Earthing (Check-1) PDF
Earthing (Check-1) PDF
Earthing (Check-1) PDF
Checking earth
electrode impedance
Information from Fluke
Most facilities have earthed electrical systems, so that in the event of a lightning strike or utility overvoltage, current will find a safe path to earth.
To ensure a reliable connection to earth, electrical codes, engineering standards, and local standards often specify a minimum impedance
for the ground electrode. This application note describes the principle methods for testing earth electrodes and connections.
Fig. 1: An earthing system combining reinforcing Fig. 2: Earth electrodes have “areas of influence”
steel and a rod electrode. that surround them. Fig. 3: Clamp-on earth tester.
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the stakes to get a true reading of the For earth impedance measurements
over 10 Ω, the effect of the resistance Then go to Table 6 and look up the P2/C2 a comp
impedance between the electrode and
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TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
corresponding P2/C2 percentage is
59,6%. So the approximate earth
impedance would be measured at
(59,6% X 100 m), or at 59,6 m. This is very
close to our 60% point at 60 m, where we
read 6,8 Ω. So it would be safe to say the
earth resistance for the electrode under
test is roughly 6,8 Ω.
Table 3:
% % % % %
0,40 43,3 0,65 60,6 0,90 56,2 1,15 50,7 1,40 43,1
0,41 64,2 0,66 60,4 0,91 56,0 1,16 50,4 1,41 42,7
0,42 64,0 0,67 60,2 0,92 55,8 1,17 50,2 1,42 42,3
0,43 63,9 0,68 60,1 0,93 55,6 1,18 49,9 1,43 41,8
0,44 63,7 0,69 59,9 0,94 55,4 1,19 49,7 1,44 41,4
0,45 63,6 0,70 59,7 0,95 55,2 1,20 49,4 1,45 41,0
0,46 63,5 0,71 59,6 0,96 55,0 1,21 49,1 1,46 40,6
0,47 63,3 0,72 59,4 0,97 54,8 1,22 48,8 1,47 40,1
0,48 63,2 0,73 59,2 0,98 54,6 1,23 48,6 1,48 39,7
0,49 63,0 0,74 59,1 0,99 54,4 1,24 48,3 1,49 39,3
0,50 62,9 0,75 58,9 1,00 54,2 1,25 48,0 1,50 38,9
0,51 62,7 0,76 58,7 1,01 53,9 1,26 47,7 1,51 38,4
0,52 62,6 0,77 58,5 1,02 53,7 1,27 47,4 1,52 37,9
0,53 62,4 0,78 58,4 1,03 53,5 1,28 47,1 1,53 37,4
0,54 62,3 0,79 58,2 1,04 53,3 1,29 46,8 1,54 36,9
0,55 62,1 0,80 58,0 1,05 53,1 1,30 46,5 1,55 36,4
0,56 62,0 0,81 57,9 1,06 52,8 1,31 46,2 1,56 35,8
0,57 61,8 0,82 57,7 1,07 52,6 1,32 45,8 1,57 35,2
0,58 61,7 0,83 57,5 1,08 52,4 1,33 45,5 1,58 34,7
0,59 61,5 0,84 57,3 1,09 52,2 1,34 45,2 1,59 34,1
Table 5: Table for the Tagg slope techniue (for 2 decimal places).
Fi g. 1 2 s h o w s t h e c o n n e c t i o n s. T h e
tester measures the combined earth
impedance of the electrode under test,
the earth impedance of the auxiliar y
electrode, and the impedance of the
measurement leads. The assumption is
that the earth impedance of the auxiliary
e l e c t r o d e i s v e r y l o w, w h i c h w o u l d
probably be true for metal pipe without
plastic segments or insulated joints. The
effect of the measurement leads may
Fig. 10: Connection for a stakeless measurement. be removed by measuring with the leads
shorted together and subtracting this
reading from the final measurement.
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ܴ ൌ ൌ ͳൗʹ π Contact Val Verwer, Comtest,
Fig.11: Test current paths in the stakeless method. ͶͲܺ ͳൗʹͲπ Tel 01 254-2200, info@comtest.co.za v