O V E RV O LTA G E P R O T E C T I O N

Dimensioning,
GUIDELINE testing and application
of metal oxide surge arresters
in low-voltage power
distribution systems
PPLICATION
 Foreword

Up until 1998 no international standards existed for surge arresters in low-

voltage power systems. This situation presented two difficulties: firstly it lead
to specifications which were adapted from other standards, for example, IEC-
99-1 and IEC-99-4, which are applied for high voltage surge arresters, with and without spark gaps; secondly, declared
rating, parameters and tests performed by different manufacturers were not clear, and therefore not really comparable.

In the past, different committees of IEC worked (and are still working) on standards and guidelines, as in IEC SC 28A:
Insulation co-ordination of low-voltage installations; SC 37A: Surge protective devices (SPDs) in low-voltage power dis-
tribution systems; TC 64: Electrical installations of buildings; SC 77B: Electromagnetic compatibility – high frequency
phenomena; and TC 81: Lightning protection. This did not make a clear and easy situation. Joint Working Group (JWG)
31 of TC 64 has taken the task to co-ordinate the work of the different technical committees and sub-committees under
the title: Surge overvoltages and surge protection.

In 1998 the standard IEC 61643-1 (First edition 1998-02), was released with the title: Surge protective devices
connected to low-voltage power distribution systems- Part 1: Performance requirements and testing methods

Mr. Bernhard Richter, Product Manager of the surge arrester division of ABB High Voltage Technologies Ltd, gladly took
on the task to describe in a short and clear form the technical bases and application of surge protective devices for low-
voltage power systems, concentrating on Metal-Oxide surge arresters (MO-arresters) without gaps for outdoor and spe-
cial applications.

Mr. Richter is an active member in different working groups of IEC SC 37A and TC 81. His activity field includes mainly
the development, testing and application of surge arresters for use in all voltage systems of power supply.

We hope, that you as a reader, will find this booklet useful. We welcome amendments, suggestions and qualified hints,
which may help us to cover all the demands of our customers.

ABB High Voltage Technologies Ltd

Wettingen, April 2001

First published: May 2001

All rights reserved.
No parts of this booklet may be reproduced or translated in any manner
without the express written consent of ABB High Voltage Technologies Ltd.

© ABB High Voltage Technologies Ltd

Division Surge Arresters
Wettingen / Switzerland

1
 Contents

1 Introduction 5 Low-voltage MO-surge arresters from ABB

2 Overvoltages in low-voltage supply networks 5.1 MO-resistors

2.1 Overvoltages due to direct flashes 5.2 MO-surge arresters

2.2 Induced overvoltages 5.3 Technical data of the arresters

2.3 Overvoltages due to coupling 6 Tests

2.4 Transferred overvoltages through transformers 6.1 Type tests

2.5 Probability of overvoltages 6.2 Special tests

3 Low-voltage networks 6.3 Routine tests

3.1 System voltages in low-voltage networks 6.4 Acceptance tests

3.2 Insulation categories 7 Selection of MO-surge arresters

3.3 Low-voltage earthing systems 7.1 Selection of Uc

3.4 Temporary overvoltages (TOV) in low-voltage systems 7.2 Selection of Up

4 Surge protective devices (SPDs) 7.3 Selection of the energy capability

4.1 Principle function of surge arresters 8 Coordination of surge arresters

4.2 Definitions 9 MO-surge arresters for d. c. systems

4.3 Classifications 10 Installation of surge arresters

4.4 Service conditions Bibliography

2
1 Introduction
Overvoltages in electrical supply networks result from effects of lightning
strokes and switching actions, and cannot be avoided. They endanger the
electrical equipment and due to economical reasons, the insulation can-
not be designed for all possible cases. Therefore, a more economical and
safer on-line network calls for extensive protection of the electrical equip-
ment against unacceptable overvoltages. This applies to high voltage as u u
well as to medium and low voltage networks. i/2 i i/2
Overvoltage protection can be basically achieved in two ways: Z0
overhead line
earth
– Avoiding lightning overvoltages at the point of origin, for instance
through shielding earth wires.
– Limit overvoltages near the electric equipment, for instance through i : lightning current
U: generated overvoltage
surge arresters in the vicinity of the electrical equipment. Z0 : surge impedance of the line

In low voltage systems the earth wire protection is generally not very
effective. A lightning would hit not only one wire (the earth wire), but all, Figure 1
including the phase wires, and induced and transferred overvoltages Lightning overvoltage caused by a direct lightning flash to an overhead line.
could not be avoided.

The most effective protection against overvoltages in low voltage net-
works is therefore the use of surge arresters in the vicinity of the equip-
ment.
For general information, and especially with regard to medium voltage
networks, we refer to our APPLICATION GUIDELINES: Dimensioning,
testing and application of metal oxide surge arresters in medium voltage
networks [1]. Overvoltage protection in railway facilities, a. c. and d. c., is
described in: Dimensioning, testing and application of metal oxide surge
arresters in railway facilities [2].
U = Z 0 x i/2
Assuming Z0 = 450 Ω and a typicall current of i = 20 kA (80 % probability,
see Table 1), the prospective voltage will reach U = 4500 kV. On low
voltage lines, therefore, flashovers will occur between all the line con-
ductors, and usually also a flashover to earth at the closest pole of the
line. After flashover the effective impedance is reduced, depending on
the earth resistance involved. Even with a low impedance of 10 Ω, and
the current being at 10 kA, the voltage will still be U = 100 kV, travelling
along the line. Therefore further flashovers can occur along the line.

Lightning overvoltages are the greatest threat to the low voltage net-
Negative downward
works. Overvoltage protection must be arranged in such a way that the
overvoltage is limited to non-damaging values.
Percentage 98 % 95 % 80 % 50 % 20 % 5%

Current peak value > 4 kA > 6 kA > 20 kA > 34 kA > 55 kA > 90 kA

2 Overvoltages in low-voltage supply networks
Lightning surge overvoltages in electrical systems may be classified Table 1
according their origin as follows [3]: Probability of lightning peak values.

– overvoltages due to direct flashes to overhead lines

– induced overvoltages on overhead lines due to flashes at some
distance
– overvoltages caused by resistive, inductive and capacitive coupling
from systems carrying lightning currents.
In [4] is discussed in detail the case of transferred overvoltages through
a distribution transformer from the medium voltage to the low voltage
side.
2.2 Induced overvoltages
Due to the electromagnetic field changes caused by a lightning flash,
overvoltages are induced in overhead lines of all kinds. As a rough appro-
ximation, the prospective overvoltage between the line conductors and
earth can be estimated according to Rusck [5]
Umax = Z0 x Imax x H / D

Imax is the peak value of the lightning current

2.1 Overvoltages due to direct flashes
The overvoltage is determined by the effective impedance of the line and
the lightning current. For a flash to an overhead line conductor, the impe-
dance is in the first moments determined by the characteristic impedan-
ce (surge impedance) Z0 of the line.
The impedance Z0 is normally in the range of 400 to 500 Ω for one con-
ductor. As shown in Figure 1 the lightning current is diverted in two, each
part travelling along the line. The generated voltage is calculated
Z0 is the effective impedance (assumed to be 30 Ω)
H is the height of the line
D is the distance of the flash location from the line
Considering a height of 5 m for low voltage overhead lines, a lightning
current of 20 kA, and a distance of 100 m, the induced voltage is calcu-
lated
Umax = 30 kV.

3
With a distance of 1000 m between the line and the flash location, the
induced voltage has a value of Umax = 3 kV.

The above calculated values of induced voltages in low voltage overhead Lightning protection system (LPS)
lines show that this kind of surge is of primary concern for low voltage 100% i
distribution systems.
Lightning induced overvoltages occur mainly between the conductors
and earth. The voltage difference between the conductors is initially L1
small, especially when twisted conductors are used. However, due to dif- L2
0.5 i L3
N i
ferent loads on phase conductors (depending on low voltage system),
∆U ∆U
interactions of surge protective devices, flashovers, etc., considerable
line-to-line stresses can also occur.
PE
An example illustrating induced overvoltages line-to-line in low voltage
systems is shown in Figure 2. Twisted conductors, including neutral, are 0.5 ⋅ i
assumed. The neutral is earthed on both ends of the line. The voltages at
a certain point of the line show a high frequency dumped oscillation earthing impedance LV cable
(ringing wave). The period of the oscillation corresponds to twice the tra-
vel time of a span, a span being the distance between two poles.
Furthermore, it is found that the highest voltage occurs in the middle of Figure 3
the span. In the given example the voltage reaches up to 23 kV in the Example of resistive coupled overvoltages in electrical systems. In the electrical installati-
middle of the span, and up to 5 kV directly at the pole, where consumers ons in the building, as well as in close installations (and all conductuing parts) in the earth
may be connected. high overvoltages can be generated.

Due to the high electromagnetic fields caused by the lightning current,

inductive and capacitive coupling to electrical systems close to a light-
ning path can also cause overvoltages of concern, causing failures or
25 U(kV)
U2 32 kA malfunctions.
20

U1 150 m
15 0 1 2 2.4 Transferred overvoltages through transformers
10 250 m
U0 Overvoltages generated in the medium voltage (MV) system are transfer-
5 red to the low voltage (LV) system in two ways,
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 t(µs) 8
– by capacitive and magnetic coupling through the MV / LV transformer
-5
– by earth coupling (see Figure 4).
-10
The magnitude of the transferred overvoltage depends on many para-
meters and some important differences can exist between different
countries, due to differences in the transformer design and the LV earth-
ing systems (T T, T N, IT).
Figure 2
Induced overvoltage line-to-line. Calculated values, assuming twisted conductors.
Medium voltage line (MV) Low voltage line (LV)

A2 B2
2.3 Overvoltages due to coupling
A1 B1
Transformer
A lightning flash to earth can result in an earth potential of high value at
the point of the strike, as well as in the vicinity. This phenomenon will C
L1 L1
cause overvoltages in electrical systems, using this point of earth as refe-
L2 L2
rence for their earthing system. Figure 3 shows the principle of this phe-
nomenon. The potential rise of the earthing system is determined by the L3 L3
lightning current and the effective earthing impedance. In the first
moment the earth electrode potential is determined by the local impe-
dance, for instance 10 Ω. This means that a high voltage is generated
between the earthing system and electrical installations inside the buil-
ding, or other installations close to the earthing system. With a high pro- A1 by direct lightning to the MV line
bability this overvoltages will cause either flashovers, insulation breakdown A2 by indirect lightning to the MV line (induced voltage)
B1 by direct lightning to the LV line
or operation of surge protective devices. Following such events, current B2 by indirect lightning in the LV line (induced voltage)
impulses can flow into the various systems, mainly determined by their C by capacitive coupling through the transformer
impedance to earth. In this way overvoltages are produced in the power
supply system as well as in other services (telecommunication, data and
signalling systems, etc.). Furthermore, overvoltages are transferred to Figure 4
other buildings, structures and installations. Overvoltages in the Low voltage system

4
 The high frequency components of the overvoltage are transferred capa-
10
U (kV) a) citively from the MV to the LV side of the transformer [4]. Figure 5a
shows a typical wave shape of the overvoltage transferred to the LV line.
5
Being the transferred overvoltage characterized by high frequency oscil-
lations, the natural capacitance of the load can reduce very effectively
the peak overvoltages, as shown in Figure 5b. The calculated voltages in
0 the given example reach peak values of 10 kV (without load, Figure 5a),
0 5 10 15
t (µs)
20 and 3 kV (with load, Figure 5b).
In case of direct lightning to the MV line, the surge arrester operation or
-5 an insulator flashover diverts the surge current through the earthing
10 system, and can produce a resistive earth coupling between the MV and
U (kV) b)
LV system. An overvoltage is transferred to the LV system as shown in
the typical case of Figure 6a. Depending on the earthing impedance, this
5 earth coupling overvoltage can be much higher than the capacitive cou-
pling through the transformer. Separating the earthing electrodes, as in
Figure 6b, avoids this problem. Practically it is not possible to have real-
0
0 5 10 15 20
ly separated earth systems, due to the short distance and the conduc-
t (µs) tivity of the earth.
a) without representation of the users installation
(no load assumed)
b) user installations represented by lumped capacitances 2.5 Probability of overvoltages

The frequency of lightning flashes to an overhead line, or in the vicinity

Figure 5a / 5b of the line, depends on the local flash density, line type (especially the
Typical wave shape of overvoltage transferred to the LV line (calculated). height) and possible shielding effects of the surroundings [3], [4], [5]. For
lines in an open area the number of flashes can be calculated as follows

N = A x Ng x 10-6

A=6xHxL

A = effective area for direct lightning to the line (in m2)

U = U0 + R⋅i + L di/dt
MV Arrester H = height of the line ( in m)
L = length of line (in m)
i Equipment
Ng = local flash density per km2 and year
Soil

For a line of 5 m height and assuming Ng = 1, N is found to be 0,03 per

(R, L) Installation km of line and year, that means three direct flashes per 100 km of line
Transformer Earthing length and year. This gives a rough estimate of number of direct flashes
Earthing
to low voltage overhead lines.
a) MV and LV side of the transformer have same earthing point. This
generates, in case of arrester operation, an overvoltage Ug on the LV
The number of induced and transferred overvoltages is certainly much
system (∆Ug = R ⋅ i + L ⋅ di/dt)
(no load assumed) higher than the overvoltages due to direct flashes in the line. Especially
the local lightning density and the different possibilities of generating
overvoltages, including switching, has great influence on the occuring
number of dangerous overvoltages.

In Figure 7 a typical low voltage system with overhead line is given.

Calculated figures are presented for induced overvoltages which may be
U = U0
MV Arrester expected in this network, [3]. The ground flash density was assumed to
i be 2,2 flashes per km2 per year, all loads were modelled by frequency
Equipment
independent resistors. Table 2 shows the calculated results. The last
Soil
column (> 20 kV) shows high levels of overvoltages, but these occur only
in case of direct lightning to the low voltage line. The probability of occur-
Arrester Transformer Installation rence of such surges in this example is once in 22 years. But the over-
Earthing Earthing Earthing voltages in the range of 1,5 kV to 6 kV can occur several times a year in
a low voltage network, depending on the type of installation.
b) Separate earthing for MV and LV side of the transformer.

Figure 6a / 6b
Overvoltage on the low voltage side due to earth coupling.

5
 Voltage Three-phase Three-phase Single-phase Single-phase
line-to-neutral four-wire three-wire two-wire three-wire
230/400 V line derived from systems systems systems systems
MV/LV station twisted cable (3 phases + neutral) nominal a.c. or d.c. a.c. or d.c.
voltages with earthed neutral unearthed
a.c or d.c. E
up to and
Line connection including
20 kV line

V V V V V
25 m 50 12,5 24 30–60
MV arresters
Consumer’s 25 30
240 m 240 m 30 m
earthing 42 48

100 66/115 66 60
Conductive parts earthing Neutral earthing Neutral earthing Installation earthing
30 ohms 30 ohms 30 ohms 50 ohms 150 120/208* 125, 120 110, 120 110–220
127/220 127 120–240

300 220/380, 230/400 220, 230, 240 220 220–440

240/415, 260/440 260, 277, 347
447/830 380, 400, 415
Figure 7
440, 480
Typical low voltage network with overhead line.
600 347/600, 380/660 500, 577, 600 480 480–960
Arrangement used for calculating the values in Table 2. 400/690, 417/720
480/830

1000 600 1000

690, 720
> 1,5 kV > 2,5 kV > 4 kV > 6 kV > 20 kV 830, 1000

* Practice in the United States of America and in Canada.

Unloaded TT system 6 3 18 1 0,045

Loaded TT system 4 17 1 0,5 0,045

Table 3
Loaded TN system 1 0,6 0,35 0,25 0,045 Nominal voltages presently used world wide.

Table 2
Line-to-earth prospective overvoltage levels in the LV installation, occurrences per year.
Note 1: The numbers shown in the table were obtained for an overhead twisted cable dis-
tribution system. For a distribution system with overhead open conductors in air,
the voltage levels can be expected to be twice as high for the same probabilities.
Note 2: In this example, when performing a variation of the model to represent a TN
system, it was found that the value of the earthing impedance had no significant
influence because the LV neutral is directly connected to earth.
3 Low-voltage networks
3.2 Insulation categories
The concept of overvoltage categories is used for equipment energized
directly from the low voltage mains. For the different categories the insu-
lation levels are specified. According to [6] the definitions of the catego-
ries are as follows:
– Equipment of overvoltage category IV is for use at the origin of the
installation (e. g. overhead lines, cables, bus bars, meters, primary
overcurrent protection equipment).

Around the world very different low voltage networks exist. They differ in
the system voltage, the number of wires, the handling of the neutral and
the protective measures. The nominal voltages of the supply systems are
basically given in publication IEC 60038 (1983-01) and amendments:
IEC standard voltages.
In IEC 60664 [6] is given a good overview of the nominal voltages pre-
sently used in the world, depending on the type of network, see Table 3.
3.1 System voltages in low-voltage networks
– Equipment of overvoltage category III is equipment in fixed installations
and for cases where he reliability of the equipment is subject to spe-
cial requirements (e. g. mainly fixed indoor installation).
– Equipment of overvoltage category II is energy-consuming equipment
to be supplied from the fixed installation (e. g. appliances, portable
tools and other household and similar loads).
– Equipment of overvoltage category I is equipment for connection to cir-
cuits in which measures are taken to limit transient overvoltages to an
appropriate low level (e. g. protected electronic circuits).

As seen in Table 3, there is world wide a variety of existing voltages. The

standard voltages in Europe, for instance, are given in [7]. The system
voltages, according to the harmonization document, are 230 / 400 V,
where 230 V is the line to neutral voltage, and 400 V is the line to line
voltage. Other existing common voltages in Europe are 240 / 415 V and
220 / 380 V.
Considering an allowed tolerance of 10 %, the highest voltages to be
expected for the 400 V system are

U0max = 253 V (line to neutral voltage) and

UNmax = 440 V (line to line voltage).

6
Table 4 gives the four insulation categories. The rated impulse voltage
gives the insulation withstand capability for the different categories, Electrical
depending on the line to neutral voltage of the systems derived from the LV line Equipment
nominal voltages a. c. or d. c., based on IEC 60038. L
Electrical Power Source Customer
Voltage Connection TN-C
line-to-neutral Rated impulse voltage Point System
derived from for equipment
nominal Combined PEN Conductor N&E
voltages V
a.c or d.c.
up to and Insulation category
including

V I II III IV

50 330 500 800 1 500

Figure 8b
100 500 800 1 500 2 500

150 800 1 500 2 500 4 000

TN - C-S system (Figure 8c)
300 1 500 2 500 4 000 6 000
The supply neutral is earthed at the source and points in the network.
600 2 500 4 000 6 000 8 000 Supply lines have a combined neutral and earth wire. Supply within the
1 000 4 000 6 000 8 000 12 000 customer premises would have separate neutral and earth wire, connec-
ted only at the service position.
Table 4 A protective neutral bonding (PNB) arrangement may be used to provide
Insulation categories for low voltage systems. an earth terminal connected to the supply neutral. With this arrangement,
the neutral will be connected to earth at the source point only, at or near
to the customers supply point. The arrangement is generally restricted to
3.3 Low voltage earthing systems a single customer with it`s own transformer. See Figure 8d.

There are a number of methods used to provide an earth connection or

system. The different arrangements and standard definitions are given
Electrical
below. Each is defined by a coding which contains the following letters: LV line Equipment
L
T : terre, direct connection to earth Electrical Power Source Customer
N : neutral Connection TN-C-S
Point System
C : combined
S : separate Combined PEN Conductor N
The different principle earthing arrangements are shown in Figure 8. For E
simplification single line diagrams are used.

TN - S system (Figure 8a)

The incoming supply has a point of connection between the supply neu- Figure 8c
tral and earth only at the supply transformer. The lines have separate
neutral and earth protective conductors.

Electrical
LV line Equipment
Electrical
LV line Equipment L
L Electrical Power Source Customer
Electrical Power Source Customer Connection TN-C-S
Connection Point System
TN-S
Point System N (PNB)
Combined PEN Conductor
N
E
E

Figure 8d
Figure 8a

TT system (Figure 8e)

TN - C system (Figure 8b) The transformer is connected directly to earth, the customers installati-
The neutral and earth wire are combined within the premises, and are on is earthed via a separate electrode. This will be independent of any
earthed at the supply transformer or close to it. supply point electrode.

7
 SPDs connected to: Minimum UT for 5s: TOV values for 0,2s:
Electrical TN-systems
LV line Equipment Connected L- (PE)N or L-N 1,45 ⋅ U0 –
L Connected N-PE – –
Electrical Power Source Customer Connected L-L – –
Connection TT TT-systems
Point System Connected L-PE √3 ⋅ U0 1200V + U0
Connected L-N 1,45 ⋅ U0 –
N
Alternative Connected N-PE – 1200V
E Location Connected L-L – –
for Earth IT-systems
Terminal Connected L-PE – 1200V + U0
Connected L-N 1,45 ⋅ U0 –
Connected N-PE – 1200V
Connected L-L – –
Figure 8e TN, TT and IT-systems
Connected L-PE √3 ⋅ U0 1200V + U0
Connected L-(PE) N 1,45 ⋅ U0 –
Connected N-PE – 1200V
IT system (Figure 8f) Connected L-L – –
This arrangement has no direct system connection between live parts
and earth, but the exposed conductive parts of the customers installati- Table 5
on and its equipment is earthed. TOV values in low voltage systems.

nonlinear component that is intended to limit surge voltages and divert

Electrical surge currents. The discussed SPDs are typically for use in low-voltage
LV line Equipment
power systems, providing protection from the low-voltage bushing of the
L MV / LV transformer up to the plugs in buildings. In the course of this gui-
Electrical Power Source Customer
Connection
delines we will talk mainly about metal oxide surge arresters (MO-arre-
IT
Point System sters) without gaps for outdoor and indoor application.
N
Alternative
E Location
for Earth 4.1 Principle function of surge arresters
Terminal

There are two different designs for surge arresters: a voltage limiting
type, and a voltage switching type. The voltage limiting type is a nonline-
Figure 8f ar resistor, generally a metal oxide resistor, without any spark gap in
series. This types are sometimes called MOV, which is an abbreviation of
metal oxide varistor. The voltage switching type is a spark gap, or a spark
3.4 Temporary overvoltages (TOV) gap with a nonlinear resistor (MO or SiC) in series or parallel.
in low-voltage systems
Figure 9 shows the principle difference in the function of the two types.
In case of a failure on the medium voltage side of the MV / LV transfor-
mer, due to an internal fault of the transformer or a sparkover of a gap or
Gapped arrester MO-arrester
insulator, a current flows through the earthing impedance of the trans-
former. Depending on the connection between this earth impedance and
the low voltage network a temporary overvoltage with power frequency
can stress the low voltage network for a given period of time, equal to the
clearing time of the fault in the medium voltage network. This can be bet- v v
ween some 10 µs up to some hours. For a detailed discussion of tem-
porary overvoltage conditions see IEC 60364 [8].
t t
Depending on the earthing system of the low voltage network different
TOV can occur. Table 5 gives an overview about the considered systems
and the possible TOV between the different lines. Two values are given,
the minimum TOV value for 5 sec, and the TOV values for 0,2 sec. v v
Corresponding test procedures are described in the amendment of IEC
61643-1 [9].
time scale 10 µs/div time scale 25 µs/div
The test procedure depends on the intended application of an SPD in a
low-voltage power installation system according to the installation
instructions given by the manufacturer. Figure 9
Difference in function of gapped arresters (left), and MO-surge arresters without gaps
(right). Both types were tested with switching voltage impulses of the wave shape
4 Surge protective devices (SPDs) 250/ 2500 µs .
The voltage scale is the same in both cases. It is to be seen that in case of the MO-arre-
SPDs are devices for surge protection against direct and indirect effects ster the residual voltage is only half of the one given by the gapped arrester (same Uc for
of lightning or other transient overvoltages. They contain at least one both types of arresters).

8
Surge arresters which contain only spark gaps, or spark gaps with non-
linear resistors in series, have the disadvantage that the voltage collap-
ses suddenly when the sparkover-voltage of the device is reached. This
very high du/dt may cause EMC problems in data-lines which are close
to the power lines, or lead to failures in inductive loads. Furthermore, the
spark-over voltage depends on the steepness of the overvoltage.
Because the spark gap fires only at very high voltage levels, it can hap-
pen that overvoltages bypass the surge arrester, and downstream
connected instruments or installations are over-stressed.
Surge arresters containing only MO-resistors have no sparkover-voltage.
The turn on time is in the range of 15 ns, and the voltage is limited accor-
ding to the extremely nonlinear voltage-current characteristic of the MO-
material. A bypassing of these arresters is not possible.
The advantages of MO-surge arresters are mainly the constant low pro-
tection level independent on the steepness and polarity of the incoming
surge, the very good ageing behaviour, and the high energy capability.
Possibilities of coordination of parallel MO-surge arresters are described
in chapter 8.
4.2 Definitions
In the new standard family of IEC 61643 the special requirements for
surge arresters for application in low-voltage power systems are consi-
dered. In the following, the most important definitions are given with refe-
rence to [9], concentrating on MO-surge arresters without gaps.
For the purpose of this guidelines some definitions with reference to [11]
are added.
The surge arresters addressed in this guidelines are to be connected to
50 / 60 Hz a. c. and d. c. power circuits, and equipment rated up to
1000 V a. c. (rms) or 1500 V d. c.
Surge Protective Device (SPD)
A device that is intended to limit transient overvoltages and divert surge
currents. It contains at least one nonlinear component.
Note: as mentioned above, in the course of this guidelines this is the
same as a surge arrester, or short arrester.
Nominal discharge current In
The crest value of the current through the arrester having a current wave
shape of 8 / 20 µs. This is used for the classification of the arrester for
classII test and also for preconditioning of the arrester for class I and II tests.
Impulse current Iimp
It is defined by a current peak value Ipeak and the charge Q, tested accor-
ding to the test sequence of the operating duty test. This is used for the
classification of the arrester for class I test. A typical waveshape that can
achieve the parameters is that of a unipolar impulse current with a
waveshape of 10 / 350 µs. An other waveshape or impulse combination
is acceptable, as long as they obtain the peak value Ipeak within 50 µs and
the charge Q within 10 ms.
Maximum discharge current Imax for class II test
Crest value of a current through the arrester having a 8/20 µs wave
shape and magnitude according to the test sequence of the class II ope-
rating duty test. Imax is greater than In and declared by the manufacturer.
It is used in the operating duty test to prove the correct function and ther-
mal stability of the arrester.
Maximum continuous operating voltage Uc
The maximum a. c. (rms) or d. c. voltage which may be continuously
applied to the arresters terminals. This is equal to the rated voltage.
9
Nominal a. c. voltage of the system U0
U0 is the nominal line to neutral voltage of the a. c. system (rms
value).
Continuous operating current Ic
The current flowing through the arrester when energized at the maximum
continuous operating voltage Uc.
Follow current If
Current supplied by the electrical power system and flowing through the
arrester after a discharge current impulse.
Note: the follow current is significantly different depending on the design
of the arrester. For MO-surge arresters without gaps the follow current is
generally in the range of some 10 mA in maximum.
Reference current of an arrester Iref
The reference current is the peak value of the resistive component of a
power frequency current used to determine the reference voltage of the
arrester. The reference current should be high enough to have a clear
dominating resistive component, so that capacitive influences can be
neglected. The reference current is specified by the manufacturer, and
generally in the range of 1 mA to 10 mA, depending on the cross section
of the MO-resistor used in the arrester.
Reference voltage of an arrester Uref
The reference voltage of an arrester is the peak value of the power fre-
quency voltage divided by √2 which has to be applied to the arrester to
obtain the reference current Iref.
The reference voltage at a given reference current is used to determine
a point on the u-i-characteristic of an arrester in the low current range.
Voltage protection level Up
A parameter that characterizes the performance of the arrester in limit-
ing the voltage across its terminals, which is selected from a list of pre-
ferred values. This is generally the guaranteed value given by the manu-
facturer.
Residual voltage Ures
The peak value of voltage that appears between the terminals of the arre-
ster due to the passage of discharge current.
Protection ratio Up / Uc
The protection ratio gives the relation between the voltage protection
level Up at In and the maximum continuous operating voltage Uc. Up is
given as a peak value and Uc is given as a rms value. The lower the ratio
Up / Uc , the better the protection given by the arrester.
Temporary overvoltage
The maximum a. c. (rms) or d. c. overvoltage that exceeds the maxi-
mum continuous operating voltage of the network for a specified time
duration.
Note: It has to be made a clear distinction between the temporary over-
voltage UTOV occuring in the network at a given location, and the tempor-
ary overvoltage UT an arrester can withstand. The power frequency volta-
ge versus time characteristics of an arrester (TOV-characteristic), provi-
ded on request by the manufacturer, is in low-voltage systems normally
used only in case of special applications of the arrester.
Combination wave
The combination wave is delivered by a generator that applies a
1,2 / 50 µs voltage impulse across an open circuit and an 8/20 µs cur-
rent impulse into a short circuit. The voltage, current amplitude and
waveforms that are delivered to the arrester depend on the impedance
of the arrester to which the surge is applied.
Thermal runaway
Class I Class II Class III
An operational condition when the sustained power dissipation of an
arrester exceeds the thermal dissipation capability of the design, leading lightning current surge arrester surge arrester
to an increase in the temperature of the internal elements culminating in arresters
failure.
lightning protection
in connection with overvoltage protection overvoltage protection
Thermal stability lightning protection energy supply “down stream”
An arrester is thermally stable if after an energy input causing a tempe- structures
rature rise the temperature of the arrester decreases with time under I imp (10 / 350 µs) I max (8 / 2 0 µs) Uoc
applied continuous operating voltage. 1 kA … 20 kA > 0,05 kA … 50 kA (2 Ω)

Degradation
The change of original performance parameters as a result of exposure
of the arrester to surges, service or unfavourable environment.
Disconnector
A device for disconnecting an arrester from the system in the event of
arrester failure. It is to prevent a persistent fault on the system and to give
visible indication of the arrester failure.
Type tests
Tests which are made upon the completion of the development of a new
arrester design. They are used to establish representative performance and
to demonstrate compliance with the relevant standard. Once made, these
tests need not to be repeated unless the design is changed so as to modify
its performance. In such a case, only the relevant tests need to be repeated.
Routine tests
Tests made on each arrester or parts of it to ensure that the product
meets the design specifications.
Acceptance tests
Tests which are made when it has been agreed between the manufactu-
rer and the purchaser that the arrester or representative samples of an
order are to be tested.
4.3 Classification
In [9] the surge protective devices (or short arresters) are classified
according
– the number of ports (one or two)
A one port device has two terminals, a two port device has four termi-
nals. The two port device may contain internal decoupling elements.
– the design topology (switching type, limiting type, or combination type)
– the test method (class I, class II, or class III test method)
– the location (outdoor or indoor)
– the accessibility (accessible or out-of-reach)
– the mounting method (fixed or portable)
– the disconnector (with or without)
– the backup overcurrent protection (specified or not specified)
– the temperature range (normal or extended)
As long as the arresters are installed at different locations in a system or
installation the stresses to be expected are very different. Therefore, the
arresters are classified with respect to the expected stresses, and con-
sequently the test methods, in three classes. See Table 6.
Table 6.
Classification of low-voltage surge arresters. The given values are typical ratings.
Arresters tested according to class II test methods are generally subjec-
ted to impulses of shorter duration than class I arresters. The typical
application is the overvoltage protection of low-voltage overhead lines
and cables, as well as the protection of indoor installations. The expec-
ted stresses are originated by direct or indirect lightning to overhead
lines or cable junctions.
Required information is the nominal discharge current In and the maxi-
mum discharge current Imax.
Arresters tested according, to class III test methods are subjected to
impulses of lesser energy content than class I and class II arresters. They
are recommended for locations with less exposure, mainly indoor.
The information required is the open-circuit-voltage Uoc of the combina-
tion wave generator.
4.4 Service conditions
The normal service conditions are
– the applied continuous voltage between the terminals of the arrester
should not exceed the maximum continuous operating voltage Uc
– frequency between 48 Hz and 62 Hz a. c., or d. c. voltage
– altitude up to 2000 m
– operating and storing temperatures
normal range: - 5 °C to + 40 °C
extended range: - 40 °C to + 70 °C
– relative humidity up to 90 % for indoor temperature conditions
Exposure of the arrester to abnormal service conditions may require spe-
cial considerations in the design or application of the arrester, and should
be called to the attention of the manufacturer. Abnormal conditions may
be extreme ambient temperatures (minus or plus), mechanical stresses,
shock and vibration, etc.
For outdoor arresters exposed to solar radiation, air pollution, bad weat-
her conditions, additional requirements may be necessary.
5 Low-voltage MO-surge arresters from ABB
A MO-surge arrester is made of two parts: the active part, which consists
of a MO-resistor, and an insulating housing including the terminals.

The class I test is intended to simulate partial conducted lightning cur-
rent impulses. Arresters subjected to class I test methods are generally
recommended for locations at points of high exposure, e.g. line entran-
ces to buildings protected by lightning protection systems (LPS).
These devices are called lightning current arresters.
In addition to nominal discharge current In, information is required for the
impulse current Iimp.
5.1 MO-resistors
The voltage-current (u-i) characteristic of a metal oxide resistor is extre-
mely nonlinear. That is the reason why arrester designs without spark
gaps are possible [1], [10]. Figure 10 shows a typically u-i-characteristic
of a MO-surge arrester with In = 10 kA. The voltage is normalized to the
residual voltage at In.

10
The diameter of the MO-resis-tors decides the carrying capacity of the All used materials are UV-resistant and perform well under extreme wea-
current, the height of the voltage, and the volume of the energy capa- ther conditions. Safety and ecological aspects are specially taken into
city. Table 7 shows the main data of the MO-resistors. For low-voltage consideration with all arresters.
application the same high-quality MO-material is used as for distributi- Figures 11 to 14 show a selection of different types of MO-surge arre-
on and high voltage application. sters from ABB.
MO-resistors are compressed and sintered in the form of round blocks
of different metal oxides in powder form.
The diameters of the MO-resistors from ABB for low-voltage application
are between 30mm and 75mm, covering even the highest energy require-
ments. The height of the blocks is between 1 mm and 10 mm, covering a
voltage range from 120 V a. c. to 1500 V d. c. For special applications
MO-resistors with a rectangular shape can be produced.

U
[p.u.] 4/10µs
1/5µs
8/20µs
1.0
30/60µs
2000µs
Figure 11
MO-surge arrester type LOVOS.
0.5 This type was developed for outdoor application and can be used under all weather condi-
tions. It is available with In = 5 kA or 10 kA, with or without disconnector.
Uc = 280 V, 440 V and 660 V.

0
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 I [A]

Figure 10
Normalized voltage-current-characteristic of a MO-surge arrester with In = 10 kA.

Diameter of blocks 30 41 47 75
in mm

Nominal current 5 10 10 10 / 20
In 8 / 20 µs in kA

Imax 8 / 20 µs acc.
25 40 32 50
class II test in kA

Ipeak (10 / 3 5 0 µs) acc.

– – – 10
class I test in kA
Figure 12
Energy capability MO-surge arrester POLIM-R.
2,5 4,0 4,5 12,0
in kJ / k VUc
Very high energy capability. Can be used for a. c. and d. c. networks. This type is, besides
Table 7 other applications, used in d. c. railway networks. Uc range from 140 V d.c. to 1000 V d. c.,
Main data of ABB MO-resistors used in ABB MO-surge arresters for low-voltage applicati- and 110 V a. c. to 780 V a. c.. Tested according test class I and test class II.
on. The values are given as tested in the operating duty test to prove the thermal stability
of the respective surge arrester. Other values are possible in other arrester designs.

5.2 MO-surge arresters

As long as very different applications and ratings for low-voltage surge

arresters exist, different designs are needed.
ABB offers a great variety of different arrester types for all kind of appli-
cations.
The main design principle is always the same: A MO-resistor, as the
active part, and the terminals are moulded completely in an insulating
housing.
Depending on the application and rating of the arresters the physical
shape and housing material may be different. The general, surge arre-
sters for outdoor application (e. g. overhead lines, MV / LV transformers)
have a housing of polyamide; arresters for outdoor and indoor applicati- Figure 13
ons (e. g. railway applications) have a housing of silicon, and arresters of MO-surge arrester MVR.
older design have housings of PUR. All arresters are moulded to be com- Used in low-voltage systems and railway equipment. For a. c. and d. c. application.
pletely sealed and waterproof. Available for In = 5 kA and 10 kA, with Uc = 440 V, 660 V and 800 V.

11
 The standard IEC 61643-1 does not mention a high current impulse with
a waveshape of 4/10 µs and a rectangular current with a time duration
of some ms. The high current impulse 4/10 µs, as known from IEC
60099-4 [11], was intended to represent a severe direct lightning to the
line very close to the arrester location. Direct lightning, and the relevant
parameters, are covered more realistically by the impulse current Iimp,
which is used for testing lightning current arresters (class I test).
Rectangular currents are generated by discharges of a loaded transmis-
sion line of typically some hundred km of length. Such a current wave-
shape, coming from a line discharge, is not relevant for low-voltage networks.

6.1 Type tests

Type tests are performed after completion of the design to prove the per-
formance and specified characteristics of the product. The type tests are
Figure 14 described in detail in the relevant standards. In the frame of this guideli-
MO-surge arrester MVR...ZS. ne, the main electrical tests for MO-surge arresters without gaps for out-
For low-voltage systems. Only indoor application. Suitable for fixing on DIN racks. door application are described briefly. In general each test series is per-
In = 5 kA, Uc = 140 V, 250 V and 440 V. formed on three new test samples. The tests are performed in free air at
room temperature (20 °C ± 15 °C)

5.3 Technical data of the arresters Test procedure to measure the residual voltage
with 8/20 µs current impulses
Table 8 presents main electrical data of the arresters. The ratings are The voltage-current characteristic of the MO-surge arrester is measured
given according to [9], see also the definitions in chapter 4.2. All descri- with 8 / 20 µs current impulses in the range 0,1 to 2 times In. The result
bed MO-surge arresters are of the voltage limiting type. The energy is given in form of a table or curve to show the protection performance
capability, as given in the table, is the value as tested in the operating depending on the current magnitude.
duty tests to prove the thermal stability of the arrester with the maximum
continuous operating voltage applied. It is not the limiting value that Operating duty test
would destroy the arrester. The operating duty test has two parts: the preconditioning and the evi-
dence of the thermal stability of the MO-surge arrester. It is a test in
which service conditions are simulated by the application of a stipulated
Arrester Type In Up /Uc I max Energy number of specified impulses to the MO-surge arrester while it is ener-
Capability
gized at the maximum continuous operating voltage Uc.
Test class II 8/20 µs 8/20 µs kJ/kVUc
for a. c. systems kA kA
For the preconditioning test, 15 times In in three groups of five impulses
each, are applied to the test samples which are energized at Uc. Each
LOVOS - 5 5 4,1 25 2,5
LOVOS - 10 10 4,1 40 4,0
impulse shall be synchronized to the power frequency. Starting from 0°
POLIM-R...1N 10 3,1 50 12,0 the synchronisation angle shall be increased in steps of 30° intervals.
POLIM-R...2N 20 3,1 100 24,0
The interval between the impulses is 1 min; the interval between the
Test class II In I max Energy groups is 25 to 30 min. For practical reasons it is not required that the
for a. c. systems and 8/20 µs Up /Uc 8/20 µs capability test sample is energized between the groups.
special applications kA kA kJ/kVUc
In the operating duty test itself, e.g. to prove the thermal stability, the test
MVR...-5 5 3,5 15 3,0 sample is energized at Uc, and current impulses up to Ipeak (test class I) or
MVR...-10 10 3,64 32 4,5
MVR...ZS 5 3,5 15 3,0 Imax (test class II) are superimposed. The power frequency voltage is
applied for 30 min after each impulse to prove the thermal stability. The
Test class I In Up /Uc I imp (10/350 µs)
for a. c. systems and 8/20 µs I peak Charge Q superimposed current impulses should be of positive polarity and initia-
special applications kA kA As ted in the corresponding positive peak value of the power frequency vol-
POLIM-R...1N 10 3,1 10 5
tage. The value of the current impulse is increased from 0,1 to 1,0 Ipeak or
POLIM-R...2N 20 3,1 20 10 Imax. The intermediate values are 0,25; 0,5 and 0,75 Ipeak or Imax.
The arresters have past the test if thermal stability was achieved and the
Table 8 residual voltage at In measured before and after the test sequence has
Electrical main data of the ABB surge arresters for low-voltage systems. The arresters of not changed by more than ± 10 %.
type POLIM-R have been tested according both class I and class II tests. The arresters of
type MVR and POLIM-R can be used in d. c. systems as well, see chapter 9. Disconnector tests
Arresters with an integrated or external disconnector are tested together
in the operating duty test. During the complete sequence of preconditio-
6 Tests ning procedure and operating duty test the disconnector remains non-
functioning.
All tests for ABB low voltage arresters follow internationally agreed upon
recommendations. For low voltage arresters in power systems the inter- Thermal stability test (of disconnector)
national standard IEC 61643-1 [9] is valid. For some special cases, for This test shows the disconnecting characteristic and the safety perfor-
instance surge arresters for railway systems with d. c. voltage, other mance of overstressed surge arresters with disconnectors. The arrester
standards are applicable [2]. with the disconnector is heated electrically with constant current untill

12
thermal equilibrium is reached or the disconnector operates. If the dis-
connector functioned, there should be clear evidence of effective and
permanent disconnection by the device. The surface temperature of the
device during the entire test should be below 120 °C, and there should
be no evidence of burning or ejected parts. The pass criteria depend on
the classification of the arrester, e. g. whether it is indoor, outdoor, acces-
sable or not accessable.
6.2 Special tests
Additionally to the type tests given by the applicable standard, it may be
necessary to conduct tests covering special requirements, (i. e. long term
behaviour of the MO-material or the behaviour of the housing material
under severe weather conditions).
Accelerated ageing test
This test has to show that the power losses of the arrester in the network
under applied continuous operating voltage does not increase with time.
An increase of the power losses would lead with time to a thermal runa-
way, and consequently to a failure of the arrester.
In the accelerated ageing test the complete arrester is to be tested under
increased stress, e. g. under increased ambient temperature of +
115 °C. During the whole test period of 1000 h the power losses are
measured. It is vital that the power losses do not increase with time, but
remaining constant at the lowest reached level. Because the material
around the MO-resistor may influence its long term performance, it is
important that the complete surge arrester is tested and not only the MO-
resistor. The test has to be performed with power frequency voltage for
surge arresters with a. c. systems, and with d. c. voltage for surge arresters
for application in d. c. systems. Ageing tests carried out with a. c. voltage
are not transferable to the application in d. c. networks. The accelerated
ageing test is performed with reference to the test procedure given in [11].
All ABB MO-resistors or MO-surge arresters, which are to be installed in
d. c. networks, fulfill the most strict demands towards the long-term sta-
bility under d. c. voltage stress.
To ensure the long term stability of the MO-resistors, from each produ-
ced batch two MO-resistors are taken and tested in a time-reduced
accelerated ageing test.
6.4 Acceptance tests
Acceptance tests are made upon agreement between manufacturer and
customer. If acceptance tests are agreed upon they are then to be per-
formed on the nearest lower number to the cube root of the number of
arresters to be supplied.
If not otherwise specified, the following acceptance tests are performed:
– verification of identification by inspection
– verification of marking by inspection
– verification of electrical parameters, for instance repetition of routine
tests.
7 Selection of MO-surge arresters
For selecting a MO-surge arrester three main electrical parameters have
to be evaluated:
– continuous operating voltage Uc
– voltage protection level Up
– energy capability
Additionally we need to be informed which modes should be protected.
Table 9 shows the possible modes of protection, depending on the earth-
ing practise in the low-voltage network.
Depending on the application and the environment it has to be decided
whether a disconnector is needed, which mechanical requirements need
to be fulfilled (vibration and shock resistant, other mechanical stresses),
and which ambient conditions have to be considered (increased tempe-
rature, solar radiation, rain, saltfog, etc.).

UV radiation test SPD connected Power system type

In regions with strong solar radiation it is important to determine the between: TT TN-C TN-S IT
behaviour of polymeric materials under UV radiation stress. The energy Line and neutral X X X*
of the radiation can crack the surface of the insulator made of a synthe- Line and PE X X X
tic material, and as a result the insulator may erode and finally fail. ABB Line and PEN X
surge arrester housing materials (silicon, polyamide and PUR) have suc- Neutral and PE X X X*
cessfully withstood UV radiation tests with time duration of 1000 h. Line to line X X X X

* When the neutral is distributed

Water immersion test
This test is performed to show the tightness of design against water per- Table 9
meation. It is performed with reference to [12]. The test samples are kept Possible protection modes in low-voltage systems.
in a vessel with deionized boiling water with 1 kg / m3 NaCl for 42 hours.

6.3 Routine tests
Routine tests are carried out on every arrester or parts of it (e. g. on the
MO-resistors) in order to ascertain that the product meets the require-
ments of the design specification. The test method and the pass criteria
are declared by the manufacturer.
All above mentioned MO-surge arresters for low-voltage application
made by ABB are tested to 100 % in the routine test. On each arrester
the reference voltage Uref is measured at the declared reference current
Iref. Additional the arresters are checked to be free of internal partial
discharges or contact noise.
7.1 Selection of Uc
The maximum continuous operating voltage Uc of an arrester has to be
selected with respect to the power frequency voltages which can occure
in the low-voltage system. Maximum system voltage has to be conside-
red and possible temporary overvoltages in the network.
Uc shall be equal or higher than the maximum power frequency voltage
Ucs occuring in the system.
Uc ≥ Ucs

13
The temporary overvoltage withstand capability UT of the arrester has to
be higher than the temporary overvoltage UTOV coming from the system.
UT > UTOV
If a transformer failure occures in a solidly earthed MV system, a tem-
porary overvoltage can result in a UTOV of up to 1200 V in the LV system.
It may be impossible to find surge arresters providing acceptable protec-
tion. In such cases surge arresters have to be used which have safe over-
load conditions.
Considering an upper tolerance in the system voltages of 10 %, see
chapter 3.1 and [7] the continuous operating voltage of the arrester
should be chosen to
Uc ≥ 1,1 × UN for arresters to be connected line-to-line
and
Uc ≥ 1,1 × UN / √3 for arresters line-to-neutral or line-to-
earth.
As standard values (preferred values) for the system voltages 220/380 V,
230/400 V, 240/415 V (Table 3) the following values for Uc are proposed
for outdoor application on overhead lines:
Uc = 280 V for the protection phase to neutral and neutral to earth
(TT and TN systems)
Uc = 440 V for the protection phase to neutral and neutral to earth
(IT system)
Uc = 440 V for protection phase to phase (TT, TN, IT systems)
MO-surge arresters with the above given Uc values will cover almost all
possible temporary overvoltages in the low-voltage network with suffi-
cient safety margin, providing in the same time a good protection ratio
Up / Uc.
7.2 Selection of Up
The purpose of surge arresters is to protect an installation or a specific
piece of electrical equipment against overvoltages.
Overvoltages can destroy the insulation of the installation or connected
electrical equipment like transformers, cables, motors, etc., and they can
lead to malfunction or destruction of connected electronic equipment.
The protection level Up of the arrester has to be below the voltage with-
stand capability of the equipment to be protected.
The required impulse withstand voltages for the four insulation catego-
ries are given in Table 4. For category IV (fixed outdoor installation, for
instance from the LV-bushing of a MV / LV transformer via an overhead
line to a building) 6000 V impulse withstand is required. Comparing this
value with the voltage protection level Up = 1800 V of a MO-surge arre-
ster with In = 10 kA, for instance type LOVOS with Uc = 440 V (Table 8),
shows the excellent protection of the insulation provided by the arrester.
However, it has to be considered, that the distance between the arrester
and the equipment to be protected (e.g. a transformer or a meter in the
building) has a great influence on the overvoltage occuring at the equip-
ment to be protected. This is known as the protective distance of the
arrester [1]. As a rule of thumb it can be said, that the arrester should be
installed as close as possible to the equipment to be protected.
14
In cases when the insulation withstand capability is lower than the values
given in Table 4, or the overvoltage should be limited to a particular value
to protect sensitive equipment in a special application, then the voltage
protection level Up has to be calculated case by case.
As a general rule the voltage protection level Up of the arrester and the
maximum allowed impulse voltage at the point of protection should have
a safety margin of at least 20 %.
An important parameter to characterize a surge arrester is the ratio bet-
ween the voltage protection level Up and the maximum continuous ope-
rating voltage Uc. This ratio Up / Uc depends on the technology used and,
in case of MO-surge arresters, on the diameter of the MO-resistors and
the nominal current In.
For MO-surge arresters available today on the market typical values of
Up / Uc are in the range from 3 to 5.
The lower the ratio Up / Uc of an arrester, the higher the provided pro-
tection level against overvoltages. Good engineering design is requi-
red when arresters are connected in parallel with coordinated arre-
sters.
7.3 Selection of the energy capability
The energy capability of arresters is in principle defined by the nominal
discharge current In and the impulse current Iimp for class I arresters or Imax
for class II arresters. According Table 6 the arrester has to be chosen with
respect to the place of installation and the expected stresses or surges.
For class II arresters typical values for the nominal current are In = 5 kA
or 10 kA. As long as there is no fixed relation given between the nominal
current In and the maximum discharge current Imax, both values have to be
specified.
From lightning statistics [5] it is known that about 95 % of the lightning
currents have peak values of up to 14 kA, and 5 % up to 80 kA.
Considering that in distribution and low-voltage systems a direct light-
ning will struck not only one phase, but all three (due to the short
distance between the phases), and that the current from the lightning will
travel in both directions of the line, the lightning current can be divided
by 6 (as a first approximation). With this we result for the 95 % value at
2,3 kA, and for the 5 % value at 13 kA as a peak value for one phase
(e. g. one arrester).
Comparing this values with the technical data of the arresters ( Table 8),
an arrester with In = 5 kA (covering 95 % of the events), and Imax = 25 kA
(covering the very rare 5 % values) is fully complying with the occuring
stresses.
Therefore, as a standard type for outdoor application on overhead lines
an ABB arrester of type LOVOS-5 is proposed with
In = 5 kA and Imax = 25 kA.
If higher stresses from lightnings are expected, or for regions with very
high isokeraunic level, an ABB arrester of type LOVOS-10 is proposed
with
In = 10 kA and Imax = 40 kA.
Wherever an arrester is used to protect equipment which can store ener-
gy, as for instance capacitor-banks, cables, inductances in filters, etc. the
maximum energy stored in these elements should be used to determine
the right arrester.
8 Coordination of surge arresters
The energy capability of MO-arresters can be increased by connecting
Consumer
MO-resistors in parallel [13]. Using identical u-i- characteristics of the Installation protection protection
MO-resistors, an even current sharing (and energy sharing) can be rea-
ched. This is possible due to an exact classification of the MO-resistors i Public energy
supply
M
during the routine test of the MO-resistors. Incoming A1 A2 A3
It is possible to connect two or more MO-resistors in parallel internally in current Terminal box Distribution box Junction box Energy-consumer
surge
a MO-surge arrester, or connect two or more MO-surge arresters in par-
allel thereby increasing the energy capability of the devise. In the latter
case the MO-surge arresters have to be installed close to one another to
avoid decoupling effects.

An other possibility of coordinating MO-surge arresters is shown in Figure 15

Figure 15. Three MO-surge arresters with slightly different u-i-characte- Components and borders in an EMP-protection system with coordinated MO-surge arre-
ristics are coordinated in such a way that the arrester A1 has the highest sters. A1, A2, A3, see Figure 16.
energy capability and the lowest voltage protection level Up, arrester A2
has a lower energy capability than A1 but a higher Up, and arrester A3
has again a lower energy capability and a higher Up than A2.
A3 A2 A1
-1
In Figure 16 the u-i-characteristics of the arresters A1 to A3 are given. 1,3
-2
p.u.
Under the same overvoltage stress from incoming surge arrester A1 will 1,2
conduct most of the current to earth at the entrance of the installation,
where as the arresters A2 and A3 will recieve a much lower stress, Ures
1,1

keeping the occuring overvoltage in the whole installation on a low level. Up ( In )

1,0

Figure 17 illustrates the protection principle. The given values in Figure 0,9

17 are measured results from a realized installation in a civil defence

0,8
construction in Switzerland [14]. Starting with an injected impulse cur-
rent of approximately 23 kA (28 / 50 µs) at the entrance of the installati- 0,7
102 2 5 103 2 5 104 2 3 5 105 A 2
on close to arrester A1, in the first distribution box a current 0,4 kA was I n ( A3 ) I n ( A2 ) I n ( A1 - 2 )
measured, in the second distribution box a current of 0,08 kA and in the I n ( A1 - 1 )
junction box almost no current. The residual voltage Ures was in the whole I
installation kept below 1,6 kV.
This example shows the effectiveness of a protection concept with
several steps in an energy supply, realized with MO-surge arresters with Figure 16
coordinated u-i-characteristics. Coordination of u-i-characteristics of different dimensioned MO-surge arresters. The used
arresters in this coordination concept are (Table 8):
Buildings and structures equipped with lightning protection systems A1-2: POLIM-R...2N with In = 20 kA; Up / Uc = 3,1; E` = 24 kJ / kVUc
(LPS), as for instance franklin rods, need special protection measures. It A1-1: POLIM-R...1N with In = 10 kA; Up / Uc = 3,1; E` = 12 kJ / kVUc
is generally assumed that a direct lightning hits the LPS, and that part of A2: MVR...-5 with In = 5 kA; Up / Uc = 3,5; E` = 3,0 kJ / kVUc
the lightning current is transferred into the structure or the building. In A3: MR...ZS with In = 1 kA; Up / Uc = 4,25; E` = 0,6 kJ / kVUc
such cases the concept of Lightning Protection Zones (LPZ) has to be The arresters of type POLIM-R and MVR are standard arresters producted by ABB. The type
considered. The LPZ concept is described for instance in [15] and MR...ZS was specially developed according to existing special requirements for the men-
various other publications. tioned coordination concept.
The concept of LPZ requires that surge arresters are installed, whenever
an electrical line crosses the boundary between two zones. These surge
arresters have to be well coordinated to effectively reduce the lightning
A1 - 2 A2 A2 A3
threat down to the surge withstand capability of the equipment to be pro-
Terminal box First Second Junction box
tected. For this LPZ concepts, which are realized inside buildings, diffe- distribution box distribution box
rent types of arresters are used, as spark gaps, gas discharge tubes, L = 15 m L = 24 m L = 18 m L=3m

varistors (MO-resistors), diodes, and combinations of these. The princi-

ple is the same as mentioned above, the energy content of the surge has i1 i2 i3 i4 U5

to be reduced step-by-step with cascaded surge protective devices. The Ures1 Ures2 Ures3 Ures4

whole structure is subdivided into a series of LPZs, thus successively

reducing the interference level from the primary lightning threat down to
i1 22 kA i2 0,4 kA i3 0,08 kA i4 0 kA
the basic immunity of the electronic equipment.
Ures1 1,45 kV Ures2 1,5 kV Ures3 1,1 kV Ures4 1,4 kV U5 1,6 kV

Figure 17
Current distribution in a NEMP-protected civil defence construction. Measured values of i
and U. Arresters A1-2 to A3 see Figures 15 and 16. The injected current (incoming surge)
had a peak value of approximately 23 kA.

15
9 MO-surge arresters for d. c. systems
MO-surge arresters without spark gaps are especially suitable for appli-
cation in low-voltage d. c. systems, because they do not conduct any fol-
low current like spark gaps. Due to the extreme nonlinear u-i-characte-
ristic of the MO-resistors the current after limiting the overvoltage is
immediately again in the range of less than 1 mA. It is not necessary to
extinguish any d. c. current arc.
10 Installation of surge arresters
National requirements and regulations apply to the installation of surge
arresters. Surge arresters for outdoor application are in most cases out
of reach. The IP degree of the surge arresters depends on the accesso-
ries used.
ABB offers a variety of accessories for different methods of installation,
including fully insulated connections. For details please refer to ABB.

Tests for surge arresters for d. c. application are under discussion in work-
ing group 5 of IEC SC 37A. For the time being the type tests for a. c.
application apply. In special cases the purchaser should contact the
manufacturer for clarification.
As pointed out in chapter 6.2 it is very important to ensure that the MO-
resistors used in surge arresters for d. c. application are tested in the
accelerated ageing test with d. c. voltage. MO-resistors for a. c. applica-
tion are not generally long term stable under d. c. voltage stress.
As a general rule the surge arresters should be installed avoiding con-
stant mechanical stresses on the terminals. One terminal should be
connected with a flexible lead. It is not important whether this is the vol-
tage side or the earth side, though normally, the earth connection is fle-
xible.
As long as MO-surge arresters have a symmetrical characteristic it is,
from the electrical point of view, not important which terminal is connec-
ted to the voltage and which to the earth.

Most of the d. c. current networks are railway networks. Arresters for use For optimal protection, the arrester should be installed as close as pos-
in railway networks are described in [2]. Other examples of d. c. applica- sible to the equipment to be protected, with connections as short and
tions are in power electronics, chemical industry and data transmission. straight as possible.

D.C. voltage can be subjected to superimposed voltage peaks (i. e. from

commutation of converter stations) and may have strong voltage fluctua-
tions, presenting a difficult determination of continuous operating volta-
ge Uc. The selection of MO-surge arresters for d. c. railway application is
given in [2]. For other d. c. applications the user should contact the
manufacturer for selecting the right surge arrester.

Table 10 gives the main electrical data of ABB MO-surge arresters for
use in d. c. systems.

Arrester Type In Up / U c ,d. c. . Imax Energy

Capability
Test class II 8/20 µs 8/20 µs kJ/kVUc d.c.
for d. c. Systems kA kA
POLIM-H...ND 20 2,7 50 6,0
POLIM-R...1ND 10 2,4 50 6,0
POLIM-R...2ND 20 2,4 100 12,0
MVR...5 5 2,8 15 2,4
MVR...10 10 2,9 32 3,6

Test class I In Up / U c ,d. c. Iimp (10/350 µs)

for d. c. systems 8/20 µs Ipeak Charge Q
kA kA As
POLIM-R...1ND 10 2,4 10 5
POLIM-R...2ND 20 2,4 20 10

Table 10
Electrical main data of the ABB MO-surge arresters for the application in d.c. networks. The
type POLIM-H...ND is mechanically a very strong arrester, especially used in railway systems.
The maximum continuous voltage Uc for the types POLIM-R...ND ranges from 140 V to
1000 V, offering a large variety of applications.

16
 Bibliography
[1] Application Guidelines Overvoltage Protection
Dimensioning, testing and application of metal oxide surge arresters in medium voltage networks, 3rd revi-
sed edition July 1999. ABB High Voltage Technologies Ltd. Wettingen / Switzerland

[2] Application Guidelines Overvoltage Protection

Dimensioning, testing and application of metal oxide surge arresters in railway facilities, 1st edition June
2000. ABB High Voltage Technologies Ltd. Wettingen / Switzerland

[3] J. Huse; Compact Course: Lightning Surge Protection in Low Voltage Electric Power
Distribution Systems, Including Consumers Installations and Equipment.
V International Symposium on Lightning Protection,Sao Paulo – Brazil, May 17th – 21st 1999

[4] C. Mirra, A. Porrini, A. Ardito, C.A. Nucci; Lightning Overvoltages in Low Voltage Networks. 14th CIRED
Conference, Birmingham, U.K., June 1997

[5] Joint CIRED/CIGRE Working Group 05: Protection of MV and LV networks against lightning. Part I: Basic
Information. 14th CIRED Conference, Birmingham, U.K., June 1997

[6] International Standard IEC 60664-1, Edition 1.1 (2000-04); Insulation coordination for equipment within
low-voltage systems – Part 1: Principles, requirements and tests

[7] CENELEC publication HD 472 S1 (1988); Nominal voltages for low voltage public electricity supply systems

[8] International Standard IEC 60364-4-442 (1993-03); Electrical installations of buildings – Part 4:
Protection for safety – Section 442: Protection of low-voltage installations against faults between high-vol-
tage systems and earth

[9] International Standard IEC 61643-1, First edition, 1998-02; Surge protective devices connected to low-
voltage power distribution systems- Part 1: Performance requirements and testing methods

[10] F. Greuter, R. Perkins, M. Rossinelli, F. Schmückle; The metal-oxide resistor – at the heart of modern surge
arresters. ABB Review 1/89

[11] International standard IEC 60099-4: Surge arresters – Part 4 : Metal-oxide surge arresters without gaps
for a. c. systems

[12] Amendment 2 to IEC 60099-4; IEC TC 37/231/CDV

[13] B. Richter, W. Schmidt, K. Tanner; Protection against high energy surges with MO-surge arresters: a new
concept for low voltage systems. 10th International Zurich Symposium on electromagnetic compatibility
1993. Paper 70K5, pages 383 to 388.

[14] K. Tanner, P. Bertholet, B. Richter, W. Schmidt; NEMP-Protection in the Energy-Supply of Civil Defence
Constructions. Federal Office of Civil Defence, Material Division. CH-Bern, August 1992.

[15] P. Hasse, P. Zahlmann, J. Wiesinger, W. Zischank; Principle for an advanced coordination of surge protec-
tive devices in low voltage systems. 22nd ICLP 1994, Budapest, paper R5-04.

17
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