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MEASUREMENT OF GROUND ELECTRODE RESISTANCE Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

When an electrode system has been designed and installed, it is necessary to measure the ground resistance between the electrode and true Earth. The most commonly used method of measuring the ground resistance of a ground electrode is the 3-point measuring technique shown in Figure 1. This method is derived from the 4-point method, which is used for soil resistivity measurements.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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1. Arrangement of the Electrodes for the Fall of Potential Method

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

The 3-point method, called the fall of potential method, comprises the Ground Electrode to be measured and two other electrically independent test electrodes, usually labeled P (Potential) and C (Current). These test electrodes can be of lesser quality (higher ground resistance) but must be electrically independent of the electrode to be measured.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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An alternating current (I) is passed through the outer electrode C and the voltage is measured, by means of an inner electrode P, at some intermediate point between them. The Ground Resistance is simply calculated using Ohms Law; Rg = V/I.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

The measurement of ground resistance is as much an art as it is a science, and resistance measurements can be affected by many parameters, some of which may be difficult to quantify. It is best to take a number of separate readings and average them, rather than relay on the results of a single measurement.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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The auxiliary test electrode C must be positioned far enough from the ground electrode under test so that the auxiliary test electrode P will lie outside the effective resistance areas of both the ground system and the other test electrode. If the current test electrode, C, is too close, the resistance areas will overlap and there will be a steep variation in the measured resistance as the voltage test electrode is moved.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

If the current test electrode is correctly positioned, there will be a flat resistance area somewhere in between it and the ground system, and variations in the position of the voltage test electrode should only produce very minor changes in the resistance figure.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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The instrument is connected to the ground system under test via a short length of test cable, and a measurement is taken. Measurement accuracy can be affected by the proximity of other buried metal objects to the auxiliary test electrodes.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

Objects such as fences and building structures, buried metal pipes or even other grounding systems can interfere with the measurement and introduce errors. Often it is difficult to judge, from visual inspection of the site, a suitable location for the tests stakes and so it is always advisable to perform more than one measurement to ensure the accuracy of the test.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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1.

Fall of Potential Method This is one of the most common methods employed for the measurement of ground resistance and is best suited to small systems that dont cover a wide area. It is simple to carry out and requires a minimal amount of calculation to obtain a result.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

This method is generally not suited to large grounding installations, as the stake separations needed to ensure an accurate measurement can be excessive, requiring the use of very long test leads (refer to Table 1).

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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Normally, the outer test electrode, or current test stake, is driven into the ground 30 to 50 meters away from the ground system, (although this distance will depend on the size of the system being tested - refer to Table 1) and the inner electrode, or voltage test stake, is then driven into the ground mid-way between the ground electrode and the current test stake, and in a direct line between them.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

Table 1: Variation of current and voltage electrode separation with maximum ground system dimensions, in meters.

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Let E be the electrode whose resistance to ground is required to be measured and let P and C be the auxiliary rods driven into the ground. A known value of current I is circulated between C and E, and the voltage drop V between E and P is measured. The resistance of the electrode E to the ground is V/I.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

The optimum location for the potential electrode P is 0.62 of the distance from E to C when the distance D is at least 30 times the depth of the electrode E. Let the base of the electrode E be a hemisphere of (equivalent) radius r and the other two electrodes designated as shown in the figure.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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Arrangement of the Electrodes for the Fall of Potential Method

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

Figure 2. Resistance as a Function of the Distance from the electrode E

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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The potential at E due to the entering current is I/2 r and due to the current leaving at C is - I/2 D. The total potential at E can be given by

V=

I I 2 r 2 D

Similarly the total potential at P due to the current entering at E and that leaving at C can be given by

V=

I I 2 H 2 ( D H )

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The net potential difference between E and P will be given byV = VE -VP
I I I I V = 2 r 2 D 2 H 2 ( D H )

V=

I 1 1 1 1 + 2 r D H ( D H )

If the resistance curve (Figure 2) between E and C is observed, it flattens beyond P (if located optimally between E and C) and the resistance of the ground electrode between E and P and that between E and C are nearly same. An upward bend in the resistance curve above, near the point C is due to the resistance of the auxiliary rod C itself and does not affect measurement of the resistance of the main electrode E.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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Therefore the potential difference between E and C and between E and P will also be the same. Hence, the measured resistance of the electrode E will be

R=
2

V I

R=

1 1 1 1 + r D H (D H )

R=

1 1 1 1 + 2 r c p c p

where c = D/r and p = H/r. But the resistance of the ground electrode is R = /2r. If the measured value R is to be equal to R, the condition to be satisfied will be

1 1 1 + =0 c p c p

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1 1 1 + =0 c p c p p 2 + pc + c 2 = 0 c ( c 2 + 4c 2 ) 5 - 1 p= = c = 0.618c 2 2

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

From this, it follows that H = 0.618D will satisfy this condition. This indicates that for any separation of the current electrodes (E and C), the true resistance of one of them is obtainable when the potential electrode (P) is 61.8% of the distance toward the other.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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The Fall of Potential method incorporates a check to ensure that the test electrodes are positioned far enough away for a correct reading to be obtained. To perform a check on the resistance figure, two additional measurements should be made; the first with the voltage test electrode (P) moved 10% further away from the ground under test, and the second measurement with the (P) electrode moved 10% closer to the ground under test.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

If these two additional measurements are in agreement with the original measurement, within the required level of accuracy, then the test stakes have been correctly positioned and the DC resistance figure can be obtained by averaging the three results.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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If there is disagreement amongst any of these results, then it is likely that the stakes have been incorrectly positioned, either by being too close to the ground system being tested, too close to one another or too close to other structures that are interfering with the results.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

The stakes should be repositioned at a larger separation distance or in a different direction and the three measurements repeated until a satisfactory result is achieved.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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2. 3. (a) (b) (c)

The 62% Method Other Test Methods The Slope Method The Star-Delta Method The Four Potential Method

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

2.

The 62% Method The Fall of Potential method can be adapted slightly for use with medium sized grounding systems. This adaptation is often referred to as the 62% Method, as it involves positioning the inner test stake at 62% of the ground electrode-to-outer stake separation (recall that in the Fall-of-Potential method, this figure was 50%). All the other requirements of test stake location - that they be in a straight line and be positioned away from other structures - remain valid. When using this method, it is also advisable to repeat the measurements with the inner test stake moved 10% of the ground electrode-inner test stake separation distance, as before.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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The main disadvantage with this method is that the theory on which it is based relies on the assumption that the underlying soil is homogeneous, which in practice is rarely the case. Care should be taken in its use and a soil resistivity survey should always be carried out. Alternatively, one of the other methods should be employed.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

3.

Other Test Methods Many other methods exist for taking ground resistance measurements. Many of these methods have been designed in an attempt to alleviate the necessity for excessive electrode separations, when measuring large ground systems, or the requirement of having to know the electrical center of the system.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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(a) The Slope Method This method is suitable for use with large grounding systems, such as substation grounds. It involves taking a number of resistance measurements at various ground system to voltage electrode separations and then plotting a curve of the resistance variation between the ground and the current. From this graph, and from data obtained from tables, it is possible to calculate the theoretical optimum location for the voltage electrode and thus, from the resistance curve, calculate the true resistance.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

(b) The Star-Delta Method This technique is well suited to use with large systems in built up areas or on rocky terrain, where it may be difficult to find suitable locations for the test electrodes, particularly over long distances in a straight line. Three test electrodes are used, set up at the corners of an equilateral triangle with the ground system in the middle and measurements are made of the total resistance between adjacent electrodes, and also between each electrode and the grounding system.
Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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Using these results, a number of calculations are performed and a result can be obtained for the resistance of the ground system. (c) The Four Potential Method This technique, developed by Dr G.F. Tagg, helps overcome some of the problems associated with the requirement for knowing the electrical center of the grounding systems being tested.

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

Professor Ahdab Elmorshedy

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