Search

This paper presents a stationary reference frame grid current control algorithm for a grid-connected inverter (GCI) to improve command tracking performance and resilience in response to disturbances, i.e., a grid voltage incident in a GCI current control system. In the proposed algorithm, disturbance rejection is applied to reduce the overcurrent at the GCI in response to a grid fault. Disturbances to the GCI current control system are estimated using a grid current observer, and the estimate applied to the grid current controller to activate the disturbance rejection. The stationary reference frame current of a GCI system is also controlled to avoid cross-coupling issues at a synchronous reference frame model, reference transformation and dependency to phase locked loop (PLL) performance. However, the phase lead or lag and steady-state response error, which are drawbacks of AC signal control based on stationary reference frame proportional-integral (PI) controller, must be eliminated in order to secure competition with the synchronous reference PI (SRFPI) controller that was mainly used in the GCI system. Hence, to compensate for command tracking the AC current, such as steady-state response error and phase lead or lag, command feedforward control is applied in the proposed control system. The theory behind the proposed GCI current control algorithm is analyzed, and the proposed algorithm is tested via simulation and experimentation.

The classification of the bone pieces excavated from Gasan-ri archaeological site Ⅰ in Jinju, presumed to be relics was investigated macroscopically. The remains of the animal bone were 3 classes (Mammalia, Aves, Amphibia), 5 orders (Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Passeriformes, Rodentia, Salientia), and 6 species (Sus scrofa, Cervidae sp., Nyctereutes procyonides, Passeriformes sp., Rattus norvegicus caraco, Rana nigromaculata). The total weight of the animal bone remains was 1,002.80 g, with the identified bones comprising 975.30 g and an identification rate of 97.26%. A total of 447 animal bone fragments were identified, including 204 bone pieces of S. scrofa (468.00 g, 47.99%), 102 bone pieces of Cervidae sp. (453.79 g, 46.53%), 68 bone pieces of R. nigromaculata (4.69 g, 0.48%), 59 bone pieces of N. procyonides (47.14 g, 4.83%), 9 bone pieces of Passeriformes sp. (0.98g, 0.10%), and 5 bone pieces of Rattus norvegicus caraco (0.70 g, 0.07%). The bone pieces of the animal relics consisted of 81 skull (18.12%), 161 axial skeleton (36.02%), 64 forelimb (14.32%), and 141 hindlimb (31.54%) fragments. The archaeological significance of the animal bones excavated in this investigation was that wild boars and deer were presumed to have been mainly used animals in the Gasan-ri area of Jinju during the Three Kingdoms period.

The study described the results of experiment on electrical and physical characteristics related to soil ionization around a ground electrode to which impulse voltages were applied to coaxial circular electrode system, simulated by the ground rod or the horizontally buried ground electrode. Ground resistance was significantly reduced by soil ionization caused by impulse voltage in which the voltage-current characteristic curve ( curve) appeared as ∞-shape of a cross-closed loop. According to the increase of impulse current through a ground electrode, the equivalent soil resistivity was reduced, but the delayed time to the maximum of the equivalent radius of the ground electrode was increased. As soil ionization progressed, average progress speed increased proportionally, according to the increase of peak current.

In the presence of poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and excess amount of graphene oxide (GO), we conducted in-situ polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) without an oxidant. XPS and IR spectroscopies of the product (GO-P) showed that PEDOT/PSS was successfully synthesized by oxidative polymerization of EDOT and hybridized with GO. GO-P displayed a stable aqueous suspension, however, the high content (42%) of GO in GO-P diminished electrical conductivity down to . Annealing of GO-P films at for 8 hr induced partial reduction of GO and finally enhanced electrical conductivity up to .

Background Radiation exposure from medical procedures has been rapidly increasing. We purposed to estimate the fraction of cancer incidence and mortality attributed to diagnostic medical radiation exposure in Korea. Methods Using information on diagnostic medical radiation exposure from various sources including national health examination (National Health Insurance Service), private health examination, and conscription health examination; the annual mean exposed organ dose (mGy) from all diagnostic medical radiation use, grouped by sex and 5-year age ranges up to 80 years, was calculated. Cancer incidence and mortality lifetime attributable risks (LARs) up to 85 years using estimated exposed organ doses and biological effects of ionizing radiation (BEIR) VII model (excess relative risk and excess absolute risk) were estimated. Using background cancer incidence and mortality risk based on the national database, along with estimated LARs, we finally estimated population attributable fraction (PAF) of cancer incidence and mortality. Results The PAF for diagnostic medical radiation exposure among all cancers of Koreans was 0.9% for incidence and mortality, resulting 1,915 cancer cases and 637 cancer deaths a year. The PAF in females was higher than those in males: 1.2% and 1.7% (incidence and mortality) versus 0.6% (same in incidence and mortality), respectively. Conclusion The estimated PAF for diagnostic medical radiation in Korea in 2013 was higher than those reported in the UK in 2004. Optimized management of diagnostic medical radiation use is important in Korea., Graphical Abstract

Background This study examined the clinical effects of leuprolide acetate in sexual offenders with paraphilic disorders evaluated by means of objective psychiatric assessment. Methods The subjects of this study were seven sexual offenders who were being treated by means of an injection for sexual impulse control by a court order. They had been diagnosed with paraphilia by a psychiatrist based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) and had been put on probation by the Ministry of Justice between January 2016 and December 2016. Results After twelve months, we observed significant improvement in symptoms, as decrease of abnormal sexual interest and activity, sexual fantasy, Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S), and Clinical Global Impression-Impulsivity (GCI-I). There were a mild feminization of the body shape, feelings of fatigue, and mild hot flushes. No other adverse effect was reported. Conclusion These results suggested that the clinical effects of leuprolide acetate in sexual offenders might be an effective treatment and safety strategy., Graphical Abstract

Background This study aimed to examine the environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure at home and associated problem behaviors in Korean children and adolescents. Methods Approximately 2,167 children aged 3–18 years were included in the study after excluding 163 active smokers from the Korean Environmental Health Survey in Children and Adolescents (2012–2014). ETS data were obtained using a questionnaire; problem behaviors were measured using the Child Behavior Checklist administered to parents. The relationship between ETS exposure and problem behavior was evaluated using a survey regression model adjusted for region, age, sex, income, and father's education. The population-attributable fraction (PAF%) was calculated based on problem behaviors related to ETS exposure at home. Results The rates of ETS exposure at home were 20%, 28%, and 39% in children aged 3–5, 6–11, and 12–18 years, respectively; ETS exposure at home was associated with behavioral problems: the exposed group having higher total behavioral problem score (95% confidence interval [CI]) than the non-exposed by 2.46 (0.60–4.32) and 2.74 (0.74–4.74) in children aged 6–11 and 12–18 years, respectively, with no significant association in those aged 3–5 years. The PAF% (95% CI) of total problem behaviors for ETS exposure at home were 2.68 (−10.11–17.78), 10.66 (3.25–17.55), and 11.62 (3.03–18.96) in children aged 3–5, 6–11, and 12–18 years, respectively. Children with externalizing problems had higher PAF% than those with internalizing problems. Conclusion In Korea, ETS exposure at home is associated with problem behaviors in children and adolescents with about more than 10% population attributable fraction., Graphical Abstract

We aimed to assess the personal radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure levels of children and adults through their activities, with consideration to the body shadowing effect. We recruited 50 child-adult pairs, living in Seoul, Cheonan, and Ulsan, South Korea. RF-EMF measurements were performed between September and December 2016, using a portable exposure meter tailored to capture 14 Korean radiofrequency (RF) bands ranging from 87.5 to 5875MHz. The participants carried the device for 48h and kept a time-activity diary using a smartphone application in flight mode. To enhance accuracy of the exposure assessment, the body shadowing effect was compensated during the statistical analysis with the measured RF-EMF exposure. The compensation was conducted using the hybrid model that represents the decrease of the exposure level due to the body shadowing effect. A generalized linear mixed model was used to compare the RF-EMF exposure levels by subjects and activities. The arithmetic (geometric) means of the total power density were 174.9 (36.6) μW/m2 for all participants, 226.9 (44.6) for fathers, 245.4 (44.8) for mothers, and 116.2 (30.1) for children. By compensating for the body shadowing effect, the total RF-EMF exposure increased marginally, approximately 1.4 times. Each frequency band contribution to total RF-EMF exposure consisted of 76.7%, 2.4%, 9.9%, 5.0%, 3.3%, and 2.6% for downlink, uplink, WiFi, FM Radio, TV, and WiBro bands, respectively. Among the three regions, total RF-EMF exposure was highest in Seoul, and among the activities, it was highest in the metro, followed by foot/bicycle, bus/car, and outside. The contribution of base-station exposure to total RF-EMF exposure was the highest both in parents and children. Total and base-station RF-EMF exposure levels in Korea were higher than those reported in European countries.

Objectives Although mercury (Hg) exposure is known to be neurotoxic in humans, its effects on liver function have been less often reported. The aim of this study was to investigate whether total Hg exposure in Korean adults was associated with elevated serum levels of the liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Methods We repeatedly examined the levels of total Hg and liver enzymes in the blood of 508 adults during 2010-2011 and 2014-2015. Cross-sectional associations between levels of blood Hg and liver enzymes were analyzed using a generalized linear model, and nonlinear relationships were analyzed using a generalized additive mixed model. Generalized estimating equations were applied to examine longitudinal associations, considering the correlations of individuals measured repeatedly. Results GGT increased by 11.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5 to 18.0%) in women and 8.1% (95% CI, -0.5 to 17.4%) in men per doubling of Hg levels, but AST and ALT were not significantly associated with Hg in either men or women. In women who drank more than 2 or 3 times per week, AST, ALT, and GGT levels increased by 10.6% (95% CI, 4.2 to 17.5%), 7.7% (95% CI, 1.1 to 14.7%), and 37.5% (95% CI,15.2 to 64.3%) per doubling of Hg levels, respectively, showing an interaction between blood Hg levels and drinking. Conclusions Hg exposure was associated with an elevated serum concentration of GGT. Especially in women who were frequent drinkers, AST, ALT, and GGT showed a significant increase, with a significant synergistic effect of Hg and alcohol consumption.

Background Although the association between lead exposure and children's neurodevelopment has been studied, gender differences remain to be investigated. We examined the effects of lead exposure on the neurobehavioral development of 5-year-old children to identify the vulnerable time window of exposure and potential gender difference. Method A total of 1751 pregnant women and children participated in the prospective birth cohort study, Mothers and Children's Environmental Health study, since 2006. Lead levels were measured in the maternal blood in early and late pregnancies, in cord blood at birth, and in 2-, 3-, and 5-year-old children's blood. The behavior of 575 children aged 5 years were assessed using the Korean Child Behavior Checklist. The association between the blood lead level at each time window and behavior was examined using a generalized linear model adjusted for potential confounders and covariates. Results Lead levels at late pregnancy were significantly associated with increased risk of behavioral problems in males. Lead levels in 2- and 5-year-old children's blood significantly increased behavioral risks in females: for a 1-μg/dL increase in blood lead levels, the score for total behavioral problems increased by 3.00 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56–5.45) during the late pregnancy in males, whereas it increased by 3.82 (95% CI: 1.25–6.39) at 2 years and by 5.72 (95% CI: 0.44–10.99) at 5 years in females with a stronger effect in attention and sleep problems. Conclusion Effects of lead toxicity on children's neurobehavioral development showed gender differences. Males were more susceptible to prenatal exposure, while females were more susceptible to postnatal exposure with stronger effects in attention and sleep problems.

The Environmental Health Study in the Korean National Industrial Complexes (EHSNIC) is a project that aims to monitor the exposure and health effects of environmental pollution among residents of national industrial complexes, as well as propose appropriate environmental health measures. Since its launch in 2003, this project has been initiated in eight national industrial complexes. Currently, it is necessary to review the accomplishments and limitations of the phases 1 and 2 of this project, and establish the direction of the upcoming the phase 3. Thus, the present study has developed principles and goals for the phase 3, considering the rationale and justification of the EHSNIC, and presented specific research contents accordingly. In the phase 3, it is important to improve the methods for exposure assessment and evaluation of health effects, in order to identify clearly the association between the pollutants released from industrial complexes and their health impacts, to develop and to reinforce communication strategies to promote participation of residents of communities near industrial complexes. Nonetheless, it is also important to maintain the basic goal of continuously monitoring the level of exposure to and health effects of environmental pollutants.

This paper deals with the frequency-dependent ground impedance of ground grids combined with the carbon ground electrodes. Ground grids are generally valid for multipurpose grounding systems as well as lightning protection systems. The carbon ground electrodes may be supplementarily used to reduce the high frequency ground impedance and to improve the transient response to surge currents. The frequency-dependent ground impedances of ground grids combined with or without the carbon ground electrodes were measured and their simulations with due regard to frequency-dependent soil resistivity were implemented by using EMTP program and Matlab modeling. As a consequence, the ground impedance of ground grids combined with the carbon ground electrodes is significantly reduced when the test current is injected at the terminal of the carbon ground electrode. The measured and simulated data for the test ground grids fairly agree with each other. It was found that the proposed method of simulating the frequency-dependent ground impedance is distinguished. The simulation techniques of predicting accurately the ground impedances without actual measurements can be used in the design of grounding systems based on ground grids and the carbon ground electrodes.

Introduction: Several observational studies have shown that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children is associated with their lead exposure, but residual confounding and reversal...

Introduction : No one can deny individual or familial wealth and income, that is to say socioeconomic status (SES), affects one’s health status. We explored whether children’s parents’ SES at birth...

Objectives A stable follow-up participation rate is a very important factor for validity in a cohort study. This study analyzed the factors that affect the participation rate at one hospital-based birth cohort in South Korean. Methods The participants were recruited from the Mothers’ and Children’s Environmental Health study between 2006 and 2010. The analysis targeted 1751 mothers who participated in a birth cohort. We conducted analyses of general characteristics during pregnancy and those of infants at birth that affect the participation rate of the 6-month follow-up survey. Results The participation rate for the 6-month follow-up survey was 60.4%. The participation rate in the follow-up of the subsequent period decreased within a 5% to 10% range compared to the number of subjects. The participation rate of premature infants was 16.9% lower than that of a full-term infant (52.6% vs. 69.5%). Analysis showed a 16.7% difference between the participation rate of low-birthweight infants in follow-ups (53.7%) and the participation rate of infants with normal weight (70.4%). The participation rate of mothers who were employed during pregnancy was significantly lower for the 6-month follow-up compared to the participation rate of mothers who were unemployed during pregnancy. Conclusions In this study, factors such as premature birth, low-birthweight, and the employment status of the mother during pregnancy affected the participation rate of the follow-up survey for the birth cohort at six months. A specific strategy is needed to encourage survey participation for the high risk groups in the follow-ups.

When surges and electromagnetic pulses from lightning or power conversion devices are considered, it is desirable to evaluate grounding system performance as grounding impedance. In the case of large-sized grounding electrodes or long counterpoises, the grounding impedance is increased with increasing the frequency of injected current. The grounding impedance is increased by the inductance of grounding electrodes. This paper presents the measured results of frequency-dependent grounding impedance and impedance phase as a function of the length of counterpoises. In order to analyze the frequency-dependent grounding impedance of the counterpoises, the frequency-dependent current dissipation rates were measured and simulated by the distributed parameter circuit model reflecting the frequency-dependent relative resistivity and permittivity of soil. As a result, the ground current dissipation rate is proportional to the soil resistivity near the counterpoises in a low frequency. On the other hand, the ground current dissipation near the injection point is increased as the frequency of injected current increases. Since the high frequency ground current cannot reach the far end of long counterpoise, the grounding impedance of long counterpoise approaches that of the short one in the high frequency. The results obtained from this work could be applied in design of grounding systems.

Because of the increased usage of power conversion equipment and their susceptibility to lightning strikes, high frequency fault currents flowing through grounding systems are increased. As grounding systems change from individual groundings to common or integrated groundings, the improved performance of grounding systems against high frequency fault currents is urgently required. When regarding the common or integrated grounding systems, most of them are required to satisfy the ground resistance defined by standards or regulations. The grounding system performance against high frequency fault currents is defined by the grounding impedance. A number of studies have reported that grounding system performance is reduced due to the increase of the grounding impedance with increasing of the frequency of fault currents. In this paper, in order to investigate the characteristics of the frequency-dependent grounding impedances of counterpoises installed in the two-layered soils, the ground current dissipation rates in each 10 m section of the counterpoises were measured and analyzed as functions of the length of grounding electrodes and the current injection point. As a result, most of the ground currents above the frequency of 100 kHz are dissipated into the earth near the current injection point and the high frequency grounding impedance of long counterpoises is converged into that of short counterpoises. The high frequency grounding impedance measured at the low soil-resistivity end of the counterpoise buried in the two-layered soils is much lower than that measured at the high soil-resistivity end.

When the transient current with high frequency components such as lightning surges are injected the grounding electrodes, the performance of grounding electrodes should be evaluated as grounding impedance. It is restricted to analyze the grounding impedance by measurement approach since the grounding impedance is very different with the shape and size of grounding electrodes, resistivity and relative permittivity of soil and the frequency component of the injected current. So a variety of simulation approaches have been developed. Typically, the soil resistivity measured with low frequency and relative permittivity between 1 and 80 are used for simulation of the grounding impedance. However, the resistivity and relative permittivity of soil are changed with frequency of injected current. In this paper, the frequency-dependent resistivity and relative permittivity of soil are measured and these parameters are reflected in the simulation of the grounding impedance of a ground rod. The simulated results are compared with the measured results. As a result, the simulated results with frequency-dependent soil parameters show capacitive aspect like measured results in the frequency of lower than 100[kHz] and they are more consistent with the measured results in wide frequency range.

Recently several studies reported that the renal toxicity of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) may exist in even a low level exposure. In terms of the deterioration of tubular function, it affects the loss of divalent metals and leads to other complications, so renal tubular effect of heavy metals should be well managed. Considering the exposure to heavy metals in reality, it is hard to find the case that human is exposed to only one heavy metal. We designed a cross-sectional study using Korean Research Project on the Integrated Exposure Assessment (KRIEFS) data to investigate the renal effects of multiple metal exposure in general population. We used blood Pb and urinary Cd as exposure measures, and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) as renal tubular impairment outcome. We conducted linear regression to identify the association between each heavy metal and urinary NAG and β2-MG. And then, we conducted linear regression including the interaction term. Of 1953 adults in KRIEFS (2010~2011), the geometric mean of blood Pb and urinary Cd concentration was 2.21 μg/dL (geometric SD = 1.49 μg/dL) and 1.08 μg/g cr (geometric SD = 1.98 μg/g cr), respectively. In urinary Cd, the strength of the association was also high after adjusting (urinary NAG: β = 0.44, p < 0.001; urinary β2-MG: β = 0.13, p = 0.002). Finally, we identified the positive interactions for the two renal biomarkers. The interaction effect of the two heavy metals of β2-MG was greater than that of NAG. It is very important in public health perspective if the low level exposure to multiple heavy metals has an interaction effect on kidney. More epidemiological studies for the interaction and toxicological studies on the mechanism are needed.

In order to design effectively the grounding system, it is very important to determine the optimum soil resistivity at the desired location of the connection to earth. This paper deals with the reasonable methods of measuring the soil resistivity where grounding electrodes are buried. The soil resistivity at three test sites with different resistivity of soil were measured as functions of the spacing between the test probes in the Wenner`s four-point method and the length of test ground rod in the three-point method. In the case of the three-point method, the length of test ground rod of 2-10[m] in length was appropriate in two-layered soil structure. In the length range of 2-10[m], the results measured by the three-point method using the test ground rod with the length corresponding to the spacing between the test probes of the Wenner`s four-point method are in good agreement with the data obtained from the Wenner`s four-point method.

The touch or step voltages which exist in the vicinity of a grounding electrode are closely related to the earth structure and resistivity and the ground current. The grounding design approach is required to determine the grounding electrode location where the hazardous voltages are minimized. In this paper, in order to propose a method of mitigating the electric shock hazards caused by the ground surface potential rise in the vicinity of a counterpoise, the hazards relevant to touch voltage were evaluated as a function of the soil resistivity ratio for several practical values of two-layer earth structures. The touch voltage and current on the ground surface just above the test electrode are calculated with CDEGS program. As a consequence, it was found that burying a grounding electrode in the soil with low resistivity is effective to reduce the electric shock hazards. In the case that the bottom layer soil where a counterpoise is buried has lower resistivity than the upper layer soil, when the upper layer soil resistivity is increased, the surface potential is slightly raised, but the current through the human body is reduced with increasing the upper layer soil resistivity because of the greater contact resistance between the earth surface and the feet. The electric shock hazard in the vicinity of grounding electrodes is closely related to soil structure and resistivity and are reduced with increasing the ration of the upper layer resistivity to the bottom layer resistivity in two-layer soil.

A grounding system is generally composed of several vertical, horizontal electrodes or grids. Excessive ground potential rises due to adjacent grounding electrodes can cause failures or misoperation of electronic devices and control systems. It is therefore necessary for computer-related and information-oriented equipment to be placed at a sufficient distance from the areas influenced by grounding electrodes. In this paper, in order to propose a method for evaluating the ground potential rise and interference in the vicinity of vertical grounding electrodes, the experimental and theoretical results on the potential interference between vertical grounding electrodes and its frequency dependence were described. The ground potential rise is sharply decreased with increasing the distance between grounding electrodes. In case that the separation of vertical grounding electrodes is less than 1.5[m], the potential interference coefficient was greater than 0.1 and linearly increased with the frequency of the test current within the frequency of 1[MHz].

The most important object of grounding systems is to protect human being from electric shock. Touch and step voltages are measured to evaluate the performances of grounding systems. Dangerous voltages have been largely studied by the power frequency fault currents, on the other hand, the ground current containing the high frequency components and surge currents haven`t been considered. Many attempts about the grounding impedances reported in these days show that the performance of the grounding systems in high frequency range is very different with the ground resistance. It is necessary to analyze the dangerous voltages formed by the ground currents containing high frequency components. In this paper, the ground surface potential rises near the vertical and horizontal grounding electrodes are measured at the frequency of 100[Hz], 30[kHz], and 100[kHz]. Dangerous voltages are investigated with the frequency-dependent grounding impedance. As a result, the ground surface potential rise is increased as the grounding impedance increases. Touch and step voltages near the grounding electrode whose impedance increases with the frequency are sharply raised.

Lightning and switching surges propagating through the grounding conductors lead to transient overvoltages, and electronic circuits in information technology systems are very susceptible to damage or malfunction from the electrical surges. Surge damages or malfunctions of electrical and electronic equipment may be caused by potential rises. To solve these problems, it is very important to evaluate the ground surface potential rises and hazardous voltages such as touch and step voltages at or near the grounding systems energized by electrical surges. In this paper, the performance of grounding systems against the surge current containing high frequency components on the basis of the actual-sized tests is presented. The ground surface potential rises and hazardous voltages depending on impulse currents for vertical or horizontal grounding electrodes are measured and analyzed. Also the touch and step voltages caused by the impulse currents are investigated. As a result, the ground surface potential rises, the touch and step voltages near the grounding electrodes are raised and the conventional grounding impedances are increased as the front time of the injected impulse currents is getting faster.

The paper describes the electrical and optical properties of underwater discharges in highly inhomogeneous electric fields caused by 1.2/50㎲ impulse voltages as functions of the polarity and am- plitude of the applied voltage, and various water conductivities. The electric fields are formed by a point-to-plane electrode system. The formation of air bubbles is associated with a thermal process of the water located at the tip of the needle electrode, and streamer coronas can be initiated in the air bub- bles and propagated through the test gap with stepped leaders. The fastest streamer channel experiences the final jump across the test gap. The negative streamer channels not only have more branches but are also more widely spread out than the positive streamer channels. The propagation velocity of the posi- tive streamer is much faster than that of the negative one and, in fact, both these velocities are inde- pendent of the water conductivity; in addition the time-lag to breakdown is insensitive to water con- ductivity. The higher the water conductivity the larger the pre-breakdown energy, therefore, the ionic currents do not contribute to the initiation and propagation of the underwater discharges in the test conditions considered.

This paper deals with the frequency-dependent grounding impedances of counterpoises relevant to the soil resistivity, the length of counterpoises and the feeding point of test current. The grounding impedances of counterpoises buried in one-layered and two-layered soils were measured and analyzed in the frequency range from 1[kHz] to 10[MHz]. As a result, the frequency-dependent grounding impedances strongly depend on the soil resistivity, and the grounding impedances within the frequency of several tens [kHz] are capacitive behavior in high soil resistivity. When injecting the ground current to the end of counterpoise buried in soil with high resistivity, the grounding impedances in high frequency are increased.

When lightning surges with wide frequency spectrum and power converting devices are considered, it is desirable to evaluate grounding system performance by grounding impedances. This paper presents the measured results for frequency-dependent grounding impedance for the vertical grounding electrode and counterpoise on a scale of full size. Grounding impedances of vertical grounding electrodes and counterpoises give capacitive or inductive behaviors according to the length of grounding electrodes and soil resistivity. It is inefficient to extend the length of the grounding electrode in order to decrease the ground resistance, and when designing the grounding system, the consideration of the grounding impedance should be desirable. In order to reduce the grounding impedance of counterpoise, the grounding conductors are jointed at the center of counterpoises. It is effective to reduce the grounding impedance by connecting ground rods to counterpoises in parallel.