Response time specifications are not supported by any standards organizations overseeing Surge Protective Devices.IEEE C62.62 Standard Test Specification for SPDs specifically mentions it should not be used as a specification.
The US power distribution system is a TN-C-S system. This implies that the Neutral and Ground conductors are bonded at the service entrance of each, and every, facility or separately derived sub-system. This means that the neutral-to-ground (N-G) protection mode within a multi-mode SPD installed at the service entrance panel is basically redundant. Further from [...]
The installation of SPDs is often poorly understood. A good SPD, incorrectly installed, can prove of little benefit in real-life surge conditions. The very high rate-of-change of current, typical of a surge transient, will develop significant volt drops on the leads connecting the SPD to the panel or equipment being protected. This can mean higher [...]
This is a difficult question and depends on many aspects including – site exposure, regional is okeraunic levels and utility supply. A statistical study of lightning strike probability reveals that the average lightning discharge is between 30 and 40kA, while only 10% of lightning discharges exceed 100kA. Given that a strike to a transmission feeder [...]
Although often used as separate terms in the surge industry, Transients and Surges are the same phenomenon. Transients and Surges can be current, voltage, or both and can have peak values in excess of 10kA or 10kV. They are typically of very short duration (usually >10 µs & <1 ms), with a waveform that has [...]
A direct lighting strike is the most powerful and difficult surge to protect against. Prosurge recommend that Proper grounding and bonding of the electrical system and employing proper surge protection can protect sensitive equipment. A SPD with a higher single surge current rating will perform best against this type of event, if the unit is [...]
SVR was part of an earlier version of UL 1449 Edition and is no longer used in the UL 1449 standard. The SVR was replaced by VPR. VPR is part of the UL 1449 3rd Edition and is the clamping performance data for SPDs. Each SPD mode is subjected to a 6kV/3kA combination surge wave [...]
UL 96A is the standard for Lightning Protection systems. For a building to meet UL 96A is must have a Type 1 SPD with a Nominal Discharge Current rating of 20kA installed at the service entrance.
The UL Nominal Discharge Current is defined as the peak value of 8/20 microsecond surge current conducted through the SPD. The SPD must still function after 15 applied surges. The highest nominal discharge current rating by UL is 20kA. A SPD for use at the service entrance in UL 96A Lightning Protection Systems must be [...]
Some key differences between Type 1 and Type 2 SPDs are: External Overcurrent Protection. Type 2 SPDs may require external overcurrent protection or it may be included within the SPD. Type 1 SPDs generally include overcurrent protection within the SPD or other means to satisfy the requirements of the standard; thus, Type 1 SPDs and [...]
