earthing importance

1. Importance of Earth Mat in Substation
The earth mats or grounding mats are used to bring the connection to the earth indoors.
They usually connect through a conductor inserted within the ground port of an electrical
outlet. They help in limiting the ground potential & protect against the faulty current.
Earthing mat is mostly used in a place where the large fault current is to be experienced.
Electrical power systems comprise a network of electrical elements that generate,
distribute and transmit electrical energy through transmission lines. The substation
grounding systems are made up of a network of conductors interconnecting the metallic
parts of equipment and structures, and an arrangement of conductors buried
underground. These provide an electrical connection to the earth.
In general, the earth is composed of several layers of soil at any location selected for the
construction of a substation. The soil is a part of the fault circuit; therefore, a protection
circuit is needed to be established. That is why the earth mats or ground mats are used
to protect humans who may come in contact with this fault circuit.
How are the Earth Mats placed for substation
protection?
In a Substation, Earth Mats are connected to the Following:
-The neutral point is the system through its independent earth.
-Equipment framework and other non-current carrying parts of the electrical equipment
in the sub-station.
-All extraneous metallic frameworks are not associated with equipment. Handle of the
operating pipe.
-Fence if it is within 2 m from the earth mat.

2. In addition to the grids below the ground level, earthing spikes or electrodes are driven
into the ground. They are electrically connected to the equipment bodies, earth grid,
structures, neutrals, etc. All these together are connected to the Earthing system of the
substation by several Earthing strips.
All these offer a low earth resistance which is the primary purpose of Earthing. The inter-
link is made through a flat or rod conductor called an Earth Mat or Grid. It offers the
surface of substation equipment a near-absolute earth potential. As a result, they help
with physical protection against faulty currents. While designing an Earthing mat, the
following step is taken into consideration.
If the switchyards have soil that is low in resistance, the earth resistance of the Earthing
system would also be low. If the soil resistivity is high, the mesh rods are laid with closer
spacing with more electrodes inserted in the ground.
The voltage between the ground and the ground surface is not dangerous to a person
during a fault condition. A person who may have to come in contact with the non-current-
carrying conducting surface of the electrical system is protected during a fault condition.
Interrupt a fault current that may flow into the Earthing mat if it is large enough to
operate the protective relay. The resistance of the ground is low to allow the fault current
to flow through it. Therefore, the resistance of the mat will not permit the flow of fatal
current into the person’s body.
Ideally, the ground around the substations should have zero ohms resistance. There is
no established standard ground resistance threshold available and is recognized by all
agencies. However, the NFPA and IEEE have recommended a ground resistance value
of 5.0 ohms or less. To achieve this, the substations must:
1. Have Neutrals for generators, transformers, capacitors, and reactors a connection to
the earth.
2. Offer a Low-resistance path to the earth for the currents resulting from ground faults,
lightning rods, surge arresters, gaps, and other devices.
3. Limit the potential differences that appear between the substation metallic objects or
structures, and the ground potential rise (GPR), due to the flow of ground currents; they
may pose a danger to equipment and personnel.
4. Improve the operation of the protective relay scheme to clear ground faults
5. Increase the reliability and availability of the electrical system
6. Allow the grounding of de-energized equipment during maintenance
The primary function of Earthing Mat is to provide all the above.

3. How do the Earth mats help in grounding?
The various applications of electricity that include ‘++’ (lighting, electromechanical
conversion, telecommunications, process control, information technology, biomedical
equipment, and such.) become hot by the faulty current. Workers who are involved in
working with the equipment or around that area are exposed to the equipment which
may also become hot due to a faulty current if there is any.
As an important part of the substation grounding system the earth mats:
1) Ensure the safety of workmen against electrical shocks by keeping the touch potential
and earth potential in the switchyard under any earth fault condition within safe limits.
2) Provide neutral Earthing or ground connection to connect the neutrals of stat
connected to transformer’s winding to earth.
3) Discharge the overvoltage from overhead lightning masts or ground wires to the earth
for providing a ground path for surge arresters.
4) Arrange for a path to discharge the charge between phase and ground using Earthing
switches.
5) Provide Equipment Earthing or earth connections to structures of the substation and
other non-current carrying metallic parts in the sub-station.
6) Ensure the safety of personnel and the general public through touch and step
potential.
Earthing mat is one of the essential parts of electrical grounding required for reducing
the overall grounding resistance in substations.
Axis India Limited manufactures high conductivity copper tape, lattice earth mats to
minimise the dangers of high step and touch voltages to operators in a circumstance like
High Voltage switching.