Earthing For Mobile Burger Vehicles

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Max6979

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The mobile I was assessing last week had a petrol generator providing power via an inverter for a variety of catering equipment. My questions are as follows

a) If the mobile has RCD protection , would this be sufficient in absence of a TT earth ?

b) If just RCD is not sufficient how would a satisfactiory earth be achieved in practical terms - mobile is on highway next to a pavement.?

(I am studying for level 3 2365 - last year sucessfully past the level 2 2365 - so I am attending evening classess at a local college whilst working during the day- my day job involves assessing mobiles for street trading consents etc- I know a few will reply stick to the day job but just wanted to recieve the best guidance out there as I know that the engineers on this forum have many more years experience than I have.) 

Any helpful advice or guidance relating to this issue would be appreciated.

Thanks

 
Interesting question, a bit out of my normal work as there may be a reg that the smaller genny does not need a earth stake (dont count on that, i dont have the book with me)  However the bigger problem would be putting an earth stake in. I do work for a utilities company and often connect up large gennys at the side of the road. Their guys laugh at me as I wont put an earth stake in until the area has been cat scanned with 2 different machines. A mobile van has not got the right to do this anyhow.

All these type of gennys i know have the N & E bonded so really they are a tncs supply

This is the last one we did right on the A13 by the Blackwall tunnel

2013-12-21 13.58.39.jpg

2013-12-21 13.58.58.jpg

 
 Their guys laugh at me as I wont put an earth stake in until the area has been cat scanned with 2 different machines

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2013-12-21 13.58.39.jpg
I wonder why they do that?  It only has to happen once.

 
The mobile I was assessing last week had a petrol generator providing power via an inverter for a variety of catering equipment. 
Was the inverter an integral part of the generator or was it a separate unit? I'm not understanding why they'd use an inverter instead of just the output from the generator direct.

Also what kind of generator was it? Don't suppose you have a make/model number? Did the catering van have it's own CU or was everything supplied on trailing leads from the generator?

Installing generators safely can be tricky especially with the smaller site type generators which are usually 10KV or less.

 
All these type of gennys i know have the N & E bonded so really they are a tncs supply
no, its not. its TNS. exactly the same way a DNO transformer gives a TNS supply. N-E linked at source, then separate earth onwards

it could only be TNCS if it was connected directly to DNO network, and then linked N-E on their wiring

 
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I am going to ask the owner of the mobile to get an EICR done and see what comes back. Thank you to everyone who replied.

 
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