Grounding and Bonding of Electrical Systems

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• Identify and prevent safety hazards to personnel who come in contact with electrical systems
• Prevent equipment failures and malfunctions by employing proper grounding techniques
• Interpret codes and standards related to grounding
• Ensure proper operation of communication, computer and control systems by appropriate grounding and bonding
• Apply to your projects lightning protection methods

Description
Grounding and bonding systems ensure that electrical systems are safe from electric shock and fires by limiting the voltage imposed by lightning, line surges, or unintentional contact with high voltage lines as well as a ground fault. An integrated theory and practice approach will ensure you have a firm foundation of knowledge when you begin your next design or construction project or when you encounter problems in your electrical system which must be corrected for safety, operational or power quality reasons and address workplace electrical safety.

Case studies will be presented to discuss grounding and bonding applications in various areas (industrial and substation) to reinforce fundamental grounding principles common to a variety of applications.

Course Outline

• Grounding and bonding
• Electrical code requirements & standards
• Grounding resistance & resistivity
• Substation grounding
• Grounding for Sensitive Electronic equipment
• Lightning protection
• Measurement techniques
• Arc Flash Hazard and Workplace Electrical Safety

Who Should Attend
Electrical Engineers • Design Engineers • Managers • Project Managers • Power Quality Specialists • Maintenance Managers • Consultants • Electronics & Controls personnel • Traffic Signal Designers & Operators • Technologists

Day I

Welcome, Introduction, Learning Outcomes and the Assessment Method

Introduction

• Definitions
• Electrical code objectives
• Ground currents
• Resistance and resistivity
• Electrical hazards- shock and blast

What Is Grounding?

• Grounding methods
• Electrical code requirements
• System grounding - single and multiple services
• Unwanted current flow
• Grounding electrodes and grounding methods
• Integrating emergency generators

Electrical Safety Grounding

• Common electrical hazards
• Rules for working around live electrical equipment
• Electrical safety grounding
• Workplace electrical safety and electrical code requirements

What Is Bonding?

• Grounding and bonding - the differences
• Body resistance and electric shock
• Bonding definition and purposes
• Electrical code requirements
• Methods of bonding and what must be bonded

Other Important Information

• Ground faults - impedance effects and effective fault paths
• Earth resistivity
• Ground fault protection
• Single conductor cables - circulating sheath currents

Questions and Answers

Adjournment

Day II

Arc Flash Hazard

• Workplace electrical safety – CSA Z462
• System Grounding options and their impact on Arc Flash
• Integrating multiple sources
• Stand by Generators and Grounding of Generators
• Locating Ground faults in HRG systems
• Optical sensing and tripping to minimize Arc Flash exposure

Substation Grounding

• Permissible body currents
• Step and touch potentials
• Grounding resistance and resistivity
• Substation ground electrodes
• ANSI/IEEE grounding standard

Electronic Equipment

• Frequency and power quality
• Frequency response of conductors
• Minimizing electrical interference
• Shielding methods

Lightning Protection

• The nature of lightning
• Lightning protection principles and methods
• Protection equipment and grounding methods
• Surge protection and insulation coordination

Measurement Techniques

• Ground resistance and resistivity
• Effects of moisture and temperature
• Measurement methods

Questions and Answers and Feedback to Participants on Achievement of Learning Outcomes

Final Adjournment