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The primary goal of IEEE 80-2013 is to create a grounding grid that limits the potential difference that a person can touch or step on during a fault, which could otherwise lead to electric shock. Key Concepts and Terminology Touch Voltage ( Vtouchcap V sub t o u c h end-sub
Outlining standard industry practices with a special emphasis on safety criteria.
IEEE 80-2013 provides methods to calculate tolerable step and touch voltage limits and the actual step and mesh voltages of a proposed grid. The mesh voltage (the maximum touch voltage within a ground grid mesh) serves as the basis for safety checks. The tolerable limits depend on fault clearing time, soil resistivity, and the resistivity of a surface layer of crushed rock. ieee standard 80-2013 pdf
): The voltage difference between the energized metal object and the potential of the surface where the person is standing. Step Voltage ( Vstepcap V sub s t e p end-sub
The heart of the IEEE Std 80-2013 lies in its safety criteria formulas. It identifies two main electrical hazards that occur when large fault currents dissipate into the earth: and Step Voltage . Key Hazard Definitions IEEE guide for safety in AC substation grounding The primary goal of IEEE 80-2013 is to
The widespread reliance on IEEE 80 — with an estimated 80% of utility engineers using it either directly or indirectly — underscores its critical importance to the electrical power industry. The standard’s principles and equations are implemented in virtually every commercial software package used for substation grounding design, including CDEGS, WinIGS, SafeGrid, and numerous other specialized tools.
IB=ktscap I sub cap B equals the fraction with numerator k and denominator the square root of t sub s end-root end-fraction IBcap I sub cap B is the tolerable body current in Amperes. is the duration of the fault (shock) in seconds. is an empirical constant ( for a 50 kg body; for a 70 kg body). The mesh voltage (the maximum touch voltage within
This article was prepared for informational purposes based on publicly available information about IEEE Std 80-2013. For authoritative technical guidance, readers should consult the official IEEE standard document.
If a grounding system is poorly designed, GPR can cause fatal electrical currents to pass through the body of anyone standing inside or near the substation. The IEEE 80-2013 standard establishes strict methods to calculate and mitigate these physical shock hazards. It primarily focuses on two types of voltages:
Equations for calculating grid resistance, maximum ground potential rise (GPR), and actual step/touch voltages. Technical Applications