In any field where electricity exists, there are many steps that must be followed to achieve healthy and safe usage. Especially for the safe use of the electrical system, grounding is necessary. At this point, performing grounding measurement before using electricity is much more accurate. It is possible to perform grounding measurement in industrial installations, offices, and many other buildings. Repeating grounding measurements at regular intervals is the first step toward safe usage.
Grounding Measurement is very important not only for well-known reasons but also for the proper functioning of protective elements in electrical systems. When we talk about electricity, grounding measurement is necessary for controlling systems such as residual current relay, surge arrester, thermal magnetic circuit breaker, and automatic fuse.
Grounding Measurement Methods
To be able to perform grounding measurement, certain steps need to be completed fully and correctly. To make an accurate grounding measurement, you can follow the steps below.
Duckfoot Grounding: In the duckfoot grounding measurement method, three branches must be dug. For this, the soil in the working area is dug in a fan shape to a depth of 80 cm. The channels used here resemble an attached duckfoot.
Plate Electrode Grounding: In grounding measurements made with a plate electrode, plate supports are used. The plates used in grounding measurement can have a thickness of at least 1.5 mm copper or 3 mm galvanized. Attention is paid to ensure that the surface area of the plates is at least 0.5 m^2. Also, the soil touching the plate surface must be sifted, which is another important step.
Rod Electrode Grounding: In this grounding method, at least 2-3 conductive rods are used. The diameter of the rods used may vary depending on the electrical current hazard in the grounding area. The diameter of the rods used in grounding ideally ranges between 12.5 mm and 40 mm. During measurement, multiple rod electrodes of the same size can be used.
Ribbon Electrode Grounding: In grounding performed with a ribbon electrode, copper conductor supports are used. If the copper used is round, the diameter must be at least 8 mm. Additionally, if it is a conductor strip, the size must be 25×2 mm.
