Design a safe grounding system for rural electric power distribution substations

The author presents an analytical approach making use of a digital computer to design a safe ground mat for high-voltage substations. The approach is based on the IEEE standard 80-Guide for Safety in AC Substation Grounding. Human factor considerations and calculations of step and touch potentials and ground fault current are discussed. Accurate evaluation of ground mat design can be achieved with the use of digital computers, and costly and conservative design can be eliminated. A summary of all input parameters to the ground mat computer-aided design program and output information is provided. Ground mat construction and grounding system performance follow-up are discussed. A sample ground mat design problem is included.<>