Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 36 36 GENERAL SECTIONS Rule 094 See Photo Fig. 093-8. Example of aluminum grounding conductor transitioning to copper for burial (Rule 093E5). example of one common grounding conductor for the circuit and equipment is shown in Fig. 093-9. 094. GROUNDING ELECTRODES Grounding electrodes can be existing electrodes or made electrodes. Existing electrodes are existing conductive items buried in the earth for a purpose other than grounding but can also serve as a grounding electrode. Most utilities use made electrodes, which are purposely constructed and buried to serve as grounding electrodes. Requirements for existing electrodes are outlined in Figs. 094-1 through 094-3. Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 37 Rule 094 GROUNDING METHODS: SUPPLY & COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES 37 Fig. 093-9. Example of common grounding conductor for neutral and equipment (Rule 093F). Made electrodes must penetrate the moisture level and be below the frost line. They must be metal or combined metals that do not corrode and they must not be painted, enameled, or covered in any way with an insulating material. The driven ground rod is the most commonly used made electrode. Requirements for made electrodes are outlined in Figs. 094-4 through 094-11. Fig. 094-1. Existing electrode—metallic water piping system (Rule 094A1). Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 38 38 GENERAL SECTIONS Rule 094 Fig. 094-2. Existing electrode—local (water piping) system (Rule 094A2). Fig. 094-3. Existing electrode—steel reinforcing bars in concrete foundations and footings (Rule 094A3). Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 39 Rule 095 GROUNDING METHODS: SUPPLY & COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES 39 Fig. 094-4. Made electrodes—driven ground rods (Rule 094B2). 095. METHOD OF CONNECTION TO ELECTRODE The connection to the grounding electrode must be permanent (except for removal due to inspection or maintenance) and be mechanically sound, corrosion-resistant, and have the required ampacity for the fault current to which it will be subjected. Suitable connection methods are shown in Fig. 095-1. The Code also has specific rules for connecting to steel framed and non-steelframed structures. The connection to water piping systems is also outlined. When water piping is used as the grounding electrode, bonds must be made around meters or other removable fittings. The Code (in Sec. 094, “Grounding Electrodes”) does not list gas piping as an acceptable electrode. Made electrodes or grounded structures should be separated from high-pressure (150 lb/in2 or greater) pipelines containing flammable liquids Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 40 40 GENERAL SECTIONS Fig. 094-5. Made electrodes—buried wire (counterpoise) (Rule 094B3a). Fig. 094-6. Made electrodes—buried strips (Rule 094B3b). Rule 095 Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 41 Rule 095 GROUNDING METHODS: SUPPLY & COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES Fig. 094-7. Made electrodes—buried plates or sheets (Rule 094B3c). Fig. 094-8. Made electrodes—butt plates and wire wraps (Rule 094B4). 41 Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 42 42 GENERAL SECTIONS Rule 095 Fig. 094-9. Made electrodes—butt plates and wire wraps at transformer locations (Rule 094B4a). Fig. 094-10. Made electrodes—direct-buried concentric neutral cable (Rule 094B5). or gases by a distance of 10 ft or more. No distances are specified for separating grounding electrodes from low-pressure gas lines. High-pressure pipelines are used as transmission facilities. Low-pressure pipelines are most commonly used Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 43 Rule 096 GROUNDING METHODS: SUPPLY & COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES 43 Fig. 094-11. Made electrodes—concrete-encased electrodes (Rule 094B6). to supply natural gas to homes. The requirements for separating grounding electrodes from high-pressure pipelines are shown in Fig. 095-2. Rule 095C requires that the connection to the grounding electrode be free from rust, enamel, or scale. This can be done by cleaning or using fittings that penetrate such coatings. 096. GROUND RESISTANCE REQUIREMENTS The main intent of Rule 96 is to assure a grounding resistance low enough to permit prompt operation of circuit protective devices (e.g., fuses, reclosers, relay-controlled circuit breakers). Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 44 44 GENERAL SECTIONS Rule 096A See Photo Fig. 095-1. Connection of grounding conductor to grounding electrode (Rule 095A). Supply stations normally require extensive grounding systems consisting of a ground grid or mat combined with grounding electrodes. They are designed to limit touch, step, mesh, and transferred potentials. The Code notes IEEE Standard 80 as a reference for substation grounding. 096B. Single-Grounded (Unigrounded or Delta) Systems. Single-grounded systems, typically grounded wye transmission systems that do not carry a neutral and are grounded only at the source transformer, must have a ground resistance not exceeding 25 Ω. This rule states that if a single electrode exceeds 25 Ω, then two electrodes in parallel must be used. The Code does not specifically comment on what happens if the second electrode does not bring the ground resistance below 25 Ω; however, the main idea of this rule is to have a ground resistance low enough to permit prompt operation of circuit protective devices. 096C. Multigrounded Systems. Multigrounded systems are the most common type of distribution system. A typical 12.47/7.2-kV, three-phase, four-wire grounded-wye distribution system is multigrounded. For a system to be multigrounded, the following must occur: 096A. Supply Stations. Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:53 PM Page 45 Rule 096C GROUNDING METHODS: SUPPLY & COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES 45 Fig. 095-2. Grounding electrode separation from high-pressure pipelines (Rule 095B2). • The circuit must have a neutral of sufficient size and ampacity. • The neutral must be connected to a grounding electrode at each transformer location. • The neutral must be connected to a grounding electrode not less than four times in each mile of the entire line. The grounds at transformers can be counted in the four grounds in each mile, but the grounds at individual services (i.e., meters) cannot be counted. The intent of a multigrounded system is to always carry a neutral and to have four grounds in each mile of the entire line. To check the four grounds in each mile, a “one-mile window” can be used. Examples are shown in Fig. 096-1. The Code does not specify a ground resistance for multigrounded systems. The Code notes that multigrounded systems are dependent on the multiplicity of grounding electrodes, not the ground resistance of any individual electrode. For underground installations where the supply cable has an insulating jacket over the concentric neutral or the supply cable is in conduit, the cable must be terminated and grounded four times in every mile. If an express Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:54 PM Page 46 46 GENERAL SECTIONS Rule 096C Fig. 096-1. Example of checking “four grounds in each mile” (Rule 096C). direct-buried underground feeder is constructed with an insulating jacket but without frequent termination points, the cable jacket must be stripped back and a suitable grounding electrode must be connected four times in each mile. If a supply cable has a semiconducting jacket, the cable can be treated similar to a bare concentric neutral cable and the jacket does not need to be stripped back for grounding. The semiconducting jacket must not exceed 100 mΩ radial resistivity. Use of semiconducting jacketed cable is not very common due to the fact that these cables are higher in cost than insulated jacketed cable. Rule 096 provides an exception to the four grounds in every mile for underwater crossings. Grounding on each side of the underwater crossing should be given special attention to make up for any lack of grounding in the underwater portion of the cable. Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:54 PM Page 47 Rule 097 GROUNDING METHODS: SUPPLY & COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES 47 097. SEPARATION OF GROUNDING CONDUCTORS Rule 097A requires that separate grounding conductors be run to separate grounding electrodes for primary surge arresters over 750 V, secondary circuits under 750 V, and shield wires. But Rule 097B allows a single grounding conductor and single grounding electrode if a ground connection exists at each surge arrester location and the primary neutral or shield wire and secondary neutral are connected together. When the primary and secondary neutrals are connected, Rule 097C requires the common neutral to be multigrounded (see Rule 096C). Rule 097A is typically applied in conjunction with Rule 097D1. An example of this application is a delta-delta transformer bank fed from an ungrounded primary system as shown in Fig. 097-1. Rules 097B and 097C are typically applied to grounded-wye–roundedwye three-phase systems and grounded-wye single-phase systems fed from a multigrounded primary system as shown in Fig. 097-2. On multigrounded systems the primary and secondary neutrals should be interconnected. The NESC uses the word “should” in this case, not “shall,” as there are times when separation of primary and secondary neutrals on a multigrounded system is applicable. The most common reason for separating primary and secondary neutrals on a multigrounded system is to minimize Fig. 097-1. Example of separate primary and secondary grounding (Rules 097A and 097D1) Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:54 PM Page 48 48 GENERAL SECTIONS Rule 097 Fig. 097-2. Example of a common neutral with single grounding (Rules 097B and 097C). stray voltage on the secondary neutral imposed by the primary neutral. The requirements separating primary and secondary neutrals for stray voltage or other valid reasons are outlined in Fig. 097-3. If a made electrode is used to ground surge arresters on an ungrounded system exceeding 15 kV phase to phase, the NESC requires that the ground rod(s) be at least 20 ft from buried communication cables. Rule 097G focuses on grounding requirements for joint-use poles. If separate grounding conductors (pole grounds) are run to the supply neutral and the communications messenger, a bond between the pole grounds should be added. If a single grounding conductor (pole ground) is used on the joint-use pole, it should be connected to both the supply neutral and the communications messenger. Most utilities use a single-pole ground for grounding both power and communications. The single-pole ground method will require a review for special cases like the delta-delta transformation or for stray voltage applications discussed in this rule. 098. NUMBER 098 NOT USED IN THIS EDITION. 099. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMUNICATION APPARATUS This rule outlines how to ground communication apparatus when grounding is required in other parts of the Code. This rule references Note 2 of Rule Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:54 PM Page 49 Rule 099 GROUNDING METHODS: SUPPLY & COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES 49 Fig. 097-3. Separating primary and secondary neutrals for stray voltage (Rule 097D2). 097D2, which discusses cooperation between supply and communications employees to isolate primary and secondary neutrals (typically for resolving stray-voltage problems). A communications grounding conductor shall preferably be made of copper or other material that will not corrode and shall not be less than AWG No. 14. The communications grounding conductor must be connected as shown in Fig. 099-1. A separate communications ground rod is not required per Rule 099A. If a communications ground rod is used because a supply service does not exist, the communications ground rod may be smaller in diameter and length per the Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:54 PM Page 50 50 GENERAL SECTIONS Rule 099 Fig. 099-1. Additional requirements for communications grounding (Rules 099A and 099B). exception to Rule 099A3. However, if a supply service does exist and a communications ground rod is used to supplement the supply grounding system, the exception to Rule 099A3 permitting smaller rods does not apply. Rule 099A does not prohibit a supplemental communications ground rod, but only if the supply service does not exist can the smaller communications-size ground rod be used. If a standard-size ground rod (per Rule 094B2) is used for communications grounding to supplement the supply ground rod, an AWG No. 6 copper or equivalent jumper must bond the two ground rods together as shown in Fig. 099-2. Sec09_Marne_136262-6 1/24/02 12:54 PM Page 51 Rule 099 GROUNDING METHODS: SUPPLY & COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES Fig. 099-2. Bonding of communications and supply electrodes (Rule 099C). 51