Abstract
Substation grounding is a critical part of the overall electric power system. It is designed to not only provide a path to dissipate electric currents into the earth without exceeding the operating limits of the equipment, but also provide a safe environment for any people that are in the vicinity. Design of a proper grounding system will be discussed as well as performing of calculations necessary to ensure a safe design. Aspects of soil resistivity measurements, area of the ground grid, calculation of tolerable limits of current to the body, typical shock situations, tolerable touch and step voltages, maximum fault current grid resistance, grid current, ground potential rise, and benefits of surface materials will be discussed. Simulation software will also be discussed and its functionality in a step-by-step manner. Sources of Data IEEE Std. 80-2000 was used as the primary source of information. Conclusions Reached An adequate grounding grid has been designed using concepts outlined in IEEE Std.80-2000 and applied into programming and simulating results in MATLAB.