System grounding and ground fault protection in the petrochemical industry: a need for a better understanding

Abstract

This paper provides an in-depth discussion on system grounding and ground fault protection on systems from 480 volts and above. The paper also discusses modeling of ground faults, the proper design for ground fault protection and common problems associated with ground fault protection. The paper addresses many real life problems associated with system grounding and ground fault protection including safety issues and how to avoid those problems. The topics to be included in the paper include low voltage systems, under 600 volts, through high voltage transmission systems.