VIEIRA JÚNIOR, J. I.; VIEIRA JÚNIOR, João Itamar.
Abstract:
A grounding system consists of a physical arrangement of conductors buried in the ground.
The application of a grounding system is a strategy to prevent damage to the installations in
which it is interconnected, either by controlling dangerous potential fluctuations in the neutral
of the system or by avoiding accidents caused by energization, loading or induction of
metallic parts that may come into contact. contact with living beings. In the context of
Lightning Protection, the control of potentials in the soil appears as a very important
characteristic to be analyzed from the point of view of safety. A grounding system consists
basically of three components that contemplate the electrical connections, the grounding
electrode and the earth that surrounds it. The last two components contribute significantly to
the value of the grounding impedance and the distribution of potentials, thus justifying a
greater detail of its characteristics. The analysis via software simulation corroborates the
formation of a critical opinion about the performance of the grounding system from the point
of view of people's safety. Observing the results of the simulations carried out, it is possible to
evaluate the influence of soil resistivity parameters and the physical arrangement of the
system on the total impedance and the distribution of potentials in the soil, and touch and step
voltage values, validating or not a grounding project.
