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Ground Rod Gradients |
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Ground rods may be installed at many locations on a farm including the base of the service transformer pole,
the base of a power meter, and the electrical service entrances of buildings.
Ground rods cause spreading voltage gradients on the farmstead when current flows
through them entering or leaving the earth.
We learned about these spreading gradients in the two-rod case study
[Spreading Gd].
The following is an illustration of these gradients.
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The ground rod voltage gradients, exaggerated in this illustration,
are typically small and become insignificant a few feet away from the electrode itself.
They are generally not a concern for cows in these open (non-confinement) areas.
Similar gradients in confinement areas are,
on the other hand, a possible source of concern. |
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The farmstead may have numerous other metallic objects
tied to the farmstead grounding system
that act as ground rods, especially inside buildings.
Examples include stanchions in the barn, metallic posts (gates),
pipe stubs, and metallic supports for feeders and waterers. |
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