Every day there are more than four million lightning discharges worldwide.* Of these, ten per cent are considered as ground lightning strikes with surge currents of up to 200,000 A. In addition to these daily 400,000 discharges caused by storms, surge voltages also occur within local power grids. Here, it is switching operations, faults or switched-mode power supply units, for example, which are responsible.

Damage Caused by Surge Voltages

Surge voltages destroy more and more electrical equipment every year. It results in expenses for repairs and downtimes. Not only the systems and devices in industrial applications are at risk. But also the building automation in residential buildings is affected.

Insulation Damage and Residual Currents

Insulation damage between active conductors and ground cause residual currents, which may cause personal and fire hazards. Various safety devices protect against such effects. They switch off the system immediately in the event of an error.

Effective Surge Protection

Surge protection devices effectively reduce powerful transients. Devices and systems can thus be protected against harmful effects with the help of surge voltage couplings. This considerably increases the operational readiness and availability. Any failure or disruption of above type are due to surge voltage and need to rectified. Whether the application involves residential homes, telecommunication facilities, hospitals, schools or heavy industrial plants, the utilization of surge protection devices provides protection against the damaging effects of lightning, utility switching, switching of electric motors, etc.

Phoenix Contact offers single high capacity MOV-based Valvetrab Class-C type pluggable surge arresters to be used as surge protective device for reducing the impact of switching surges on the equipments in the electrical power lines that are primarily generated due to switching of inductive and capacitive loads. These SPDs are installed between the Line-Neutral and between the N-PE.

The company offers one of the broadest ranges of SPD-products on the market today. This is a result of having been involved in this market with many leading developments and patents and also successfully assisting companies by implementing concepts for over 15 years. The company has strong presence and supplies surge protection range to almost all industries. As a market leader and systems supplier, Phoenix Contact can provide the expertise required to successfully implement lightning and surge protection technology.

(Phoenix Contact (India) Pvt Ltd, A-58/2, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi 110 020. Tel: 011-30262800, 30262822. Fax: 91-11-26383285. Email: sagrawal@ phoenixcontact.co.in