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Difference between Pipe Earthing and Plate Earthing
In electrical power system, electrical earthing is one of the most important concept used to provide safety and protection to both human and equipment. Electrical earthing, also called as grounding, is basically a path of very low-resistance between the electrical equipment/system and the earth surface. The main purpose of electrical earthing in an electrical system is to provide a safe path for leakage electric current to flow into the earth’s conductive surface to reduce the risk of electrical accidents.
Therefore, electrical earthing is an efficient and reliable way of protecting electrical equipment, individuals, and premises against electrical faults and hazards.
Today, there are various types of electrical earthing are available, such as pipe earthing, plate earthing, chemical earthing, etc. In this article, we will explore the pipe earthing and plate earthing along with their important differences. So, let's start with the basic introduction to pipe earthing.
What is Pipe Earthing?
Pipe earthing is a type of electrical earthing in which an earthing rod made up of copper-coated steel is buried into the ground. The other end of the rod is connected to the electrical equipment or system through a conductor wire. The rod is typically buried into the ground at least 8 feet deep to ensure proper earthing with maximum efficiency.
Pipe earthing is also known as rod earthing, as it use a pipe or road as the earth electrode. The pipe earthing is known for its lower cost and good corrosion resistance than other types of earthing systems. Another major advantages of pipe earthing include quick and easy installation, and less maintenance requirement. Pipe earthing is mainly employed where the soil has low resistivity and high moisture content.
What is Plate Earthing?
Plate earthing is another commonly used type of electrical earthing system employed in electrical systems to provide protection against electrical accidents. In plate earthing system, a flat metal plate is buried into the ground which acts as an earth electrode in the earthing system. This metal plate is typically made up of galvanized iron (GI) or copper. The metal is usually buried into the ground at least 4 feet deep to ensure maximum earthing efficiency.
This metal plate is then connected to the electrical system through a highly conductive wire. The size of the metal is determined according to the soil resistance and current-capacity required.
Plate earthing is mostly used in areas where soil resistance is relatively high and moisture content is low, such as in dry or rocky soil areas.
After getting a brief overview of pipe earthing and plate earthing, let us now discuss the important differences between them.
Difference between Plate Earthing and Pipe Earthing
The following table highlights the major differences between plate earthing and pipe earthing:
| Parameter | Pipe Earthing | Plate Earthing |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Pipe earthing is a type of electrical earthing system that uses a copper-coated steel rod as an earthing electrode. | Plate earthing is a type of electrical earthing system that uses a flat metal plate as an earthing electrode. |
| Shape of earthing electrode | Pipe earthing has a cylindrical shaped earthing electrode. | Plate earthing has a rectangular shaped earthing electrode. |
| Installation | Pipe earthing is installed by vertically driving a metal into the ground. | Plate earthing is installed by vertically burying a metal plate in the ground. |
| Cost | Pipe earthing is comparatively more expensive. | Plate earthing is less expensive than pipe earthing. |
| Protection efficiency | Pipe earthing is more efficient in providing protection against electric faults. | Plate earthing is comparatively less efficient in providing protection against electric faults when compared to pipe earthing. |
| Complexity | Pipe earthing is more complex to install. | Plate earthing is relatively less difficult to install than pipe earthing. |
| Effective surface area | Pipe earthing provides smaller effective surface area in contact with the ground. | Plate earthing provides relatively larger effective surface area in contact with the ground. |
| Effectiveness | Pipe earthing is more effective in terms of dissipating fault currents into the ground. | Plate earthing is relatively less effective in dissipating fault currents. |
| Installation space | Pipe earthing required less space for installation. | Plate earthing requires more space for installation due to larger surface area of the metal plate. |
| Current carrying capacity | Pipe earthing has lower current carrying capacity due to smaller surface area in contact with the ground. | Plate earthing has higher current carrying capacity |
| Maintenance | Pipe earthing requires less maintenance. | Plate earthing requires periodic inspection and maintenance to ensure its working condition. |
| Soil condition | Pipe earthing requires the soil with high moisture content and low resistance. | Plate earthing used in the soil with low moisture content and higher resistance. |
| Corrosion resistance | In pipe earthing, the earthing rod typically has high corrosion resistance. | In plate earthing, the earthing plate has low corrosion resistance, and hence requires additional soil treatment to improve it. |
| Applications | Pipe earthing is mainly used to protect electrical systems residential and commercial buildings. | Plate earthing is mainly used in industrial electrical installation where high fault currents are to be handled. |
Conclusion
The selection of earthing between pipe earthing and plate earthing is made based on soil condition, current carrying capacity, installation space, cost, etc. The most significant difference between plate earthing and pipe earthing is in their type of earthing electrode used, i.e. pipe earthing uses a metal rod or pipe as an earthing electrode, while plate earthing uses a metal plate as an earthing electrode.
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