The IEC has standardized types of grounding systems in 60364-1, when doing any kind of comparison its helpful to take a minute and understand IEC terminology in terms of the NEC and then whatever country your working in or discussing etc;
It translates to NEC terminology like this,
Start at the secondary of a distribution transformer (utility side or a separately derived system)
The First Letter (I or T) indicates the relationship of the distribution transformer to ground.
T = direct connection of one point to earth.
I = all live parts isolated from earth, or one point connected to earth via a high impedance.
The second letter indicates the relationship of all exposed-conductive-parts and any equipment grounding conductors to a grounding electrode system.
T = direct electrical connection to a grounding electrode system independent of any other grounding electrode system.
N = direct electrical connection of the neutral point or a line conductor to the grounding electrode system and thus the equipment grounding conductors.
Subsequent letter with a dash - (if any) and describe the arrangement of neutral and equipment grounding conductor
S = Grounds and neutral (or grounded phase) are run separately all the way from the distribution transformer.
C = neutral (or grounded phase conductor) and equipment grounding provided by the same conductor
So what we typically have here under the NEC is called
TN-C-S
T) Because at the secondary we have a direct connection of one point to ground;
N) We have direct electrical connection of the neutral point or a line conductor to the grounding electrode system and thus the equipment grounding conductors.
Then for the conductors
-C The utility neutral is combined with the equipment grounding conductor until the service disconnect.
-S After the service disconnect they are separate
Under the NEC a ungrounded system with ground detectors would be a
IT system.
Does anyone else know? Okay so my understanding is this: low voltage is basically 230Y/400. Commercial gets three phases and a neutral, residential generally just gets single phase, a line and the neutral. Correct?
Questions:
1. Is the wye point grounded? If so where? At the pole and also at the building like we do here in the states?
The main earthing systems in the UK TN-C-S,
but they also allow and have are TN-S and TT
TN-S is that Mtnelect fells dream, the neutral is bonded once at the secondary then everything is separate after that.
So for a 208/120 three phase service you'd have 5 wires from the utility.
TT is when a the neutral or one of the phases on the secondary is grounded to a ground rod at the pole but then that's it, its ran insulated after that, then at your house you establish a GEC connect all your equipment grounds to it but don't bond the neutral,
I am fairly certain this is how they do it in Japan.
2. So is a single phase service drop just two conductors? Is the neutral a bare messenger with the single line conductor wrapped around it?
In areas with allot of underground distribution the service lateral looks like our MV cable, a concentric coax type, for a TT system the neutral is insulated or what we call covered.
3. I assume three phases distribution is not run everywhere and that there must be single-phase distribution perhaps in rural or residential areas. So in that case it is just a single phase 230 volt transformer with one end grounded? (Relates to question #1 of course).
See my diagram in post #53 the only diagram I am unsure of is if there are old TT systems where at the pole center-tap is grounded.
I am fairly certain you can find 240/480 split phase in rural Scotland, and probably 220/440 in old parts of mainland EU and all the way east.
Rural parts of Australia and NZ also have 240/480.
But hopefully others will chime in and correct me as I probably missed something.