- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
If the #8 solid copper EBC is run in a ferrous conduit (EMT) is bonding to the conduit ends required like with a GEC?
If the #8 solid copper EBC is run in a ferrous conduit (EMT) is bonding to the conduit ends required like with a GEC?
If the #8 solid copper EBC is run in a ferrous conduit (EMT) is bonding to the conduit ends required like with a GEC?
They serve two different purposes, so I say no.
The code rule that requires the bonding only applies to GECs, it does not apply to this application, but the physics of the issue is the same in both cases. I would bond it as required for a GEC.If the #8 solid copper EBC is run in a ferrous conduit (EMT) is bonding to the conduit ends required like with a GEC?
The code rule that requires the bonding only applies to GECs, it does not apply to this application, but the physics of the issue is the same in both cases. I would bond it as required for a GEC.
That being said, and given that the choke effect is limited at lower currents...currents below a few hundred amps...it probably doesn't make any real difference, as it is extremely unlikely that the bonding conductor would ever see such high currents.
Btw, GEC required to be installed in a straight line as possible due to a sharp bend angle would impede the high frequency current flow.
Forgive me Brain but you are sounding like someone that spends all their time in a book and has no experience in the real world.
I will bring you on my next GEC job and you can show me how to route a GEC from equipment to ground rod with no sharp bends.
By the way, it may well be good idea but it is not required nor possible in most cases.
Did you intentionally misspell Brian as Brain?
What is a sharp bend? At what angle is it no longer sharp? Or maybe radius?
A contractor did that install would never get paid by me, and if one of my guys did it, he would no longer be one of my guys."As possible" or as good as it could be done. I meant don't give someone a reason to say it was a messy job, including the AHJ. I take ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection seriously in my microprocessor circuit designs, and I see lightning is just a much bigger bigger ESD event. The practice is the same: diverting the energy away by using low impedance conductor with small inductance as possible: short and straight. Consider grounding the neutral conductor from the meter panel 5' high, to a grounding electrode at soil level and 5' to the left. A nice looking GEC running from the meter straight down, 90* left turn to the electrode, is not as effective as compare to running the GEC diagonal straight from meter to electrode, for conducting lightning current. In modern-day fast digital circuit, capacitors with 1/8" long radial leads are useless for power filter, due to high inductance from the leads at high frequency. Only surface-mounted capacitors (have no leads) are used for fast response in delivering the instantaneous current demand.
While the effect is not near as much with 60 hertz systems than it is with much higher frequencies, the impedance of a single conductor run in an unbonded ferrous raceway is about two times the impedance run in the open or in a non-ferrous raceway.Ferrous metal conduit enclosed GEC has the choke effect due to the high frequency high current of lightning. In this application, the AC current in this solid conductor is not the same as high frequecy lightning current (high current lightning is a fast step-respond waveform and a step waveform is made up from many high frequency sinusoidal waveforms). GEC practice should not be required in this case.
Btw, GEC required to be installed in a straight line as possible due to a sharp bend angle would impede the high frequency current flow. This is not the case for general electrical practices.
While the effect is not near as much with 60 hertz systems than it is with much higher frequencies, the impedance of a single conductor run in an unbonded ferrous raceway is about two times the impedance run in the open or in a non-ferrous raceway.
Both were done and the info is published in the IEEE Green Book and the Soares grounding book, and I am sure others.Interesting. How does one confirm this -- measuring or calculating?