Kinerja Sistem Pembumian Tower Telekomunikasi di Manokwari Berdasarkan Resistansi Pembumian dan Resistivitas Tanah

Grounding System Performance of a Telecommunication Tower in Manokwari Based on Earth Resistance and Soil Resistivity

Abstract

Grounding systems on telecommunication towers discharge fault and lightning currents safely to earth and protect sensitive equipment. This study evaluated the grounding system of a tower owned by PT. Dayamitra Telekomunikasi in Amban, Manokwari, West Papua. Earth resistance was measured using the Fall of Potential method with a 20 m distance between the tested electrode and the current electrode, and the potential electrode was placed at 52% (10.4 m), 62% (12.4 m), and 72% (14.4 m) following IEEE Std 81-2012. Soil resistivity was measured using the Wenner four-point method at electrode spacings of 2 m and 3.1 m along five spans and interpreted with a two-layer soil model. The earth resistance at the 62% reference point was 19.62 Ω in the first measurement and 15.98 Ω in the second, so the system met neither the 5 Ω limit nor the stricter criterion of less than 1 Ω. Soil resistivity ranged from 17.2 to 91.8 Ωm, indicating non-homogeneous soil, and the reflection factor was −0.100. Improvements, such as adding parallel ground rods, are required to lower the resistance and improve the reliability of lightning protection.