Effect of fault-clearing time on the sizing of the ground mesh in a 220kV station according IEEE-80 Standard and its profitability

The present article aims to analyze and demonstrate that it is technically and economically feasible to optimize the design of the ground mesh in an electric station, considering as a parameter the fault-clearing time, according to the IEEE-80 standard, field experience and scientific literature, regardless if the event is internal or external. In this case the fault-clearing time is reduced from 0.5 seconds to shorter times, so that no fibrillation occurs in the human body and the values of the permissible touch and step voltages of the 220 kV station’s ground mesh won’t be compromised. For this purpose are considered the surface dimensions of a conventional 220 kV station according to the technical specifications of the national company ANDE. The rules listed in the IEEE-80 Standard and the introduction to the mathematical method for calculating the distribution of the potential gradient is the focus of this research. Forthe economic evaluation are analyzedthematerial and installation savings and the measurementsof aground meshsystemusingcopperconductors.