Installing Ground Electrode - AWS310 - AWS310-SITE - AWS430 - FOC201 - RME111 - RWCC - RWS200

Grounding and Lightning Protection in Vaisala Outdoor Installations Technical Reference

Document code
M211786EN
Revision
B
Language
English
Product
AWS310
AWS310-SITE
AWS430
FOC201
RME111
RWCC
RWS200
Document type
User guide

Ground electrode installation and arrangement is influenced by soil type and grounding resistance, as well as geographic factors and other site requirements.

Preferred shapes are Y and X (also known as star shape). Specific locations such as roadside or locations with limited space may require a loop or a T shape. In the T shape, two ground electrodes are along the road and the third electrode is perpendicular to them away from the road. The Y shape is the most cost-effective. To get an even lower impedance, you can use the X shape. The loop shape is an alternative when space is limited or you need to protect the sensors in soil.

Figure 1. Ground Electrode Shapes: Y, X, T, and Loop

To decrease the rise of ground potential, you can add a loop around the connectors.

A practical solution is to form a star with 3 or 4 ground electrodes and connect them all to a center point, such as a grounding connector. Connect the down conductor and other ground wires (for example mains, signal, and transient suppressor) to the grounding connector too. Do not use daisy-chaining.

Distribute the conductors evenly around the protected structure to keep the impedance of the connection wires as low as possible.