What makes a good grounding system?
The performance of the grounding system is determined by the quality of the following five components all of which are of equal importance. The grounding electrode conductor The grounding connections The grounding electrode Electrode to soil resistance The soil Typically… Read more
Mar 09, 2016 | By Edvard Csanyi
Important points about grounding of electronic equipment
Grounding electronic equipment for personal safety and clearing of faults is no different than that of any other equipment. Safe grounding requires fast opening of circuit breakers or fuses and minimization of voltage differences between exposed metal surfaces on all… Read more
Jan 29, 2016 | By Edvard Csanyi
When You Ground Ungrounded System With Grounding Transformer
The common grounding assumes a wye-connected neutral to ground. As this is not always the case, and in some cases it is not a three-phase system that it is desired to be grounded. For situations of this kind a grounding… Read more
Jan 20, 2016 | By Edvard Csanyi
8 tips to avoid ground loops when dealing with signal level circuits
General recommendation is to properly design and implement the facility’s grounding system to avoid unwanted involvement of ground loops with the operation of the equipment. This kind of approach can also eliminate the need to consider equipment modifications and to… Read more
Jan 06, 2016 | By Edvard Csanyi
6 Voltages a Person Can Be Exposed To In a Substation
Figures 1 and 2 show the voltages a person can be exposed to in a substation. There are many definitions related to these voltages, but the following six are the most important. These definitions are: Ground potential rise (GPR) Mesh… Read more
Oct 09, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Analysis of pole-mounted MV/LV transformer grounding
Let’s discuss in some detail the reasons for the grounding philosophy adopted for pole-mounted MV/LV transformer substations illustrated in Figure 0. Contents: LV grounding MV grounding Combined MV/LV grounding Separate MV/LV grounding MV electrode LV electrode Pole transformer basics (VIDEO)… Read more
Sep 23, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Nine Recommended Practices for Grounding
Grounding and bonding are the basis upon which safety and power quality are built. The grounding system provides a low-impedance path for fault current and limits the voltage rise on the normally non-current-carrying metallic components of the electrical distribution system…. Read more
Mar 06, 2015 | By Edvard Csanyi
Danger And Control Of Static Electricity Buildup
It is necessary to study the static buildup potential of any workplace and institute protective measures to control such buildup. The following are the dangers posed by static electricity: Ignition causing fire or explosion Damage to sensitive electronic components Electric… Read more
Dec 12, 2014 | By Edvard Csanyi
Clean vs dirty ground – Bonding of isolated, common & integrated grounding systems
In this article we covered in detail the physics related to lightning phenomenon and how the surges due to lightning strokes are safely conducted to ground using a lightning protection system consisting of air terminations, down conductors and grounding electrodes…. Read more
Dec 05, 2014 | By Edvard Csanyi
What NEC says about design constraints for grounding systems
Several key design constraints for grounding systems from the NEC are as follows. These are paraphrased from the code text: Ø Electrical systems that are grounded must be grounded in such a manner as to limit the voltage imposed by lightning, line… Read more
Oct 22, 2014 | By Edvard Csanyi
18 key terms defined in NEC system grounding requirements
The topic of system grounding is extremely important, as it affects the susceptibility of the system to voltage transients, determines the types of loads the system can accommodate, and helps to determine the system protection requirements. The system grounding arrangement… Read more
Oct 15, 2014 | By Edvard Csanyi
Instrument transformers (CTs, VTs) in the system
The three main tasks of instrument transformers are: To transform currents or voltages from a usually high value to a value easy to handle for relays and instruments. To insulate the metering circuit from the primary high voltage system. To provide… Read more
May 19, 2014 | By Edvard Csanyi
Case study – Improper grounding practice of computers in buildings
In a large office complex, computer errors including system crashes/reboots were happening during thunderstorms. The grounding of computer system had been carried out according to the recommendations of manufacturers. The grounding leads were insulated and terminated to an isolated grounding bus. This bus… Read more
May 14, 2014 | By Edvard Csanyi
Testing Procedures for HV Voltage Transformers
Equipment required for testing General inspection Insulation Resistance Test Polarity Test Transformer Turns ratio test Following equipment is necessary to perform testings: Polarity test kit Megger 500-5000V Ohmmeter Multimeter Autotransformers & Step-up transformers Go up to the Content General visual… Read more
Feb 28, 2014 | By Edvard Csanyi
Practices for grounding and bonding of cable trays
Cable tray may be used as the Equipment Grounding Conductor (EGC) in any installation where qualified persons will service the installed cable tray system. There is no restriction as to where the cable tray system is installed. The metal in… Read more
Feb 26, 2014 | By Edvard Csanyi
