földelt

Földelt is Hungarian for "grounded" or "earthed," and in electrical engineering it describes a conductor, device, or system that is connected to the earth. This connection provides a reference potential and a path for fault currents to flow safely away from people and equipment.

The grounding is achieved through a grounding conductor that links equipment to a grounding electrode, such as a rod or plate driven into the soil, or to a building earth network. The arrangement is designed to create a low-impedance path to earth, helping to stabilize voltages and to carry fault currents back to the source.

The primary purpose of grounding is safety. By providing a low-resistance path for fault currents, it reduces touch voltages during faults and facilitates the rapid operation of protective devices like circuit breakers or fuses. Grounding also supports lightning protection and helps establish a common reference potential for signals and equipment, reducing the risk of damage from transient voltages.

Common concepts associated with földelt include protective earth (PE), which connects exposed metal parts, functional earth (FE) used for circuit reference, and equipotential bonding, which ties various conductive parts together to maintain similar voltages. Earth resistance, conductor sizing, and grounding layout are governed by standards such as IEC 60364 (EN 60364) and national electrical codes.

In practice, many installations use a dedicated PE conductor from the main panel to outlets and appliances. Some equipment, such as double-insulated devices, may not require grounding, depending on local regulations and the level of protection provided.