Design and simulation of interconnected A.C substation grounding grid in oil & gas industries

Oil and gas industrial plants and product pipelines belong to the largest and most sophisticated structures to be protected against electrical shock, lightning strikes and electrostatic hazards. This paper is concerned with a typical ac substation ground grid design. The paper is distinct in presenting an integrated design method with a modern software package. This design takes into consideration the impact of the oil and gas plants requirements regarding lightning and electrostatic charges protection. The Electromagnetic Transient Analysis Program (ETAP) is used to conduct short circuit analysis of the substation under study then the ground grid toolbox is used to design, simulate and optimize the design. The resultant design is a system intermeshing various earthing systems of structures, buildings and installations with a significant advantages related to the electromagnetic compatibility requirements.