RESIDENTIAL WIRING: GROUNDING AND SAFETY

 Residential electric power service consists of a 3-wires AC system is supplied by the local power
company.
 The 3-wires come from a utility pole and consist of a neutral wire connected to earth ground and two
“hot” wires.
 Each hot line supplies 120V r.m.s to the residential circuits.
 The two lines are 1800 out of phase.
 The voltage between the hot wires is actually 240V r.m.s.
 Applications such as (i) electric stoves
(ii) Air co0nditioners
(iii) Heaters are powered by 240V r.m.s arrangement.
 Lighting and all the electric outlets in the house which are used for small applications are powered by a
single 120V r.m.s. line.
 Limiting the I2R losses is important for efficiency besides reducing the amount of heat generated in the
Wiring for safety consideration.
 Now a days home have 3-wires connections to their outlets.
 Why both the ground and neutral connections needed in the outlet?-----SAFETY.
 The ground connection is used to connect the chassis (body) of the appliances to the earth ground.
 Thus, poorly grounded appliances are hazardous.
 Particularly hazardous conditions are easy to occur when ever the natural resistance to current flows
provided by the skin brakes down.(as in H2O).
 Thus the danger presented to humans by unsafe electric ckts. is very much dependent on the particular
conditions .whenever the H2O or moisture is present, natural electricity resistance of dry skin or dry
shoe soles, even low voltages can lead to fatal currents.
 So, proper grounding procedures should be follower to prevent from electric shock.
 The ground fault circuit interrupts (GFCI) is a special safety circuit used primarily with outdoor circuit
and in bathrooms where risk of death by electric shock is greatest.
 Electric generates will be introduced as a means of producing electric power from a variety of energy
conversion process.
 The choice of a gain source (hydro – electric, thermo electric, geothermal, wind, solar, nuclear sources)
is used as per the power requirement for the given application, by economic & environmental factors.
 A typical generator will produce electric power at 18KV.
 To minimize losses along the conductors, the output of generators is processed through a step-up
transformer to get line voltages of hundreds of kilovolts (345KV).
 Without this transformation the majority of the power generated would be lost in the transmission lines
that carry the electric current from the power station.
 The local electric company operates a power generating plant that is capable of supplying hundred of
mega-volt amperes (MVA) on a 3- basis.
 For this reason, Power Company uses a 3- step-up transformer at the generation plant to increase
the line voltage to around 345KV.
 GENERATION & TRANSMISSION OF AC POWER:-
 Electrical energy is generated in large hydroelectric, thermal and nuclear power stations.
 These stations are mostly situated away from load centers.
 So, an extensive power supply network is necessary between the generating points
consumers loads.
 Transmission & distribution of electric power means conveyance from the central station where
it is generated to the places where it is demanded by the consumers.(like pumping stations,
residential & commercial buildings, mills, factories etc).

 Beyond the generation plant, on electric power network distribution energy to several substations.
 This network is usually referred to as the power grid.
 At the substations, voltage is stepped down to a lower level (10 to 150KV).
 Very large load (e.g industries) may be served directly from the power grid.
 At the local substations, the voltage is stepped down by a 3-PHASE step-down transformer to 4800V.
 These substations distribute the energy to residential and industrial customers.
 Industrial and commercial customers receive 460V or 280V 3-phase services.