{"title":"The shift to non-metallic services and the optimal LV earthing system","authors":"B. Pawlik, W. Tocher, H. Gamage","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731296","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731296","url":null,"abstract":"With the impending release of the latest revision of AS/NZS 3000 it is the opportune time to review LV earthing systems in Australia. An increased use of non-conductive pipes in residential developments brings to question the use of the TN-C-S earthing system due to issues that are arising. This paper explores the pros and cons of the alternate earthing systems, typically applied overseas, from both a safety and asset management perspective. Cases where alternate LV earthing systems may be more economically feasible are investigated and the viability of utilizing different LV earthing system arrangements on a case by case basis is considered as a solution to arising issues presented by the shift to non-metallic services in new residential developments.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"63 3","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120888553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On decrement factor how and why X/R correction is used and abused","authors":"W. Tocher, B. Pawlik, D. Woodhouse, C. Shaw","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731301","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731301","url":null,"abstract":"The dominantly reactive nature of electricity networks, coupled with fast protection times, means the short circuit response of the current waveform is rarely symmetrical. In reality, fault current asymmetry produces an increased rms equivalent current due to decaying DC offset modelled by decrement-factor. For earthing systems this larger rms current creates higher earthing voltages and should be considered properly so that worst case hazards and equipment ratings are assessed. The experience of the authors is that decrement-factor is often incorrectly applied to earthing assessments or not at all. Sound engineering argument supports a case for decrement-factor to NOT be applied in areas of earthing system analysis where mutual coupling is concerned, for instance pipeline induction studies and earth return coupling, such as OHEW or cable-sheath. This first paper of ongoing studies is a re-examination of decrement-factor and how such correction should be made correctly to power system earthing analysis.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"475 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123388944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effective management of earth potential rise through alternative installation strategies for counterpoise conductors","authors":"P. Sébire, D. Woodhouse, W. Tocher","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731298","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731298","url":null,"abstract":"Earthing systems must be designed to provide adequate performance and safety for the life of the asset. However, a major issue encountered with older substations in Australia is where MEN encroachment related voltage hazards occur. Touch voltages between the substation EPR and the relatively low potential of the encroaching MEN are difficult to correct with traditional earthing methods. Newer substations can also incur such encroachments, particularly when established in rural growth areas. Earthing designs under such circumstances may therefore be required to be dynamic and scalable. This paper presents two case studies in which the innovative use of the oft-thought traditional counterpoise conductor has contributed to effective management of EPR through a number of stages of development of the substation and surrounding infrastructure. The paper will focus on utilising counterpoise conductors in the management of EPR at both `Brownfield' and `Greenfield' substations by considering transfer hazards, touch voltage hazards, compliance with telecommunications assets and commonly ignored mutual coupling benefits between fault current carrying conductors and the counterpoise. The issues, concepts and opportunities discussed may offer additional strategies to those from various industries with a role in either the detailed design, commissioning testing and specification and ongoing management of earthing systems.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126633733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"History of earthing and the impact on coal mining","authors":"P. Stepien, R. Griffiths","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731300","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731300","url":null,"abstract":"The use of earthing in electrical power reticulation has an interesting history. Initial power distribution systems did not deliberately reference the phase conductors to earth. Later, depending on the application, there was a bifurcation of earthing practices, with some systems solidly earthed through low impedance resistors and some loosely earthed through high impedance resistors. The coal mining industry in Australia has converged to high resistance earthing. The supply is removed on the first earth fault to ensure that the fault is not escalated on the occurrence of a second earth fault. While this has safety benefits, there are challenges for the design of sensitive earth leakage protection. This is further complicated with the introduction of Variable Speed Drives (VSDs). This paper charts the history of earthing and how it has influenced the way that earth fault protection is implemented in coal mines, both in Australia and overseas.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126732327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"EG-0 constant fibrillation probability curve replication","authors":"Emma C. King, R. Coggan","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731295","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731295","url":null,"abstract":"EG-0 Power System Earthing Guide - Part 1: Management Principles provides a high level process for determining the probability of fibrillation of an individual exposed to a voltage for a given time. The constant fibrillation probability curves from EG-0 outline the probability of fibrillation of a person given a specific contact scenario. An attempt was made to replicate the EG-0 process so that intermediate hazard magnitudes could be predicted for scenarios which were not explicitly documented in EG-0. This paper examines the assumptions made and issues encountered when trying to replicate the EG-0 process for determining the probability of fibrillation and the constant fibrillation probability curves. The initial results attempted to align to Figure B11-2 from EG-0. The scenario in Figure B11-2 relates to the conditions of prospective touch, no footwear and dry body with 50 ohm.m soil.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"325 ","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"113997095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How does current flow in the ground?","authors":"D. Woodhouse, W. Tocher, M. Bale","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731304","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731304","url":null,"abstract":"One of the most exotic concepts in the field of earthing is the ability of the earth to conduct electricity. Its sheer size means that the impedances produced by the passage of current through the soil are very low. Large earthing systems in low soil resistivity areas can produce very small earthing system impedances. What is not as well appreciated is that an overhead conductor using an earth return path to complete a circuit, such as is the case during a phase to earth fault, incurs an additional impedance due to the passage of current through the earth. This paper explores the analogous condition of current flow in a homogeneous conductor and the distribution of current within that conductor due to the impact of skin effect. The earth fault current distribution is constrained by the magnetic forces produced by the current in the earth and the excitation current, being the insulated earth fault current carrying conductor, located either above the ground or within the earth. The earth fault currents distribute in a manner unexpected by many, but with direct impact on transmission line easements and the manner in which transmission impedances are calculated.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129527685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A definitive assessment of the use of primary clearing times for safety criteria targets","authors":"D. Woodhouse, S. Palmer, M. Bale","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731303","url":null,"abstract":"Earthing by its nature is particularly open to speculation, opinion and contention. One such point of contention is whether primary or backup clearing times should be used in the preparation of appropriate safety criteria. As humans become increasingly susceptible to ventricular fibrillation the longer the heart current duration, the use of back up clearing times often leads to significantly lower allowable touch voltages (and higher associated costs in achieving compliance). On the other hand using primary protection clearing times for the protection of people, while using back up clearing times for the protection of equipment, seems ill balanced. This paper investigates and presents the case for and against the use of primary clearing times, including a quantified risk based assessment.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"136 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131324169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Earthing shock safety design standards","authors":"W. Carman","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731280","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731280","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines the physiological basis for shock safety standards, and how previously conflicting ambiguous standards are being re-aligned in Australia and other countries, using quantified risk analysis to calculate risk of fatality as the new design metric. While a simple one ohm grid resistance may be an adequate design target (even for a substation with a 50kA earth fault level, provided the power cable systems are intact), it has been universally recognised that tolerable touch voltages are a more appropriate metric for safety standards. However, discussions with over 100 engineers from 13 countries have shown that there is a large variety in approaches, ranging from blanket application of standard template configurations (independent of boundary conditions and approach applicability checks) to individually designed and commissioned installations. The new risk based design metric enables designers to more objectively justify the standard to apply for each exposure location.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130290439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Earthing – substation fire and station transformer customers supply transfer voltage issue","authors":"H. Dehbonei","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731286","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731286","url":null,"abstract":"At midnight on 7 April 2010, a substation fire cut power to 1500 residences and businesses. Main Roads and the Public Transport Authority responded to ensure that traffic lights and boom gates had generators installed ready to minimise impacts to the public and traffic. Investigations established that a fault in the area and failure of the earthing arrangement lead to the fire and damaged 11 kV indoor switchgear beyond repair. During the ensuing investigation, over 45 customers were identified as being supplied from the substation station transformer, raising concerns amongst internal stakeholders about transfer voltage hazards to customers. A working group was established to respond urgently and considered various suggestions, such as installing a distribution pole-top transformer or separated earth. It was noted that if the supply arrangement to the customer needed changing, other zone substations with this particular setup would also need to be changed (significant cost implications); it was queried whether this is an unacceptable risk. Some key challenges during this project were identifying the causes of fire, realistic risk assessment, maintaining positive communication channels among stakeholders to manage risk, preventing unnecessary action and a lack of background technical information for this old substation. This paper explains the systematic problem identification process to prevent future incidences in consultation with stakeholders and a special earthing design approach for substation and distribution accompanied by field testing, which lead to a robust risk management strategy. This case illustrates that acceptable levels of people safety were in place and also the prevention of unnecessary actions, which can cost utilities and customers.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"66 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122869701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Network authority earthing connection policy case study of an industrial facility expansion","authors":"M. Bale, S. Palmer","doi":"10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/DTEC.2016.7731277","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents the case of an earthing design for a large industrial site performed in accordance with an inflexible Network Authority management policy resulting in high risk outcomes for both parties. In doing so, the basis of the engineering problem, and the lowest risk solution, are juxtaposed against the requirements of the management policy and the implemented design. With the use of the case study, the limitations and risks of 'single solution policies' are explored, along with suggested ways for policy owners to responsibly permit appropriate engineering design to achieve lowest risk outcomes.","PeriodicalId":417330,"journal":{"name":"2016 Down to Earth Conference (DTEC)","volume":"59 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122161241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}