The Surge Protection Device (SPD) : From Electrical Installation Guide

The Surge Protection Device (SPD)
From Electrical Installation Guide
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Scope and content of Wiki EIG
General rules of electrical installation
design
Connection to the MV utility distribution
network
Connection to the LV utility distribution
network
MV & LV architecture selection guide
LV Distribution
Protection against electric shocks
Sizing and protection of conductors
LV switchgear: functions & selection
Protection against voltage surges in LV
 Overvoltage of atmospheric origin
o Overvoltage definitions
o Overvoltage characteristics
of atmospheric origin
o Effects on electrical
installations
o Characterization of the
lightning wave
 Principle of lightning protection
o General rules of lightning
protection
o Building protection system
o Lightning protection -
Electrical installation
protection system
o The Surge Protection
Device (SPD)
 Design of the electrical installation
protection system
o Design rules of the
electrical installation
protection system
o Elements of the protection
system
o Common characteristics of
SPDs according to the
installation characteristics
o Selection of a Type 1 SPD
o Selection of a Type 2 SPD
o Selection of external Short
Circuit Protection Device
(SCPD)
o SPD and external SCPD
coordination table
 Installation of Surge Protection
Device
o Connection of Surge
Protection Device
o Cabling rules of Surge
Protection Device
 Surge protection Installation
example
 Surge protection technical
supplements
o Lightning protection
standards
o The components of a SPD
o End-of-life indication of a
SPD
o Detailed characteristics of
the external SCPD
o Propagation of a lightning
wave
o Example of lightning
current in TT system
Energy Efficiency in electrical distribution

Power factor correction and harmonic
filtering
Power harmonics management
Characteristics of particular sources and
loads
PhotoVoltaic (PV) installation
Residential and other special locations
ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
Contents
[hide]
 1 Characteristics of SPD
 2 Main applications
Surge Protection Devices (SPD) are used for electric power

supply networks, telephone networks, and communication and
automatic control buses.
The Surge Protection Device (SPD) is a component of the electrical installation protection
system.
This device is connected in parallel on the power supply circuit of the loads that it has to protect
(see Fig. J17). It can also be used at all levels of the power supply network.
This is the most commonly used and most efficient type of overvoltage protection.
Fig. J17: Principle of protection system in parallel
Principle
SPD is designed to limit transient overvoltages of atmospheric origin and divert current waves to
earth, so as to limit the amplitude of this overvoltage to a value that is not hazardous for the
electrical installation and electric switchgear and controlgear.
SPD eliminates overvoltages:
 in common mode, between phase and neutral or earth;

 in differential mode, between phase and neutral.
In the event of an overvoltage exceeding the operating threshold, the SPD
 conducts the energy to earth, in common mode;

 distributes the energy to the other live conductors, in differential mode.
The three types of SPD:
 Type 1 SPD
The Type 1 SPD is recommended in the specific case of service-sector and industrial buildings,
protected by a lightning protection system or a meshed cage.
It protects electrical installations against direct lightning strokes. It can discharge the back-
current from lightning spreading from the earth conductor to the network conductors.
Type 1 SPD is characterized by a 10/350 µs current wave.
 Type 2 SPD
The Type 2 SPD is the main protection system for all low voltage electrical installations.
Installed in each electrical switchboard, it prevents the spread of overvoltages in the electrical
installations and protects the loads.
Type 2 SPD is characterized by an 8/20 µs current wave.
 Type 3 SPD
These SPDs have a low discharge capacity. They must therefore mandatorily be installed as a
supplement to Type 2 SPD and in the vicinity of sensitive loads.Type 3 SPD is characterized by
a combination of voltage waves (1.2/50 μs) and current waves (8/20 μs).
 SPD normative definition
Direct lightning stroke Indirect lightning stroke

IEC 61643-1 Class I test Class II test Class III test
IEC 61643-11/2007 Type 1 : Type 2 : Type 3 :
EN/IEC 61643-11 Type 1 Type 2 Type 3
Former VDE 0675v B C D
Type of test wave 10/350 8/20 1.2/50 + 8/20
Note 1: There exist + SPD (or Type 1 + 2 SPD) combining protection of loads against
direct and indirect lightning strokes.
Note 2: some SPD can also be declared as .
Fig. J18: Table of SPD normative definition
Characteristics of SPD
International standard IEC 61643-1 Edition 2.0 (03/2005) defines the characteristics of and tests
for SPD connected to low voltage distribution systems (see Fig. J19).
In green,the guaranteed
operating range of the SPD.
Fig. J19: Time/current characteristic of a SPD with varistor
 Common characteristics
- Uc: Maximum continuous operating voltage

This is the a.c. or d.c. voltage above which the SPD becomes active. This value is chosen
according to the rated voltage and the system earthing arrangement.
- Up: Voltage protection level (at In)
This is the maximum voltage across the terminals of the SPD when it is active. This voltage is
reached when the current flowing in the SPD is equal to In. The voltage protection level chosen
must be below the overvoltage withstand capability of the loads. In the event of lightning
strokes, the voltage across the terminals of the SPD generally remains less than Up.
- In: Nominal discharge current
This is the peak value of a current of 8/20 µs waveform that the SPD is capable of discharging 15
times.
 Type 1 SPD
- Iimp: Impulse current
This is the peak value of a current of 10/350 µs waveform that the SPD is capable of discharging
5 times.
- Ifi: Autoextinguish follow current
Applicable only to the spark gap technology.
This is the current (50 Hz) that the SPD is capable of interrupting by itself after flashover. This
current must always be greater than the prospective short-circuit current at the point of
installation.
 Type 2 SPD
- Imax: Maximum discharge current

This is the peak value of a current of 8/20 µs waveform that the SPD is capable of discharging
once.
 Type 3 SPD
- Uoc: Open-circuit voltage applied during class III (Type 3) tests.
Main applications
 Low Voltage SPD
Very different devices, from both a technological and usage viewpoint, are designated by this
term. Low voltage SPDs are modular to be easily installed inside LV switchboards.
There are also SPDs adaptable to power sockets, but these devices have a low discharge
capacity.
 SPD for communication networks
These devices protect telephon networks, switched networks and automatic control networks
(bus) against overvoltages coming from outside (lightning) and those internal to the power
supply network (polluting equipment, switchgear operation, etc.).
Such SPDs are also installed in RJ11, RJ45, ... connectors or integrated into loads.

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The Surge Protection Device (SPD)

From Electrical Installation Guide

Jump to: navigation, search

Energy Efficiency in electrical distribution

Surge Protection Devices (SPD) are used for electric power

SPD eliminates overvoltages:

 in common mode, between phase and neutral or earth;

In the event of an overvoltage exceeding the operating threshold, the SPD

 conducts the energy to earth, in common mode;

The three types of SPD:

 SPD normative definition

Direct lightning stroke Indirect lightning stroke

Fig. J18: Table of SPD normative definition

Fig. J19: Time/current characteristic of a SPD with varistor

- Uc: Maximum continuous operating voltage

- Imax: Maximum discharge current

- Uoc: Open-circuit voltage applied during class III (Type 3) tests.

 SPD for communication networks

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