4 wire genset bonding

Status
Not open for further replies.

jcgtc

New member
I find I have a major disagreement with the "instructions" accompaning most 480V 4 wire gneset suppliers, and several different opinions form various AHJs on how to run and bond the neutral of the genset.

I construct quite a number of sewage pump lift stations. Regardless of wether the utility is suppling 4 wire power, the neutral is never used. Hence the neutral is terminated and bonded at the first OCPD. The genset is always a permanently mounted, 4 wire device, AND has it's own OCPD mounted on the frame.
The ungrounded three phase conductors from both sources are brought to an ATS.
In the past, I have always terminated and bonded the genset's neutral (as it is unused by the premisis equipment) on the unit's frame, adjacent to its OCPD, and run an equipment grounding conductor back to the ATS and bonded to the premisis grounding system. This would seem to provide a single path for fault current back to the genset if a ground fault occurs, regardles of wether it's at the utilization equipment or the genset itself.

As the neutral is not used:
1. Is it still correct that this is not a SDS?
2. Why should a neutral be run from both the utility and genset to the ATS and inter-connected when it's not utilized by the premisis equiipment?
3. Is an additional grounding rod & GEC required at the genset, when it's already interconnected to the premisis' system via an EGC sized to the genset's OCPD?
 
First of all, welcome to the zoo! :smile:

As the neutral is not used:
1. Is it still correct that this is not a SDS?
2. Why should a neutral be run from both the utility and genset to the ATS and inter-connected when it's not utilized by the premisis equiipment?
3. Is an additional grounding rod & GEC required at the genset, when it's already interconnected to the premisis' system via an EGC sized to the genset's OCPD?
1. No, if both source neutrals are tied together and not switched by the ATS, you do not have an SDS.
2. Because the electrode system at the main disconnect can serve for both sources.
3. See #2. An additional electrode at the genny can be used, as long as there are no parallel paths.
 
As the neutral is not used:
1. Is it still correct that this is not a SDS?

It is an SDS, it became an SDS when you bonded the neutral to the frame.

2. Why should a neutral be run from both the utility and genset to the ATS and inter-connected when it's not utilized by the premisis equiipment?

No reason to and if you do that you would either have to remove the bond at the generator frame or provide a four pole transfer switch.


3. Is an additional grounding rod & GEC required at the genset, when it's already interconnected to the premisis' system via an EGC sized to the genset's OCPD?


It is an SDS, it needs a grounding electrode system. The AHJ might accept that the EGC can serve as the GEC to the existing grounding electrode system if the EGC is as large as the required GEC would be.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top