250.188 Grounding of Systems Supplying Portable or Mobile Equipment

Portable or mobile equipment over 1000 volts shall be supplied from a system having its neutral conductor grounded through an impedance. Where a delta-connected system over 1000 volts is used to supply portable or mobile equipment, a system neutral point and associated neutral conductor shall be derived.

Exposed non—current-carrying metal parts of portable or mobile equipment shall be connected by an equipment grounding conductor to the point at which the system neutral impedance is grounded.

The voltage developed between the portable or mobile equipment frame and ground by the flow of maximum ground-fault current shall not exceed 100 volts.

Ground-fault detection and relaying shall be provided to automatically de-energize any component of a system over 1000 volts that has developed a ground fault. The continuity of the equipment grounding conductor shall be continuously monitored so as to automatically de-energize the circuit of the system over 1000 volts to the portable or mobile equipment upon loss of continuity of the equipment grounding conductor.

The grounding electrode to which the portable or mobile equipment system neutral impedance is connected shall be isolated from and separated in the ground by at least 6.0 m (20 ft) from any other system or equipment grounding electrode, and there shall be no direct connection between the grounding electrodes, such as buried pipe and fence, and so forth.

Trailing cable and couplers of systems over 1000 volts for interconnection of portable or mobile equipment shall meet the requirements of Part III of Article 400 for cables and 490.55 for couplers.