Grounding analysis of a gas meter station connected to a nearby power plant through pipelines

This paper examines the performance of the grounding system of a gas meter station, which is solidly connected to a nearby power plant via metallic pipelines located in a common corridor with overhead transmission lines exiting the power plant. This problem is unique because the metallic pipe connecting the meter station to the power plant is subjected to induction from the overhead transmission lines and, at the same time, the meter station is also near the power plant. To evaluate accurately the performance of the meter station grounding system, the induced effects on the pipeline due to the presence of the overhead transmission lines and the influence of the nearby power plant grounding system must be considered. This paper presents a detailed study of this problem. The grounding systems of the meter station and the power plant are modeled as well as the pipeline/transmission line corridor. The performance of the meter station grounding system is evaluated, accounting for the magnetic field induction from transmission lines associated with the power plant.