Power Generation - Neutral And Ground

If there is/was an application to "DC-Bias" the Neutral of the Generator, you could detach the Neutral and terminate this at another point.

Then you'll have a Generator with the Frame Earthed, and the AC output with a DC Bias from zero.

not only it conected at generator output terminal but at distribution board also you will find neutral and ground are connected, this often confuse me....but whay so, no idea.

Perfect. Just perfect !

The ground is there to ensure that if an operator touches the hot wire and ground, he will become aware of this.

Seriously, I see zero need for a ground. I see a need for a return connector. In Canada we have 'double insulated' tools that can be run on an isolation transformer with no ground path at all.

Yet I see relict code requirements for grounds and every year people are killed by touching a hot wire to ground, or when their radio falls into the tub.

More recently ground fault interruptor circuits were develooped to cut power if there is any flow detected outside of the wiring runs, iie in the ground..

Read NEC Article 250. Section 6 says that the generator frame can serve as the grounding connection for cord-and-plug connected equipment. In this instance, no earth ground is required.

However, Section 61 requires that grounding and neutral functions be separated on the load side of a distribution panel, and must be handled by separate conductors. There must be an ungrounded ("hot") conductor, color coded with any color except white or green), a grounded, or neutral conductor, color coded with white insulation, and a grounding conductor, which may be bare, or colored green if insulated.

If this generator supplies electricity for an RV, read Article 551. There are some special requirements for recreational vehicles.

The ground line protect the human in case of the electric shock or fault.

And neutral is one of line of supply lines.

You can conect them in generator or transfomer but cannot conect them on control panel or the machine.

Many machine manufacturers do NOT KNOW what to do with regards to earth and neutral either. We worked with machines from the states which, when connected up in europe would fail the safety tests as the neutral was in fact connected to the earth. Often we would have an inteference fault on the low dc voltage lines and in particular the electronic sensors. We would find that even in the low voltage dc lines the generated common or neutral or minus would be connected to earth at the end of the line, i.e. behind the last relay in a full bank of them. This was done for many years and not picked up on as it was not a problem untill plc's and electronic semiconductor items were being used. Still don't know the ins and outs of why it was done, all we knew was that prior to installation we always had to check all the earth and neutral connections and seperate them. Funny!

Your question seems elementary at first, but you really do have a valid point. The power companies want the separate neutral and grounds for personal protection against electrocution as PWSlack replied. In the US, Neutrals and grounds are "bonded" ONLY at ONE point, the main service panel. After that, they are separated and for good reason, if there are parallel paths for the electrons, they'll take it! And we don't want no current flow on the ground circuit unless its saving your life.

We draw different pictures of a generator, is it portable? If so, as it rests, it probably is NOT making a good electrical connection to the earth, therefor, if you touched either the hot or common wire and were standing on the ground but NOT touching the generator frame, there's no reason for electrons to flow through you. But in America, its all about lawyers now, so needed or not, the manufacturer's follow the National Electrical Code

Without the safety ground circuit the circuit protection device would have no means of sensing a situation in which the hot lead shorts to a conductive enclosure. A person that inadvertently completed the circuit from that enclosure to earth ground with their body would be very aware that something was amiss--if they survived the incident. This safety ground to neutral/ground buss connection heats the breaker/fuse and causes it to open; thereby protecting life and breaking the circuit before enough heat can be generated at the short to induce a fire.

I have forgotten what the breakers are called nowadays, they used to be called earth Leakage Circuit Breakers or trips....but they would have a big job saving someones life if not for the way earth and neutral are related.....in fact, they could not work at all....

They sense the line current and the neutral current and if any current is accidently diverted over the earth path, more that 30 ma I believe, it trips the supply.....

I have a long time ago, accidently touched live and put our training lab into darkness.....believe me it still hurt!!

I once touched one leg of a 440 3 phase system while wiring a motor. Had even pulled fuses ........ in the wrong panel. luckily i was poorly grounded and got no more then a proper tickle and a Lil numbness. Fuses in the panel were 200 amp per leg ..... i think i might have cooked awhile before it popped.

Here is the USA/Canada they call them "ground fault interrupters", we call earth - ground, so it is the same thing. All kitchens, laundry rooms and washrooms must have them retrofitted by the code, but many do not. All new houses must have them.

As soon as they see a current in the ground versus the neutral, they shut off.

Of course, if you touch the hot wire and neutral it does not care you = toast.

One always hopes that at least 30 ma is going to find a way via ground, that way the circuit beaker pops!

NATO Ships are 440v 3 phase no neutral.....I once touched a phase, it sort of stopped my "processor" for many seconds, nasty! Luckily my heart was not affected....I always said, it was like sitting on the palm of a giant when he decides to clap his hands......real hard!

I prefer making my toast some other more banal way....

When I was real young, No not that long ago , I worked with my father in my school holidays.

He worked as a print technician rebuilding and repairing graphic machines, loads of fun. Anyway, He had to rig up a supply for a larger than normal machine one day and I happened to be there. He stood on a stool reaching into the distribution board and.....SHHHWSSHHHBANGGGGGG, I NOW KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN FLY, BUT NOT LAND VERY WELL.

He had to go to the doctor to be checked out but according to the doc his rigger boots and the fact he stood on a wooden stool, saved his life.

He had only touched 600V