Kolomite
KOLOMITE (MODERN/PERMANENT EARTHING MATERIAL)
Why should you have an Earthing System?
- Safety for human life – from dangers of electrical shock which can cause injury or death
- Safety for electrical devices and buildings – by providing a safe path for lightening and short-circuiting, thus preventing damage
- Voltage stabilization – by providing a common point for electricity to pass through that is coming from different sources
- Over-Voltage Protection – by providing an alternative path in the electrical system in cases of lightening and unintentional contact with high voltage lines
METHODS OF EARTHING
1- CONVENTIONAL EARTHING
2- CHEMICAL EARTHING
Conventional Earthing
- Requires digging of large pits; uses copper plates positioned amidst layers of charcoal and salt
- Has a very erratic behavior and ohmic value fluctuates drastically with weather conditions
- Requires regular maintenance
- Coal in the earthing pit burns and turns into ash under high level of fault currents
- Salt is dissolved in the water and loses its hygroscopic properties
Chemical Earthing
- Imported material, Bentonite is one of the most popular chemical earthing materials available
- It is a sodium-based clay that retains moisture and reduces earth resistance
- However, moisture absorption feature of Bentonite is also its weakness. It is liable to drying out and shrinking or even being washed away entirely.
- Bentonite requires maintenance after every few years, such as adding additional water or salts to continue to achieve low earth resistivity
Kolomite (Modern Earthing Material)
ERDC-MPPL is proud to be introduced Kolomite (modern/permanent earthing solution) for the 1st time in Pakistan. Now there is no need to import the material from UK etc or using of conventional method which required maintenance. Kolomite is a ground enhancement material having resistivity of less than 0.25 Ω-m and has been developed specially to make earthing system cheap and effective according to IEEE std 80-2000 section 14.5 para requirements given on page 68 of standard section 14.5 deals with soil treatment to lower resistivity and gives various options available to achieve it.
Unique features and specificationss
- Physical Appearance in powder form
- 200- 250 mesh
- Lower Resistivity, High conductivity
- Permanent and Maintenance free
- Maintenance Earth Resistance with time
- Set firmly, does not dissolve or React.
- Does not pollute the earth and water table
- Suitable for installation in slurry form
- Doe not depend on the presence of water
- Perform in all soil and weather conditions
- No reaction with electrode (sulphur free)
Kolomite Usage
Kolomite is recommended for both, household as well as industry electrical earthing requirements.
For household: of two or more Kolomite blocks connected in parallel with copper wires can be used to fulfill earthing requirements.
For industry: Kolomite powder mixed with cement is filled in a 20-ft deep borehole to form conductive concrete and connected with a Copper strip to fulfill earthing requirements.