Utilizes individual current • All current carrying • Current sensor placed
sensors for each current conductors route through around the actual ground
carrying conductor a single current sensor return path
• Relay / Trip Unit sums • Current sensor sums • Current sensor reads
actual GF current
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Ground Fault Protection - Residual
Residual Ground Fault
detection
• Breaker measures
all currents except
for ground fault
current
• Any “leftover” or
“residual” current
must be ground
current
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Ground Fault Protection - Residual
If 3-wire load (i.e. no
L-N 277v loads)
• No Ground Fault
• Sum of currents = 0
• Ground Fault
• Sum of currents > 0
Normal phase
current flow
NOTE: Imbalanced current between the phases does NOT cause GF tripping. Only
current that takes an alternate path back to the source is calculated as ground current.
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Ground Fault Protection - Residual
Unbalanced neutral If 4-wire loads (i.e. L-N
return current
277v loads connected)
• Unbalanced current
between the
phases returns on
the neutral. (i.e.
around the breaker)
• Additional neutral
sensor required
Normal phase • No Ground Fault
current flow • Sum of currents
(A+B+C-Neu) = 0
• Ground Fault
• Sum of currents
(A+B+C-Neu) > 0
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Ground Fault Protection - Residual
Neutral sensor
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Ground Fault Protection – Zero Sequence
Zero Sequence Ground
Fault detection
• Like residual,
measures all currents
except for ground
fault current
• Net current through
the CT should be
zero.
• Anything > zero
indicates current is
taking an alternate
path back to the
source.
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Ground Fault Protection – Zero Sequence
Zero Sequence Ground
Fault detection
• Allow much more
sensitive GF
protection than
residual sensing
• Normal condition is
zero current flow to
the relay / trip unit
• High resistance
grounding systems
typically require zero
sequence sensing for
fault tracing
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Ground Fault Protection – Zero Sequence
Shielded Cables
Ground
Cable
Shields on
load side
of CT
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Resistance-Grounded Systems
Characteristics:
• Connected to ground (earth) through a
fixed resistance
• Produces very low currents on first fault
• Enough to allow alarming and fault tracing, but not
enough to cause damage
• Typically 5 – 10 amps
• Maintains continuity of service under first
fault
• No overvoltage issues under fault
• Eliminate arcing line to ground faults
• Can only feed loads at one voltage
• No L-N connected loads
• Higher first cost vs. solidly grounded
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Pulsing High-Resistance Grounded System
• Pulsing Circuit for quickly
locating faults
• Current Relay “51G” Detects
Ground Fault; Alarm Sounds
• Pulsing Function Enabled By
Operator or automatically
• Contactor “C” Pulses
Resistor
18
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High Resistance Ground System - Fault Detection Using
Clamp-On Ammeter
• Clamp around each 3-
phase circuit and look for
pulsing readout on ammeter
• Continue downstream of
circuits with pulsing current
to next panel
• Repeat process until reach
faulted branch
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High Resistance Ground System - Fault Detection Using
Clamp-On Ammeter
20
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Ground Fault Detection Using Fixed Zero-Sequence CT
And Ammeter
• Zero-Sequence CT and
Ammeter in Each Feeder-
Breaker Cubicle
• Individual Ammeter on each
feeder breaker cubicle
indicates pulsing current
• Requires separate ammeter
• No remote monitoring or
annunciation
21
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Ground Fault Detection Using Fixed Zero-Sequence CT
And Trip Unit
• Certain trip units can
accept zero sequence CT
input
• Ground alarm sensing of
the 5 amps the flows
during fault
• Grounded circuit
annunciates ground alarm
condition
• Can be remotely
monitored across comms
or annunciate with relay
output
22
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Ground Fault Detection - Motor Control Center
• High Resistance Ground systems limit
ground current to 5 – 10 amps
• For automated fault localization, Zero
sequence CT and additional overload
relay module required
• Allows quick identification of faulted Motor
Leads
motor circuit Ground
Fault
Module
• Process is not interrupted Overload Relay Indicates
• Takes additional space in the bucket faulted circuit
Ground
Alarm
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Ground Fault Detection - Motor Control Center
Pulse Detection
• High Resistance Ground systems limit
ground current to 5 – 10 amps
• HRG systems with pulsing circuits allow
for simpler fault tracing
• Pulse detection algorithm recognizes
the ground pulses of a Pulsing HRG Motor
System Leads
• No zero sequence CT, additional
hardware, or additional space Overload Relay Indicates
required! faulted circuit
Ground pulses
from HRG Ground
System Alarm
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Ground Return (Source Sensing) Ground Fault Detection
Normal phase • Ground CT is place
current flow
on the neutral to
Unbalanced
neutral
ground bond of the
return
current
separately derived
source.
• Senses actual ground
current returning to
the source
• Ground current is
Ground fault sensed by relay or
current
trip unit
25
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Ground Fault Protection for Multiple Separately Derived
Sources
• Systems fed
from multiple
separately
derived
sources make
add to the
complexity of
GF sensing
• Example:
Main-Tie-Main
26
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Ground Fault Protection for Multiple Separately Derived
Sources
• Neutral return Normal Neutral Current
current from
unbalanced Neutral sensor
loads has does NOT
account for all
multiple paths neutral return
current
for returning to
the source
• Solid neutral
bar running
through the
gear
27
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Ground Fault Protection for Multiple Separately Derived
Sources
• Ground fault Ground Fault Current
current from
unbalanced
loads has Ground current
flows through
multiple paths neutral sensor
for returning to so it would be
the source interpreted as
neutral current
• Can lead to
ground current
routing through
the neutral
sensor
• Desensitizes the
GF protection
28
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Differential Ground Fault Scheme
• Differential (or
Modified
Differential) Ground
Fault schemes are
used on systems
with multiple
separately derived
sources
• Connect together
multiple GF (or
neutral) sensors in
a way to accurately
account for ground
current in / out of a
particular “zone”
29
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Modified Differential Ground Fault
• Ground fault sensors (or neutral
sensors) are tied together in a
“bridge” with different polarities to
add or subtract current readings
for a given “zone”
• Only the OCPD’s for the given
“zone” see the current amount of
ground current
• In this example, for a fault on A-
Bus, only the 52-1 Main and 52-T
Tie see the ground current
• Total ground fault current = 1 pu
• X = unknown ground current flowing
through the B-bus path
• 1-x = ground current flowing through
the A-bus path
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Modified Differential Ground Fault
Ground Fault Isolation Whitepaper
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Generator and Transfer Switch
Grounding
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Standard 3-pole ATS and Generator neutral NOT bonded at the gen (not
Separately Derived)
Utility service = Generator source =
Separately Derived NOT Separately
Derived
Neutral is NOT bonded
Neutral is bonded to to ground at the
ground at the service generator
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Standard 3-pole ATS and Generator neutral NOT bonded at the gen (not
Separately Derived)
Normal Neutral Current
Only path for
neutral current is
through the neutral
sensor
Results:
- Correct detection of GF
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Standard 3-pole ATS and Generator neutral NOT bonded at the gen (not
Separately Derived)
Ground Fault Current
Ground Fault
current travels
back on the ground
conductor and
around the neutral
sensor
Results:
- Correct detection
of ground fault
condition
Line – Ground Fault
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Standard 3-pole ATS and Generator neutral bonded at the gen (2
Separately Derived systems)
Normal Neutral Current
Neutral current can Generator source =
return through the Separately Derived
ground path AND
around the neutral
sensor
Neutral is bonded to
Results: ground at the
- Possible nuisance generator
tripping of the GF
protection during
normal operation
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Standard 3-pole ATS and Generator neutral bonded at the gen (2
Separately Derived systems)
Ground Fault Current
Fault current can
return through the
neutral path and
thru the neutral
sensor
Results:
- Some GF current
flows through the
neutral sensor
- Desensitizes GF
protection
- Violates NEC
because neutral is
grounded at two
locations
Line – Ground Fault
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Standard 4-pole ATS and Generator neutral bonded at the gen (2
Separately Derived systems)
Ground Fault Current
- Fault current can
only return through
the ground path
- Neutral current
only has single
path since neutral
is switched
Results:
- Correct sensing of
neutral and ground
fault current
- Meets NEC
because neutrals
for each system are
only grounded at
one location Line – Ground Fault
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Single service, Gen(s) not separately derived, Multiple 3-Pole ATS
2nd Level
GFP Normal Neutral Current
Neutral current can
return through multiple
paths (any ATS).
Amount of current to
flow depends on the
impedance of each path.
Results:
- Correct sensing of
neutral current for Main
Breaker GFP
- Feeder Breaker (2nd
Level) GFP may not see
all neutral current
- Can cause nuisance
tripping of Feeder GFP if
settings are too low
- Same condition can also
affect GF Alarms when on
Emergency Source
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Multiple Services, Gen(s) not separately derived, Multiple 3-Pole ATS
Neutral current can
return through multiple
paths due to multiple
ground points and ATS.
Amount of current to
flow depends on the
impedance of each path.
Results:
- Multiple neutral ground
bonding points create multiple
paths for neutral current and
ground current
- Can cause nuisance tripping
of GFP if settings are too low
- Same condition can also
affect GF Alarms when on
Generator Distribution
Switchboard
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Multiple Services, Gen(s) separately derived, Multiple 4-Pole ATS
Neutral current can only
return through the
correct neutral sensor
Results:
- NEC compliant (3 separately
derived services)
- Correct sensing of neutral
currents and ground fault
currents
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Transfer Switch and Grounding Options Summary
• Use 4-pole anytime the generator is separately derived (bonded at the gen)
• Recommend 4-pole anytime there are multiple utility services
• Avoid mixing the use of 3-pole and 4-pole ATS
• Exception: Only need 3-pole if feeding only 3-wire loads
• Consider future expansion – If new service is likely to be added, use 4-pole ATS
• Overlapping neutral switching is not necessary or recommended
• History, testing, and modeling shows that neutral switching does not produce appreciable transients
• Overlapping neutral can cause nuisance tripping due to momentary connection to both separately
derived sources
• Number of generators typically is irrelevant since they are typically all separately
derived, or none are separately derived
• Take care to balance loads at all ATS to minimize problems
• Limits neutral current flow
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3-Pole and 4-Pole Transfer Switching Whitepaper
3-Pole and 4-pole Transfer
Switch Switching
Characteristics
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Questions?
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