Surge Protection

Causes of Surges
lightning strikes switching on/off of inductive loads tripped circuit breakers and fuses short circuits power transitions in other large equipment on the same power line malfunctions caused by the power company Ignition and interruption to electric arcs

 A lightning protection zone is an area in which a similar electromagnetic environment can be described. A significant change in this environment occurs at the boundary of a lightning protection zone. A zone boundary may be established by a structure exhibiting a certain degree of electromagnetic shielding or the placement of a surge protective device. Zones may be classified as follows: LPZ0A : Area exposed to direct lightning strike and unattenuated electromagnetic fields. LPZ0B: Area shielded from direct lightning strikes but still exposed to unattenuated electromagnetic fields. LPZ1: Area shielded from direct lightning. Fields & currents on conductors are attenuated compared with LPZ0A and LPZ0B. LPZ2: Area shielded from direct lightning. Fields and currents on conductors are significantly attenuated compared with LPZ1.

Surge Protection
Recent developments in electronic designs have tended toward smaller and higher density packaging. This results in a greater susceptibility to surges. Once attacked by a surge, electronic circuits can be destroyed in as short as 0.1 psec. In reality, electrical problems can be traced to the activities of harmless devices like elevators, air conditioners, vending machines, copiers, and large computers. In fact, even turning lights on/off cause surges of power and transient voltages.

SPDs
There are a number of devices available to protect against voltage transients and surges. Some have high-energy capabilities but poor response times while others have a much quicker speed of response but low energy capabilities. So, no single device achieves an ideal state of protection.

Primary Protection
Carbon gaps. Gas tubes.

Carbon gaps: These components are made by two carbon electrodes. The Carbon gap is a low cost primary protection but it has two major disadvantages: (i) short life and (ii) variable spark threshold

Gas tubes: These components are made by two metallic electrodes in a sealed case. Generally the sealed tub contains a low pressure gas.

The major disadvantage of this kind of device is its response time.

Gas Discharge Tubes

GD tubes are usually formed with a ceramic body filled with a gas mixture containing neon and argon and 2 or more electrodes. When the voltage across the electrodes exceeds a specified value an arc occurs within the tube, providing a low current path.

GD tubes can carry very large amounts of current. The lowest turn on voltage for a GDT is about 75V and the turn on time is relatively long. GDTs are also relatively large and more expensive than other surge protection devices. They excel as primary protection devices in conjunction with other faster turn on and lower voltage secondary protection elements.

Secondary Protection
1. Series Protection 2. Parallel Protection

Secondary protection is generally achieved with two types of devices: - The series protection ensures protection against the proximity of or the crossing with AC power lines. - The parallel protection operates to suppress the overvoltages due to the lightning effects.

Series Protection Devices

Series devices operate by opening the circuit (fuses) or by increment of the resistance. They provide absolute security after action, but their major disadvantage is the need for maintenance. PTC thermistor is a device which operates by very rapid resistance increase as a function of the temperature. When the surge occurs across the line, the parallel protection PP is activated. The surge current Is, generated by PP action, flows through the PTC (positive temperature coefficient) device and increases its temperature.

PTC Based Protection

The major disadvantage of the fuse does not exist with the PTC device. Unfortunately this kind of component has a large tolerance, a long time to return to its stand off point and a drift of its value.

Parallel Protection Devices

Parallel protection function may be assumed by different devices based on different technologies. It is clear that the future is based on the use of ICs. So the consequent requirement for good response times and good clamping factor necessitates the use of silicon protection. Parallel protections function in two different modes: - Clamping mode - Crowbar mode

 The clamping voltage is the voltage at which the MOV will begin to lower its impedance and begin drawing surge current. The response time of the MOV is usually of the order of tens of nanoseconds which is more than adequate for most of the applications. The speed of response of the MOV material is almost instantaneous, and it is largely the inductance in the leads connecting the surge protector to the supply which causes a delay in response.

MOV

MOV

 Gas arresters operate on the principle of electrical breakdown across a gap between two conductive plates. They are capable of repeatedly diverting huge surge currents without the degree of degradation experienced by MOVs (although they may be damaged by repeated operation due to large surges) and are used extensively as the front end to communications and data protection circuits. (Comparatively slow)

Gas Arresters

Silicon Clamping Diodes

Silicon Clamping Diodes (SCDs) have rapid response times, excellent clamping characteristic and extended life-time. Inability to deal with high surge currents and relatively high cost are the drawbacks. The rapid response time makes them ideal for circuits used to protect sensitive silicon inputs such as those found in computer networking and most digital telecommunications systems.

Transient Voltage Suppressors

Transient Voltage Suppressors are based on Avalanche and Zener diodes optimized for carrying high currents, tailored for specific breakdown voltages and often in arrangements of several diodes allowing multiple signal lines to be protected by the same protection device.

Thyristor Surge Protection Devices

These are based on a pair of intertwined bipolar transistors created by a 4 layer stack of n and p doped silicon regions. Elements with this form of I-V curve provide excellent protection; when triggered voltage drops well below the trigger condition and considerable current can be carried with very little power dissipation in the protection element. A caution is that the current or voltage must fall below the Holding Point, to return the Thyristor to its high resistance state.

Collector of each transistor provides base of the other. Thus, any emitter to collector current of one transistor provides the base current for the other. For positive Anode to Cathode voltage, both E-B junctions are forward biased. Only reverse biased junction J2 prevents current flow. If voltage is increased to breakdown voltage of J2 currents will flow directly into the bases of the two transistors. This turns both transistors on. With both transistors on the Thyristor's resistance drops, and the voltage across the Thyristor also drops.

I-V curve of a pair of anti-parallel Thyristors

 The only practical solution is to use a combination of devices, drawing on the strengths of each, in a hybrid surge protector. An example of this would be to employ both a zener diode with extremely fast response time in combination with a GD tube having very highenergy capability to carry the bulk of the current impulse. The critical and harmful "let-through voltage" of this type of device remains in a safe zone in comparison to single component protectors that offers very less protection.

Solution ?

Choosing SP Device
Clamp Voltage. Choose a device with a maximum clamp voltage at a given peak current well below the level that the protected devices can tolerate. The lower, the better. Response Time. Faster-acting devices reduce the width of the pulse transferred, and these devices can help attenuate the peak clamp voltage.

 Parasitic Capacitance. Added capacitance degrades I/O signal rise and fall times. On lower-speed signals, this stray capacitance can be lumped into or can displace the need for EMI capacitors. Parasitic Inductance. Higher impedance in the clamp path can increase the effective system clamp voltage.

Data Lines
As IC manufacturers have achieved higher frequencies of input/output (I/O) interconnects the traditional methods for shunting ESD energy away from the ICs involved devices such as zener diodes and MOVs that have moderate capacitances of 10 to 100 pF. Now with higher signal frequencies, these devices cannot be used without distorting the signal beyond recognition or detection.

Zener Diode
One traditional device, the zener diode, is generally poorly suited for very high-speed I/O interfaces because the lowest capacitance of existing devices is about 30 pF.

TVS Diodes.
The capacitance of 56 pF is still not low enough to avoid distortion of high-speed I/O signals.

MOV
MOVs can achieve slightly lower capacitances than TVS devices, but currently the lowestcapacitance MOV device available has a capacitance of 3 pF, which can still exceed the allowable load on high-speed interconnects.

Polymer ESD Devices

Polymer ESD Devices are most suited for highfrequency applications owing to their subpicofarad capacitance (0.051.0 pF). This low capacitance, however, comes with some side effects.

Polymer ESD Devices

A polymer device does not break down until it reaches a voltage that is much higher than the final clamping voltage. A typical polymer ESD device does not break down until as much as 1000 V is reached. Then it snaps back to a clamping voltage of up to 150 V. After the charge is dissipated, the polymer returns to its high-impedance state.

MOS Devices
Metal Oxide Silicon (MOS) Devices - These diodes provide ESD protection beyond 8 KV with a capacitance of <1.3 pF. They have a low insertion loss (virtually zero up to 3 GHz) and a clamping voltage below 15 V. They have a subnanosecond response time, durability of more than 1000 ESD pulses, and a leakage current of 1.0 A.

Class A Protection LPZ 0

External lightning conductor connected to ground 50% of energy is transferred to ground, balance enters building through cable conductors etc. Lightning rod can be single spike/multiple spike/ dome shaped Lightning conductor should be rated for high voltage and should be insulated from building To be ensured with coordination with electrical deptt.

 S&T deptt has to provide for microwave/cellular towers. Tower angles serve the purpose of down conductors. However, electrodes to be connected to tower legs and ring earth to be provided. In case of rectangular waveguide there is no galvanic connection to tower body (no sheath) and surges can not flow to the equipment. Elliptical waveguide need to be connected to tower body every 10 m with earthing kits (one end soldered to waveguide by peeling sheath and the other bolted to tower body).

Class A Protection LPZ 0

Class B Protection
First stage protection at mains distribution panel Indication to facilitate replacement These operate on arc chopping principle Lightning currents to be handled are (i) 10/350 microsecond pulses (ii) 100 KA between N and E (iii) 50 KA between R/B/Y and N These are to be provided between each phase and neutral and also between N and E

RDSO Specifications for SPDs

Parameter Value/Limit

Nominal voltage
Max continuous operating voltage Temporary overvoltage

230 V
>253 V 300 V

Lightning impulse current between R/Y/B and N

Lightning impulse current between N and E Response time Voltage protection level Short circuit withstand and follow up current extinguishing capacity Operating temperature and RH

>50 KA, 10/350 microsecond

>100 KA, 10/350 microsecond <100 ns <1.5 KV >10 KA 70 degree C / 95%

 It consists of fast acting MOVs with low let through voltage (at equipment input level) It is provided between phase and neutral 50 KA, 8/20 microsecond pulses are catered for It has to be a single compact device. MOVs in parallel are never to be provided. (i) red indication when fails (ii) thermal disconnection when it starts having large leakage currents due to ageing/repeated surge handling (iii) potential free contact for remote monitoring

Class C Protection

RDSO Specifications for Class C SPDs

Parameter Nominal voltage Max continuous operating voltage Nominal discharge current between R/Y/B and N Lightning impulse current between R/Y/B and N Response time Voltage protection level Operating temperature and RH Value/Limit 230 V >300 V >10 KA, 8/20 microsecond >40 KA, 8/20 microsecond <25 ns <1.6 KV 70 degree C / 95%

Class D Protection
All external data/power supply lines connected to electronic equipment are to be provided with class D SPDs at both ends of the conductors. These comprise of MOVs and/or GD tubes. Features: (i) red indication when device fails (ii) thermal disconnection when it starts having large leakage currents due to ageing/repeated surge handling (iii) potential free contact for remote monitoring

50% of surge can be considered to be passed to ground. So, each of the power supply (3 phase , 4 line) lines take 25% of balance. This implies, for 200 kA 10/350 microsecond surge, each power supply line requires protection against 25 kA 10/350 microsecond surge. Therefore, phase to neutral SPDs are rated 25 kA, 10/350 microsecond and neutral to earth SPDs are rated 50 kA, 10/350 microsecond.

In this case, surge current on incoming utilities for each building is 50% of Is/2 i.e. Is/4 (since Is/2 is already passed to earth by class-A protection). So, each power supply line has surge of 1/4th of Is/4 i.e. 12.5 kA, 10/350 microsecond in case of lightning surge of 200 kA,10/350 microsecond.

Ia = (Is/2)/[1+Ra/Rb]

Ib= (Is/2)/[1+Rb/Ra]

So, if structure-B has higher earth resistance, he is not the sufferer but structure-A is the sufferer! Hence, it is advisable to provide equipotential bonding of earthing (joining earthing-rings) for adjacent structures. (separation below 20m).