Video Version

What is a
Lightning
Arrester?

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According to
most definitions,
a Lightning
Arrester is.
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A Device Used on
Power Systems
above 1000V to
Protect other
Equipment from
Lightning and
Switching Surges
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It is not a Lightning Rod.

Although Lightning Rods

are devices that divert
lightning surges to
ground, they are simple
conductive terminals that
are always at ground
potential and are never
energized.
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Other Devices
Similar to
Lightning
Arresters
SPD (Surge Protective Device) This is also a
surge diverter, but generally for voltages well
below 1000 volts.

TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor)

Again this is also a surge diverter, but generally
for voltages well below 1000 volts.

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How do
Lightning
Arresters Protect
Power Systems?
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Typically
7200 Volts

Impulse Sensitive
Transformer

System
Without
Arrester
110 or 220 Volts

7
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Typically
7200 Volts
When
Lightning
Transformer
strikes the
system
----
equipment
is damaged
and the
110 or 220 Volts lights go out
8
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Typically
7200 Volts Lightning Arrester

However
on a
System
110 or 220 Volts
With an
Arrester
9
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What exactly does a

lightning arrester
do?
It Does not Absorb the Lightning
It Does not Stop the Lightning
It Does Divert the Lightning to Ground
It Does Clamp (limit) the Voltage produced by the Lightning
It Only protects equipment electrically in parallel with it.

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Ok, how
does it
divert
lightning?

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 Video Version To Power System

At the Heart of All

Arresters is the Metal
Oxide Varistor (MOV)
MOV
The MOV Disk is a
MOV Semiconductor that is
MOV sensitive to Voltage.
MOV
At normal Voltages the MOV
disk is an insulator and will
not conduct current.
To Earth
But at higher voltages caused
by lightning it becomes a
conductor
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MOV
The MOV Disk is a very
fast acting electronic
switch
It is an open switch to standard
system AC voltages and a closed
switch to lightning voltages

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MOV By magnifying the

MOV material 5000
times, Metal Oxide
Grains and Dopants in
the material can be
discerned

Each MOV Disk with a

35mm diameter and a
35mm height contains
about
28 Billion
5000X
MOV Grains

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The MOV Grains and their Junctions are the
Electronic Switches that turn on and off in unison
to divert the lightning around the equipment.
Spinal Phase
ZnO Grain
ZnO Grain
The Switches
are at the Very
Nonlinear
junctions Part of Circuit

between the
grains ZnO Grain

ZnO Grain Doped

Junction
These are voltage Between
sensitive switches that Grains
switch on at about 3 Antimony
volts Phase
ZnO Grain
10 micro meters
If there are 1000
junctions from top to
bottom of a disk, it will
ZnO Grain
have a total turn on ZnO Grains
voltage of about 3000 are low
impedance
volts linear ZnO Grain
element of
circuit

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A lightning arrester is essentially a collection of
billions of microscopic junctions of Metal Oxide
Grains that turn on and off in microseconds to form a
current path from the top terminal to the ground
Current
terminal of the arrester. path during
Lightning

Spinal Phase
ZnO Grain
ZnO Grain

Very
Nonlinear
Part of
Circuit

ZnO Grain

ZnO Grain Doped

Junction
Between
Grains
Antimony
Phase
ZnO Grain
10 micro meters

ZnO Grain
ZnO Grains
are low
impedance ZnO Grain
linear
element of
circuit

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MOV

So there you have it.

A Lightning Arrester is a device,
used on power systems, that
contains billions of electronic
switches that divert lightning
currents around sensitive
equipment and saves them from
damage.

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For More about Lightning Arresters go to

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This ArresterFacts is just one of many that make up the ArresterFacts Tutorial Series on
Arresters.

All ArresterFacts are Copyrighted.

If you use any part of this presentation for training material, please give ArresterWorks
proper reference.

Thank you for using ArresterWorks as your source of information on Arresters.

[email protected]
Rev 6 16-08

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