Ampcontrol IPD - Earth Continuity Protection

Ampcontrol Pty Ltd – ABN 28 000 915 542
IPD USER MANUAL
IPDB014 Version 14 – SEP/2020
Uncontrolled Copy - Refer to Ampcontrol Website for Latest Version
Page 44 of 96
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– PROPERTY OF AMPCONTROL PTY LTD
– NOT TO BE REPRODUCED IN PART
9.3 Earth Continuity Protection
The earth continuity function tests for the continuity of the earthing between the outlet and the machine,
via the pilot core in the trailing cable. This is in accordance with AS/NZS 2081.2 2002.
The pilot core is also used to transfer data when a Remote Termination Unit is used to achieve machine
communication.
The IPD relay can be configured to operate in either diode or RTU mode.
NOTE
The Remote Termination Unit will only be recognised by an IPD Relay
and will not be seen as a diode by other earth continuity devices.
CAUTION!
Cable parameters are important to the correct operation of the Pilot E/C
function. Resistance & capacitance values can determine the length of
cable that the relay can drive.
(See Specifications, Section 18)
9.3.1 Operation
The relay measures the resistance of the pilot - earth loop and the leakage between the pilot and earth
conductors. The leakage measurement ensures that pilot to earth faults are detected. If the pilot - earth
loop is not healthy a trip occurs (See Specifications, Section 18) which in turn opens the main contactor
control circuit. The fault can be configured as latching or non-latching. This allows the user to
determine if the fault is manually or automatically reset once the pilot - earth loop is healthy.
The “EC” LED on the Remote Display Module is illuminated and the open collector output on the relay
is switched on to provide remote monitoring if required.
The earth continuity resistance (ECR) of the pilot – earth loop and the leakage (L) between the pilot
and earth conductors is displayed on the RDM “Earth Fault Information” page as a % of the trip levels.
When either value reaches 100% a trip occurs.
9.3.2 Resetting a Trip
If the Pilot Latch is configured as “Pilot Latch: On”, then any earth continuity trips will need to be reset
manually by operating the IPD relay’s reset button. The “Lock” input is not required for resetting an
earth continuity fault.
9.3.3 Setting the Parameters
The IPD relay is configured to operate in either diode or RTU mode using the “Pilot Type” parameter,
(Level 8, Position 1). This determines what terminating device the IPD expects to see on the pilot.
The EC trip latching is configured using “Pilot Latch: On” or “Pilot Latch: Off” (Level 9, Position 11).
Pilot Trip Time is adjustable to allow for operation in noisy electrical environments. The following trip
times are available: 80,120, 160, 200, 300, 400 and 500ms.
A setting of 120ms should be suitable for most installations. Long time delays (>200 ms) should only be
used where necessary. Consequence of long trip times should be thoroughly assessed from a safety
point of view before using the higher values.