GROUNDING FUNDAMENTALS FOR ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS

Overview

Grounding is one of the most overlooked parts of electrical power design and maintenance. This interactive 2-day seminar will cover grounding fundamentals, which grounding system tests can prevent safety and operational issues at your facilities and which tests can be conducted during a plant shutdown versus while the plant is in operation. Background information regarding the engineering factors that influence how electrical energy propagates through grounding and earthing systems will intrigue the engineer and the scientist in you.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Fundamentals of grounding and bonding and how repairs are conducted
• Relationship of grounding and bonding to personal safety
• Requirements of grounding conductors, electrodes, and equipment grounding
• Importance of grounding in relation to system faults and ground-fault protection
• Requirements of grounding for Lightning Protection Systems
• Fall of potential and other resistance-to-ground measurement techniques

Audience

Electrical engineers working in operations, maintenance, engineering, or other service fields in which knowledge grounding for electric power systems is required part of his job responsibility.

Course Outline

Day One – Fundamentals of below-grade grounding or “earthing”

1. Sphere of Influence
2. Soil Testing basics – Wenner 4-Point Soil Resistivity measurements
3. Electrode testing basics – 3-point Fall-of-Potential & Clamp-on Induced Frequency testing
4. Ground System Testing including trouble shooting – 2-point testing
5. Electrical safety basics & NEC Article 250
6. Automatic Transfer Switches and Separately Derived Systems
7. Objectionable current, GFCI and surge protection
8. Questions and Answers as time permits

Day Two – Engineering Issues

1.  Advanced Engineering Issues
2. Ground Potential Rise, Ground Potential Difference, and other engineering factors related to your sites
3. Human safety in high-voltage environments – IEEE Std-80 and 29 CFR 1910.269. Step & touch Potentials
4. Lightning issues including Lightning Risk Assessments
5. Field Testing – Actual hand-on testing in the field
6. Grounding of high-voltage power lines during shut-downs
7. Questions and Answers as time permits

Presenters:

• E&S Instructor: David Stockin, E&S Grounding Engineering Manager
• E&S Instructor: Jeffrey Drummond, E&S Grounding Principal Engineer