Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2
Agenda
3
What is a ground fault?
4
What is a ground fault?
15 A
Black
White
Green Toaster
5
What is not a ground fault?
15 A
Black
IFAULT
White
Green Toaster
6
Types of System Grounding
L
L
O
O
A
A
D
D
Resonance Resistance
Grounded Grounded
7
Ungrounded AC System
L
O
A
D
Distributed capacitance of
electrical system
8
Ungrounded AC System –
No Ground-Fault Current
L
O
A
Ground Fault D
X
9
Ungrounded AC System –
Phase-to-Ground-to-Phase Fault
L
O
X
A
Ground Fault D
X
10
Uninterruptable Process
11
Ungrounded AC System –
Ground-Fault Detection
L
O
A
D
EL3100 Ground-
Fault & Phase-
Voltage Indicator
12
Ungrounded AC System –
Ground-Fault Detection
L
O
A
D
PGR-3200 PGA-0510
Ground-Fault Analog
Protection System Ohmmeter
13
Phase-Voltage Indication Lights
Typical three-phase ground-fault indication scheme used on an
ungrounded system
14
Point-of-Fault Location
Insulation
Monitor’s
Measuring
Signal
15
Point-of-Fault Location
?!?
16
17
Ungrounded AC System Phase Voltages –
Normal vs Faulted Operation
A & B phases are 6 to 8 times
line-line voltage above ground
A & B phases are at line-
line voltage above
ground (eg: 600V)
!
0V
18
Causes of Arcing Ground Faults and Transient
Overvoltages
19
Ungrounded AC System – IEEE Standard
20
Ungrounded AC System
21
Solidly Grounded AC System (3 Wire)
L
O
A
D
22
Solidly Grounded AC System (4 Wire)
23
Solidly Grounded AC System
L
O
A
Ground Fault D
X
24
Solidly Grounded AC System –
Ground-Fault Detection
L
O
A
D
SE-701
Ground-Fault
Monitor
25
Solidly Grounded AC System Hazards
26
Solidly Grounded AC System – IEEE Standard
27
Solidly Grounded AC System
28
Resistance-Grounded AC System
L
O
A
D
NGR
Wye-Connected
Transformer Secondary
Distributed capacitance
of electrical system
Neutral Grounding
Resistor (NGR)
29
Edge-Wound Neutral-Grounding Resistor
(NGR)
30
Wire-Wound NGR
31
Wire-Wound NGR (Coated)
32
Neutral-Grounding Resistors
33
Resistance-Grounded AC System
L
O
A
Ground Fault D
NGR X
34
Resistance-Grounded AC System –
Ground-Fault Detection
L
O
A
D
NGR
SE-704
Earth-Leakage
Monitor
35
Resistance-Grounded AC System –
IEEE Standard
§ IEEE Std 141-1993 (Red Book)
Recommended Practice for Electric Power
Distribution for Industrial Plants
– 7.2.2 There is no arc flash hazard, as there is with
solidly grounded systems, since the fault current is
limited to approximately 5 A. Another benefit of high-
resistance grounded systems is the limitation of
ground fault current to prevent damage to equipment.
High values of ground faults on solidly grounded
systems can destroy the magnetic core of rotating
machinery.
36
Types of Electrical Faults
37
Initiators of Electrical Faults
38
Resistance-Grounded AC System
39
Resistance-Grounded AC System –
Tripping vs. Alarming System
§ Tripping Systems
– Ground faults automatically cleared
– NGR let-through current > 10 A
§ Alarming Systems
– Continues to operate on first ground fault
– NGR let-through current <= 10 A
§ Alarming System 10-A Limit
– Prevent burning of insulation and escalation to phase-to-
phase
– Prevent burning of core material
– Maximum NGR let-through current for an alarming system
as defined by Canadian Electrical Code
40
Resistance-Grounded AC System –
Tripping vs. Alarming System
§ Alarming systems are not common above 5 kV
– Higher system capacitance – necessitates NGR let-
through current above 10 A
– Higher voltage – increased probability of ground-fault
escalation to a phase-to-phase fault
§ Tripping Systems
– 15 and 25 A let-through current common
– NGR’s up to a few hundred amps can be used on
higher voltage
– Designers familiar with solid grounding often specify
more let-through current than necessary
41
Converting from Ungrounded to Resistance
Grounded
L
O
A
D
Zigzag
Transformer
NGR
42
Zigzag Transformer
43
Converting from Solidly to Resistance
Grounded
§ A 3-wire solidly grounded system can easily be
converted to a resistance grounded one
– Ensure all equipment is rated for line-line voltage
above ground e.g., VFDs, UPSs, etc.
§ A 4-wire system with a distributed neutral is
typically left with a solid connection to ground
– If line-to-neutral loads can be converted to line-to-line
loads, resistance grounding can be implemented
44
Resistance Grounding –
Codes and Standards
45
Normal Operation –
Low Voltage Resistance Grounding
347 VLG
347 VLG
~0VNG
347 VLG
46
Normal Operation –
Low Voltage Resistance Grounding
600 VLG
0 VLG
47
Harmonic Currents
48
Harmonic Currents
49
Relay Coordination –
Zone-Selective Interlocking
§ In a zone-selective interlocking system ground-fault
relays coordinate using control signals
– Upstream devices are prevented from operating by a
control signal from a downstream device. If the
downstream device is unable to clear the fault the
upstream device operates
§ Zone-selective interlocking requires a great deal of
control wiring
– A solution used on solidly grounded systems where
overcurrent- and ground-fault-protective devices would
otherwise trip simultaneously
– With resistance-grounding, time-selective coordination
achieves the same result without the need for control
wiring
50
Relay Coordination –
Time-Selective Coordination
§ Since ground-fault current is controlled to a level
that will reduce fault damage, and an arc flash
will not occur, time-selective coordination can be
employed
§ This is achieved when all ground-fault relays on
the system trip at the same level, with those
installed furthest from the supply set to trip with
the least delay
§ When a fault occurs, the nearest upstream relay
is the first to trip
51
Agenda
52
What is charging current?
53
Charging Current (Ungrounded System)
IC IA+IB+IC=0
IA
LOAD
IB
IC
IA IA + IB + IC = 0
A1
Ideal System:
• All current flows from and returns
IB
to the source through the CT.
• Ammeter A1 reads 0 amps.
54
Charging Current (Ungrounded System)
IC IA+IB+IC=0
IA
LOAD
IB
X = Distributed
XB XA XC Capacitance
A1
• Includes distributed capacitance to ground (shown as lumped
capacitance).
• All current flows from, and returns to the source, through the CT.
• Ammeter A1 reads 0 amps.
55
Charging Current (Ungrounded System)
IC IA+IB+IC=0
IA
LOAD
IB
X = Distributed
XB XA XC Capacitance
A2
A1
56
Charging Current (Ungrounded System)
Charging Current I1
Reads I1 A1
Charging Current I2
Reads I2 A2
Charging Current I3
Reads I1+I2 A3
57
Charging Current (Resistance-Grounded
System)
LOAD
NGR Current
A2
A1
• Ammeter A1 will read the NGR current – this is a similar principal to a
ground-fault relay
• Ammeter A2 will read the sum of the charging currents and NGR
current
58
Resistance-Grounded AC System –
Sympathetic Tripping
§ Sympathetic tripping is defined as a ground-fault
trip on an unfaulted feeder in response to a
ground fault elsewhere in the system
§ Sympathetic tripping can occur if the operating
value of the feeder’s ground-fault relay is less
than the feeder’s charging current
§ Sympathetic tripping cannot occur, regardless of
the relative feeder sizes, if an operating value
above the charging current of the largest feeder
is used for all ground-fault relays in the system
59
Resistance-Grounded AC System –
Sympathetic Tripping
Feeder 1
Reads I1 A1 I1
Feeder 2
Reads I2 A2 I2
NGR IR Feeder 3
Reads I1+I2+IR A3
60
Charging Current – Tripping Ratio
61
Agenda
62
NGR Selection
63
NGR Selection
64
NGR Selection
65
Agenda
66
Why an NGR Monitor?
Broken Wire
Loose
Connection
Resistor
Failure
Stolen Wire(s)
Corrosion
67
Why an NGR Monitor?
NGR
68
Approaches to NGR Monitoring –
The Potential Transformer Method
69
New Approach to NGR Monitoring –
SE-330 Neutral-Grounding-Resistor Monitor
CT is used to monitor
ground-fault current
(CT selected to match Continuously monitors loop
N
NGR current) resistance of ER-series
sensing resistor and NGR
R
NGR
G
70
Case Study – Anglo Coal, Australia
§ Situation
– In 2004 inspection of three NERs at a stationary surface
substation of an Anglo Coal mine in Australia reveals all
three to be open
§ Action
– Littelfuse Startco suggests a PGR-5330 package for
monitoring the NERs
– Anglo Coal presents the topic of NER monitoring at the
2004 Queensland Mine Electrical Conference
§ Result
– Anglo Coal is convinced that NER monitoring is beneficial
– Another documented example of why we should monitor
NGR’s is brought forward
71
Case Study – Anglo Coal, Australia
72
Case Study – Prairie Mines & Royalty, Canada
73
Case Study – Prairie Mines & Royalty, Canada
74
Case Study – Prairie Mines & Royalty, Canada
75