Earthing Design
Earthing Design Services
Earthing Design by a professional, competent specialist is paramount to ensure the earthing system is appropriate for the installation.
HV have extensive knowledge and experience in specialist earthing. We offer earthing solutions, ranging from a field based soil resistivity survey (to assist with the initial design process), through to installation and commissioning.
We can assist in all aspects of electrical design, from feasibility studies of network capacity, to small substation design and build, through to detailed design and installation of 132kV primary substations.
When designing a suitable earthing system we obtain the following minimum information:
• Soil Resistivity
• Expected Fault Current and Fault Current Characteristics
• Fault Current Duration
For more complex installations further information will be required.
HV’s experienced electrical design engineers are able to assist with general network studies as well as technical protection designs and earthing system designs.
Our Earthing System Design Services:
- Complete Earthing Design Service
- Initial site investigations and studies of existing earthing systems
- Substation Earthing, site testing & site surveys
- Testing and commissioning of existing systems
- System alterations and maintenance
Inadequately designed earthing systems can lead to the following problems:
Step Potential
Where there is a potential difference that develops across the feet of a person standing near to a buried earthing system. This may cause a harmful current to flow through the body.
Transfer Potential
The ability of a potential voltage to induce a current in a metallic object buried near an earthing system.
Touch Potential
The potential difference that develops when a person touches a metal object connected to a nearby earthing system. This may cause a harmful current to flow through the body.
Effective and suitable Earthing design is cruicial to ensure effective performance and to mitigate any negative impact on the security of electricity supplies and power quality. Failure to implement a suitable earthing design can lead to incured costs from addressing earthing problems and could also cause a threat to potential safety.
High Voltage Services are extensively experienced and qualified in delivering cost effective, high performance and safe Earthing solutions. We develop Earthing solutions in line with the following stringent legislation, codes of practice and guidelines:
• ENA S34 – A Guide for Assessing the Rise of Earth Potential at Substation Sites.
• IEEE Std 80:2000 IEEE Guide for safety in AC substation grounding
• BS 7430:2015 Code of practice for the protective earthing of electrical installations
• ENA TS 41-24 Guidelines for the design, installation, testing & maintenance of main earthing systems in substations
• BSEN 50522:2010 Earthing of power installations exceeding 1 KV a.c.
Read more about our Earthing Installation services
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