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DESIGN CALCULATION FOR EARTHING SYSTEM -RUNGTA MINES BARBIL

A. NOMENCLATURE

1. Soil resistivity r W-m

2. Surface layer (crushed rock resistivity) rs W-m

3. Symmetrical fault current in substation lf A

4. Total area enclosed by ground grid A m²

5. Surface layer de-rating factor Cs

6. Diameter of grid conductor d m

7. Spacing between parallel conductors D m

8. Attainable touch voltage Em V

9. Attainable step voltage Es V

10. Tolerable step voltage for human with 50Kg. body weight Estep50 V

11. Tolerable touch voltage for human with 50Kg. body weight Etouch50 V

12. Depth of ground grid conductors h m

13. Surface layer thickness hs m

14. Maximum grid current that flows between ground grid and surrounding IG A

15. Corrective weighting factor that emphasizes the effects of grid depth Kh

16. Correction factor for grid geometry Ki

17. Corrective weighting factor that adjusts for the effects of inner conductors Kii

18. Spacing factor for mesh voltage Km

19. Spacing factor for step voltage Ks

20. Total length of grid conductor Lc m

21. Effective length of Lc + LR for mesh voltage LM m

22. Periphery length of the earthing equivalent area LP m

23. Total length of ground rods LR m

24. Length of ground rod at each location Lr m

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25. Effective length of Lc + LR for step voltage LS m

26. Total effective length of grounding system conductor, including grid LT m

27. Maximum length of grid conductor in x direction L = Lx m

28. Maximum length of grid conductor in y direction W = Ly m

29. Geometric factor composed of factors na, nb, nc and nd n

30. Number of electrodes placed in area Nr

31. Resistance of grounding system Rg W

32. Duration of shock for determining allowable body current ts s

B. INPUT PARAMETERS

1. Earth fault current in substation lf = 40000 A

2. Earth fault current considered for step & touch potential lG = 24000 A
calculation

3. Duration of fault current for sizing of conductor tc = 1 s

4. Duration of fault current for step and touch potential ts = 0.5 s

5. Surface layer resistivity rs = 3000 W-m

6. Surface layer thickness hs = 0.1 m

7. Soil resistivity r = 61.43 W-m

8. Depth of ground grid conductors h = 0.7 m

9. Number of electrodes Nr = 170

10. Length of ground rod at each location Lr = 3 m

11. Length of switchyard along 'X' direction L = 105 m

12. Length of switchyard along 'Y' direction W = 60.65 m

13. Number of conductor along 'X' direction NW = 22

14. Number of conductor along 'Y' direction NL = 14

15. Conductor choosen = 75 x 10 mm G.S. flat

16. Diameter of conductor / equivalent diameter in case of d = 0.0309 m

flat conductor
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C. SIZING OF EARTHING CONDUCTOR

1. Type conductor : Mild steel

2. Reference temperature for material constants Tr = 20 °C

3. Thermal co-efficient of resistivity at reference temperature ar = 3.20E-03 °C

4. Fusing temperature of conductor Tm = 419 °C

5. Design ambient temperature Ta = 50 °C

6. K0 = ( 1 / ar ) - Tr K0 = 293 °C

7. Resistivity of conductor at reference temperature rr = 20.1 mW-cm

8. Specific heat of material SH = 0.114 Cal/gm/°C

9. Density of material SW = 7.86 gm/cc

10. Thermal capacity per unit volume ( 4.184 x SH x SW) TCAP = 3.93 J/cm³/°C

11. Current for sizing of earth mat conductor l = 40 kA

12. Soil resistivity considered for corrosion r = 61.43 W-m

1
-4
Amm² = lx
( TCAP x 10 ) ln ( K0 + Tm )
tc x ar x rr K0 + Ta

1
-4
= 40 x 3.93 x 10 293 + 419
( ) ln ( )
1 x 3.20E-03 x 20.1 293 + 50

= 598.79

As per IEEE Std 80-2000 "guide for safety on Substation" , corrosion allowance is recommended
as per following rule

 In case of conductor to be laid in soil having soil resistivity greater than 100 W-m - No allowance

 In case of conductor to be laid in soil having soil resistivity from 25 to 100 W-m - 15 % allowance

 In case of conductor to be laid in soil having soil resistivity lower than 25 W-m - 30 % allowance
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Considering soil resistivity for conductor sizing as 61.43 W-m

Amm² = 1.15 x Amm²

with corrosion
= 1.15 x 598.79

= 688.61 mm²

Cross section of selected conductor = 750 mm²

Conductor cross section is sufficient

Calculation for tolerable touch and step potential

The reduction factor (de-rating factor) Cs can be approximated by the equation

1 - r / rs
Cs = 1 - a [ ]
2 x hs + a

1 - 61.43 / 3000
= 1 - 0.09 x [ ]
2 x 0.1 + 0.09

= 0.696

Following equation can be used to compute the tolerable touch and step voltages respectively

( 1000 + 1.5 x Cs x rs ) x 0.116

Etouch =
 ts

( 1000 + 1.5 x 0.696 x 3000 ) x 0.116

=
 0.5

= 677.85

( 1000 + 6.0 x Cs x rs ) x 0.116

Estep =
 ts

( 1000 + 6.0 x 0.696 x 3000 ) x 0.116

=
 0.5

= 2219.3
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D. MAIN MAT CONFIGURATION 1 2 3. . . . . . . . . . NL

Number of conductor along the widthwise, NW = 22 1

2
Number of conductor along the lengthwise, NL = 14 3
. W
Number of electrodes, Nr = 170 .
.
Length of individual electrodes, Lr = 3 .

NW L

LC = 65 x 14 + 55 x 8 + 0 + 105 x 12 + 66 x 2 +
0 x 0 + 0
= 2742 m

LT = ( 2742 +( 170 x 3 ))
= 3252 m

Total area of = ( 105 x 55 + 66 x 9 + 0 x 0 + 0 x 0

earthmat, A = 6369 m²

E. DETERMINATION OF GRID RESISTANCE

1 1 1
Rg = r x [ + x ( 1 + ) ]
LT  20 x A 1+hx  20 / A

1 1 1
= 61.43 x [ + x ( 1 + ) ]
1 + 0.7 x  20 / 6369
3252  20 x 6369

= 0.357 W < 0.5 W

E1. GRID POTENTIAL RISE ( GPR ) = Rg x Ig

= 8568 V
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F. CALCULATION OF ATTAINABLE STEP AND TOUCH VOLTAGE

Kii = 1 for grid with ground rods

Kh =  1 + h / h0

Where,

h0 = 1 m

Kh =  1 + ( 0.7 / 1 )

= 1.304

Average spacing 15

D = 5 m

Geometric factor

n = na x nb x nc x nd

2 x LC
na =
LP

= 2 x 2742
331.3

= 16.55

LP
nb =
4x  A

331.3
=
4 x  6369

= 1.019

(0.7 x A / (Lx . Ly))

nc = ((Lx x Ly) / A)

( 0.7 x 6369 / ( 105 x 60.65 ))

= (( 105 x 60.65 ) / 6369 )

= 1

nd = 1 for 'L' shaped grid

n = 16.55 x 1.019 x 1 x 1

= 16.86
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Now,

r x lG x Km x Ki
Em =
LM

and

r x lG x Ks x Ki
Es =
LS

1 D² ( D+ 2 x h )² h Kii 8
Km = x [ ln [ + - ] + ln [ ] ]
2x p 16 x h x d 8x D x d 4x d Kh p x ( 2x n- 1)

2 2
1 5 ( 5 + 2 x 0.7 ) 0.7
= x [ ln [ + - ] +
2x p 16 x 0.7 x 0.0309 8 x 5 x 0.0309 4 x 0.0309

1 8
ln [ ] ]
1.304 p x ( 2 x 16.86 - 1 )

= 0.421

Ki = 0.644 + 0.148 x n

= 0.644 + 0.148 x 16.86

= 3.14

Lr
LM = LC + [ 1.55 + 1.22 x ( ) ] x LR
 Lx² + Ly²

3
= 2742 + [ 1.55 + 1.22 x ( 2 2 ) ] x 510
 105 + 60.65

= 3548

r x lG x Km x Ki
Em =
LM

61.43 x 24000 x 0.421 x 3.139

=
3548

= 549.14 V
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n - 2
KS 1 1 1 1
= x [ + + x ( 1 - 0.5 ) ]
p 2 x h D+ h D

16.86 - 2
1 1 1 1
= x [ + + x ( 1 - 0.5 ) ]
p 2 x 0.7 5 + 0.7 5

= 0.347

LS = 0.75 x LC + 0.85 x LR

= 0.75 x 2742 + 0.85 x 510

= 2490

r x lG x Ks x Ki
Es =
LS

61.43 x 24000 x 0.347 x 3.139

=
2490

= 644.93 V

G. SAFETY CHECK

For the safe earthing design, attainable step & touch voltaes should be less than the tolerable values
respectively,

Attainable Tolerable

Touch voltage in V 549.14 677.85

Step voltage in V 644.93 2219.25

The attainable touch as well as step voltages are well below the tolerable limit. Hence the design
is safe.