When substations, chemical plants, and wind farms have to be built in highly corrosive areas such as mountains and coastal areas, if galvanized flat steel is used as the grounding material, the ground grid is often quickly corroded and broken; therefore, copper is usually used as the grounding material in the design. Materials, but copper is not only an important strategic material, but also my country's copper resource reserves are insufficient and should not be used excessively. It is also easily stolen and endangers the security of the ground network. ​ ​ ​
Advantages of copper-plated ground rod:
1. Long service life: The copper-plated ground rod utilizes the anti-corrosion properties of the 0.254mm thick copper layer on the surface, and also uses the intermolecular interpenetration electroplating process to enhance the bonding between the copper layer and the steel core. Compared with traditional materials, it has good economic performance and meets the full life equipment cycle management, and is in line with the scope of new materials, new processes and new equipment. The service life of copper-plated steel materials is 3 to 10 times that of traditional galvanized steel grounding materials.
2. High conductivity: If the conductivity of pure copper is 100%, the conductivity of copper-plated materials is 20%~40%, and the conductivity of traditional galvanized steel materials is 8.6%. Under the action of high-frequency grounding or lightning current, due to the current skin effect, the copper-plated ground rod has a conductivity close to that of pure copper.
3. Easy installation: the horizontal copper-plated steel grounding body is a copper-plated single-core solid round steel with a long length, few intermediate connection points, and easy bending of the pipe; the vertical copper-plated grounding material is easy and fast to install, eliminating the need for excavation, saving time and effort . Through the connection, any depth can be achieved and the underground aquifer can be utilized, with a significant resistance reduction effect. At the same time, there is no need to drill additional deep wells, thereby reducing the substation footprint.
4. Electroplating layer adhesion level: The electroplating process is adopted, the current density is consistent in all directions, and the copper layer adheres uniformly.