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  • 8/4/2019 Application Guide for Surges

    1/15Bowthorpe Low Voltage Division Tel: +44(0) 1273 692 591 Fax: +44 (0) 1273 676 637 e-mail: [email protected]

    A Guide to

    Lightning andSurge Protection

    A Guide to

    Lightning andSurge Protection

    to BS6651: 1999 Annex C

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    Contents

    What are surges, transients and spikes? 3

    Who should read this guide?

    Who are Bowthorpe? 3

    What can Bowthorpe offer you?

    Surges 4

    What is a surge? Where do surges come from? Surges, transients, spikes - whose problem are they?

    Lightning6

    Direct Coupling Earth Voltage Inductive Coupling

    Risk Assessment within BS6651 7

    What the insurers say! 8

    Commercial considerations

    BS6651: 1999 Annex C - Co-ordinated Protection9

    The Co-ordinated Protection Strategy 10

    Its cheaper than you think How do surge protectors work? Design considerations

    Product Selection Guide 11-14

    AC Power Systems Network and Telecom Systems

    Product selection diagram

    Telecommunication and wireless protection systems

    Questions and Answers 15

    Common Misconceptions 15

    Page

    Distribut ed Internationally by Keison Products Tel: +44 1245 600560 Fax: +44 1245 600030 e-mail: [email protected] www.keison.com2

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    odays business environment is a

    world dominated by computers.

    Every aspect of our working lives

    depends on the efficient functioning of

    critical IT systems.

    For many companies, disruption of the IT

    system impacts heavily on the day to day

    health of the organisation. Should

    damage occur, the cost can be severe, in

    some cases, catastrophically so.

    Clearly, the responsibility to prevent such

    a disaster occurring can lie with several

    people within the company. In some

    cases, external bodies such as the

    companys insurer may be the driving

    force to implement an effective protectionstrategy.

    The objective of this guide is to

    familiarise you with the basics of surge

    protection, allowing you to effectively

    counter the threat posed by lightning and

    surges to the life of your business.

    owthorpe is an internationally

    recognised, ISO9001 registered,

    specialist manufacturer of surge

    protectors for Mains Power, Voice and

    Data Systems. We have representatives

    on various international committees

    including the IEC SC37A sub committee,

    which is responsible for developing the

    worlds first truly international surge

    protection standard, IEC 61643

    This application guide is designed for

    consultantsdesignersspecifierscontractorsend usersusers of electronic systemsinsurersIT managersfinance directorsfacilities managers

    telecom managerstechnical and non-technical

    people.

    It will enable you to select the

    appropriate surge suppression

    equipment to fit any particular

    application and will provide an insight

    into the phenomena of surges, what

    causes them and how to stop them.

    Technical hotlineSite surveysConsultancy advice

    Comprehensive product rangeState of the art technologyCompetitive pricesSpecification of individual

    products and complete protection

    systems

    Factory and laboratory visits,witness tests

    Professional CPD accreditedpresentations

    Training seminars

    Who should read

    this guide?

    What are surges, transients and spikes?

    Who are Bowthorpe?

    What can Bowthorpe

    offer you?

    Distribut ed Internationally by Keison Products Tel: +44 1245 600560 Fax: +44 1245 600030 e-mail: [email protected] www.keison.com 3

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    surge, also referred to as a spike,

    glitch or transient overvoltage, is

    a very short timescale deviation

    from the normal operating voltage of an

    electrical system.

    Typically lasting tens of micro-seconds,

    surges can reach values of several

    thousands of volts, thus making them

    Voltage

    Surges

    20msTime

    Voltage

    50s

    8/20s surge (enlarged in time)

    Time0 0

    Small surges can cause... Spurious crashing of computer

    equipment

    Corruption of data transfer over

    networks

    Unexpected printer output

    Gradual component degradation leading

    to equipment breakdown

    Internally generated surges occur on a

    daily basis and can be easily

    suppressed utilising surge protectors in

    the form of plug adaptors, socket strips

    or in-line units.

    In some cases, Radio Frequency

    Interference (RFI) filtering is incorporated

    within these protectors. RFI, or noise, is

    rarely damaging to equipment but can be

    an annoyance if experienced regularly.

    Far more damaging to equipment and

    systems are the large spikes typically

    generated externally to the building and

    normally associated with lightning activity,

    Surges

    What is a surge?

    Where do surges come from?

    ost surges are caused by an

    electrical load either within or

    outside a building being switched

    on or off. Particular causes of transients

    include large machines, lift motors,

    welding machines and large printers.

    Fortunately, most internally generated

    transients tend to be reasonably small

    (typically only a few hundreds of volts)

    and consequently their effects range from

    the short-term: data corruption, system

    crashes and lock-up, to the long-term:

    insiduous component degradation which

    is a major factor in system reliability

    assessments.

    particularly damaging for computer

    related equipment.

    Most surges occur on the mains supply,

    but they also pose a real threat to any

    system utilising copper communication

    cables, such as a Local Area Network

    (LAN) or telephone systems.

    Where do surges

    come from?

    Inside the Building

    Factory equipment Office equipment

    Air conditioning and lift motors

    4

    What is a surge? A surge is a short transient deviation of line voltage from the nominaloperating level.

    Most surges occur on

    the mains supply but

    they also pose a real

    threat to any systemutilising copper

    communication cables

    Far more damaging

    to equipment and

    systems are the

    large spikes

    Distribut ed Internationally by Keison Products Tel: +44 1245 600560 Fax: +44 1245 600030 e-mail: [email protected] www.keison.com4

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    Large spikes can

    lead to...

    Failure of computer power circuits

    Failure of communication interfaces

    Irreversible damage to hardware

    electricity supply faults or switching of

    large loads within the power distribution

    network (National Grid/ Regional

    Electricity Companys [RECs]).

    Large transients, such as those caused

    when there is a nearby lightning strike,

    can reach values of 6000 Volts and

    Since all types of transient disturbances

    can be transported via electrical wiring,

    nearly all electronic equipment, from

    telephones and fax machines to large and

    expensive computer systems, are at risk.

    The extent of damage sustained ranges

    from corrupted data communication toimmediate physical destruction of hard-

    ware and, in some cases fire risk or even

    5

    Where do surgescome from?

    The Outside World

    Lightning

    Transformer tap switching, power

    station, sub-station and distribution faults

    Power cross faults

    Low quality generators

    3,000 Amps inside a building.

    Surges of this magnitude can cause

    extensive damage to computer circuitry,

    literally blowing up sensitive components

    such as micro-chips and in some cases,

    causing fire within computer or

    communication equipment.

    compromised human safety.

    You may even have already suffered

    equipment failure through surge damage

    without even knowing it! The cause of a

    computer breakdown often passes

    unknown with the computer being simply

    replaced or repaired. Component fatiguedue to repeated transient attack goes

    unnoticed until its too late.

    Everyones (including yours!)

    Surges, Transients, Spikes - whose problem are they?

    Bowthorpe supply a wide range of surge protection products to suit all needs

    Distribut ed Internationally by Keison Products Tel: +44 1245 600560 Fax: +44 1245 600030 e-mail: [email protected] www.keison.com 5

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    assessment which establishes the

    prominence of the building given its

    geographical location.

    The purpose of a structural protection

    system is to prevent damage to the fabric

    of the building, prevent risk of fire and

    safeguard personnel from the dangers of

    inadvertent electrical shocks.

    From the perspective of structural

    protection for the building, a lightning

    strike to the surrounding area is of no

    consequence. However, from the point of

    view of surge protection of equipment

    within the building, nearby lightning

    strikes are as important as direct strikes.

    The reason for this is that a structural

    protection system is dealing with the

    primary effects of the lightning strike,

    whereas surge protection is dealing with

    the secondary effects of lightning.

    The following diagrams portray three

    important mechanisms by which lightning

    strikes can affect sensitive equipment.

    y far the most prominent cause of

    damaging transients is nearby or

    even direct lightning strikes.

    Lightning discharge currents can be as

    high as 200,000 Amps in the UK, with

    the average discharge current being

    28,000 Amps.

    Obviously, such massive currents would

    vaporise any electronic equipment or

    cabling in the case of a direct strike to a

    cable.

    Fortunately, this situation is rare as most

    equipment and cabling is located within a

    building. Lightning will always tend to

    strike the most prominent feature, which

    is invariably the roof of the building!

    The British Standard for Lightning

    Protection : BS6651:1999 goes into great

    detail on the whys and wherefores of

    designing and installing a structural

    protection system (lightning conductors)for the building. The decision as to

    whether to install a structural protection

    system is essentially based on a risk

    6

    Lightning

    Direct Coupling

    Direct Coupling

    The bulk of the discharge current from a

    direct strike to a power conductor pylon,

    for example, will be conducted to earth.

    Some proportion of the discharge current,

    however, will be conducted as a surge on

    the cable. The magnitude of the surge

    current varies due to the length and type

    of the cable as well as the magnitude of

    the lightning strike.

    Sensitive equipment can therefore be

    damaged even when the lightning strike

    is some distance away.

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    7

    Inductive Coupling

    Earth Voltage

    Earth Voltage

    Inductive Coupling

    200

    2000

    400

    400

    600

    600

    800

    1000

    1200

    NationalGridNorthing(km)

    National Grid Easting (km)

    During a cloud to ground lightning strike,

    the strike point is raised to a very high

    voltage owing to the large current (up to

    200kA) being conducted through the

    ground (which has a finite resistance).

    Typically this value could be in the

    hundreds of thousands of volts for a

    fraction of a second. The further away

    from the strike point, the lower the

    voltage value. Depending on local soil

    conditions and climate, this voltage

    disturbance can be significant up to about

    2km away.

    As a consequence of this earth voltage

    disturbance, any building within 2km of a

    lightning strike will experience a

    fluctuation of its mains earth voltage.

    Because the equipment within the

    building may be connected to other

    electrical systems, such as equipment in

    another building, the electricity sub-

    station etc., there exists a situation where

    A current carrying cable, by virtue of its

    electromagnetic field, will induce a

    current flow in any nearby cable running

    parallel to it.

    the power and data cables entering the

    building may experience different earth

    voltages at each end. This causes a

    current to flow in the connected electrical

    wiring which is perceived by the

    equipment as an incoming surge.

    Risk Assessment within BS6651

    ifferent areas of the country and

    the world experience higher

    levels of lightning activity than

    others, and the climate largely

    determines the overall trend. Many of the

    variable factors are built into the risk

    assessment procedures in BS6651.

    The risk assessment for structural

    protection is essentially determining how

    prominent the structure is and therefore

    how attractive it is to a lightning strike.

    The risk assessment for surge protection

    is more complex. As well as determining

    how vulnerable the building is to a direct

    strike, the risk assessment takes into

    account the quantity of external cables

    entering the building and the nature of the

    equipment within the building as this

    determines the Consequential Loss factor

    should a system be affected.

    Although the risk assessment procedurecan be a little complicated, with care it can

    be a powerful tool to establish a realistic

    appraisal of the risk to a system.

    This basic electrical phenomenon is

    responsible for the third mechanism of

    lightning associated surges. A cloud to

    cloud lightning strike, of which there are

    approximately up to 1 million a year in

    the UK, sets up a massive

    electromagnetic field. Any cable which

    lies within this field is subject to the

    electromagnetic forces of it. Induced

    currents are created, especially prevalent

    where there is a large network of cables

    above ground. Lightning strikes to nearby

    pylons, trees etc produce similar results.

    Map showing thunderstorm days per year throughout the world

    90

    80

    70

    60

    50

    40

    30

    20

    10

    0

    10

    20

    30

    40

    50

    60

    70180 150 120 90 60 30 0 30 60 90 120 150 180

    4060

    40

    40

    60

    80

    60

    60

    80

    30

    5

    5

    5

    20 20

    10

    1040 140

    140

    100

    100

    80

    402010

    20

    60 60

    5

    10

    100 120

    40

    60

    4020

    10

    5

    1

    20

    10

    10 140

    140

    140

    120

    80

    80

    180180

    100

    60

    60

    10

    40

    5

    5

    1

    30 20

    10

    1

    140

    5

    3040

    20

    605

    20

    100 20

    40

    8040

    80

    5

    10

    1

    405

    520100 10

    Number of lightning flashes to the groundper km2 per year for the uk

    Extracts from BS6651 are reproduced with the permission of BSI. Complete editions of the standards can be obtained by post fromBSI Customer Services, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL.

    NOTE: This map is based on information from the World Meteorological Organisation records for 1955.

    0.1 0.4

    0.2 0.5

    0.3 0.6

    The lightning density map was compiled byElectricity Association Technology Limitedfrom data accumulated over four years fromits Lightning Location System.

    Distributed Internationally by Keison Products Tel: +44 1245 600560 Fax: +44 1245 600030 e-mail: [email protected] www.keison.com 7

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    What the Insurers Say!

    Commercial Considerationsowadays, with the ever increasing

    amount of information technology

    being used for businesses, the

    costs of equipment repair and replacement

    have become a major concern for theinsurance companies.

    In some cases, they have provided the

    finances to replace computer systems

    worth some 100,000s that have been

    destroyed by lightning or other surge

    phenomena. Downtime and other

    consequential losses often cost far more

    to replace. Many other cases occur in

    domestic and small business applications

    where equipment worth 100s or 1,000s

    has been damaged.

    The insurance companies now recognise

    surge protection as being a solution to

    this problem. They know that a total

    protection system can be fitted for

    a fraction of the equipment

    replacement value.

    8

    Latest statistics on claims

    for hardware and

    consequential loss have

    astonished insurers to such

    a degree that they have had

    to reassess premiums for

    any company heavily reliant

    on information technology.

    An organisation that has taken BS6651

    very much to heart is the Loss Prevention

    Council, or LPC. The LPC is funded by

    the Association of British Insurers and

    Lloyds of London and is involved in all

    aspects of loss prevention and risk

    control on a world-wide basis. It is,

    therefore, the body that the insurers refer

    to for guidelines when drawing up their

    insurance policies and assessing

    potential relatively new risks.

    BS6651: 1999 Annex C has been taken

    very seriously by the LPC and, in turn,

    the insurance companies, particularly inlight of recent avoidable claims for

    computer hardware damage and

    consequential loss as a result of surges,

    spikes and transients.

    LPC statistics on claims for hardware and

    consequential loss have astonished

    insurers to such a degree that they have

    had to reassess premiums for any

    company heavily reliant on information

    technology. A single such claim for over

    0.5 million to one insurer has certainlyfocused the insurance industrys

    attention to this subject. It is now

    becoming the insurers policy to

    either demand higher premiums or

    even refuse cover if the

    recommendations of BS6651 are

    not acted upon!

    The statistics reveal that 60-70%

    of commercial claims could be

    directly attributed to computer

    hardware failure andconsequential loss due to

    surge disruption or damage.

    Clearly, no organisation

    appreciates higher insurance

    premiums, but, equally, no

    successful company can

    accept computer failure

    resulting in poor customer

    service.

    Distributed Internationally by Keison Products Tel: +44 1245 600560 Fax: +44 1245 600030 e-mail: [email protected] www.keison.com8

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    he British Standard BS6651:

    1999 is titled Code of Practice

    for Protection of Structures

    Against Lightning and outlines the

    general principles of applying lightningprotection to buildings and structures.

    It was in 1992 that Appendix C

    (changed to Annex C in the 1999

    revision) was originally incorporated

    within BS6651 and provided general

    advice on protection of electronic

    equipment within or on structures against

    lightning. BS6651: 1999 Annex C

    gives details on the following aspects

    of surge protection:

    How to assess the lightning exposurerisk to equipment

    Routes along which surges can entera building and where they go within

    the building

    Deciding factors for installing protection Recommended levels of protection in

    a co-ordinated protection system

    AC Power Protection

    For AC power, Annex C defines three

    different categories of surge protection

    that vary in surge handling ability,

    each designed for installation at

    particular locations within a building

    supply network.

    Category C - The supply side of theincoming distribution board

    Category B - The mainsdistribution system

    Category A - The load side ofsocket outlets

    Although not confirmed in BS6651, these

    three categories reflect with the location

    categories used in the American standard

    IEEE C62.41 (1991).

    Each BS6651 location category is divided

    into three groups which suit different

    exposure or lightning risk levels. These

    are known as the low, medium and high

    system exposure levels.

    Bowthorpe products are suitable for the

    high system exposure level of each

    category and also address the lower

    exposure levels. By designing our

    products in this way, we greatly simplify

    product selection.

    The surge ratings for each location

    category are the peak surge voltage and

    peak surge current that will normally

    occur at that location in the supply network.

    Any protection device designed for

    these categories must be able to

    withstand the respective peak surge

    current and voltage. The following

    table indicates the protection levels

    required for the high system exposure

    group of each category.

    Network & Telecom

    System Protection

    Annex C also defines a location

    category C for communication

    systems which specifies a 10kA

    protection level. However, communication

    cable exhibits a higher electrical

    impedance that helps to dissipate the

    surge energy.

    In communication systems, therefore, as

    long as category C protection is fitted, it

    is not normally necessary to protect

    against incoming surges at location

    categories B and A.

    BS6651: 1999 Annex C. - Co-ordinated Protection

    9

    Location category C B A

    Peak surge voltage 20kV 6kV 6kV

    Peak surge current 10kA 3kA 500 A

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    By carefully selecting which parts

    of the computer system are mostcritical to your business operations,

    implementing total protection need

    not be very costly and will easily be

    within the reach of small and large

    businesses alike.

    A risk assessment should be performed

    to identify key equipment and to

    weigh the costs of protecting this

    equipment against the potential losses

    to the business in system downtime,

    maintenance and reduced performance.

    The Co-ordinated Protection Strategy

    Its cheaper than you think How do Surge Protectors

    work?

    Different kinds of protector use differenttypes of components or combinations

    thereof to suppress surges, transients

    and spikes.

    As described earlier in this guide, a surge

    is a rapid fluctuation in voltage occurring

    on a signal or AC power cable which, in

    many cases, will contain enough energy to

    cause disruption to communications and

    often physical damage to electronic circuitry.

    The suppressor components used are

    normally one of three basic technologies:

    gas discharge tubemetal oxide varistorsolid-state semi-conductor.

    10 Distributed Internationally by Keison Products Tel: +44 1245 600560 Fax: +44 1245 600030 e-mail: [email protected] www.keison.com10

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    To be effective, surge protection must

    survive the maximum transient

    overvoltages and resultant currents that

    occur at the different locations and only

    pass the residual part of the surge that

    will not cause damage.

    It is therefore necessary to know the

    equipment transient design level

    (ETDL) for the equipment to be

    protected. This is the maximum surge

    voltage level that will not impair the

    performance of the equipment and is also

    known as the immunity level. The

    residual part of a surge which passes

    through the protector is known as the

    let-through voltage or transient control

    level (TCL).

    For protection to be effective, the TCL

    must be less than the ETDL and include

    a reasonable safety margin Vm:

    TCL+Vm

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    12

    Plug-in mains protection products

    MDSP DIN rail mount replaceable modules

    Network Barrier & Telecom TLP Series

    Network and Telecom

    Systems

    6651C Protector Step 1: Location Category C

    Locate all communication cables

    entering the building including PSTN

    dial-up voice lines and leased lines,

    ISDN and network lines. All incoming

    cables that carry signals on wire

    conductors must be fitted with

    appropriate category C protection from

    Bowthorpes extensive range of

    datacom, telecom and network barriers.

    Step 2: Location Category B

    Identify sub-distribution panels that

    supply mission-critical hardware such as

    mini-computers, PABX systems,network file-servers and mainframes.

    Install the location category B protection

    described below.

    With the increasing use of distributed

    networks, many users prefer to protect

    all sub-distribution panels with these

    economically priced products.

    Step 3: Location Category A

    Fileservers, mainframe computers,

    PABX, and other such hardware are

    important for providing critical services

    to the company and should, therefore,

    be fitted with category A protection.

    Our range of plug-in devices and

    socket strips provide fine-tuned,

    backup protection for the most

    important equipment and will suppress

    surges and interference from inside

    the building.

    Category C Products

    Network Barrier & Telecom

    TLP Series

    10kA rated barriers are available in DIN rail

    mounted format for datalines. For telephone

    PABX systems, Krone mounted units are

    available in 10-line and single-line variants.

    Category A Products

    Protector Plugs and

    Adaptors

    This range of single-outlet surge

    suppressors and hardwired plugs are

    available with surge only protection and

    various ratings of RFI filtering. UK,

    French and German formats are offeredand all units feature thermal protection

    against surges exceeding their rating,

    unlike most low cost products.

    Socket Strips

    These AC mains socket strips are

    available in UK, French and German

    formats with options for surge protection,

    RFI filtering and a choice of from four to

    ten socket outlets. All strips feature

    thermal protection.

    Category B Products

    6651C ProtectorA compact, hard-wired, panel mounting

    protector for sub-distribution panels

    available in single and three phase models.

    Spur Protector

    Ideal for the protection of equipment on

    individual ring mains, this unit can be

    either wired to equipment as an inline

    protector or can be hardwired into wall

    mounted conduits.

    DSP1 and DSP3

    General purpose, hard-wired, single and

    three-phase distribution panel protectors

    with 30kA of surge capacity. Optional

    relay contacts provide remote indication

    of protection status.

    indication of protection status. Models

    with Silicon Avalanche Diode Modules

    (SAD) with extremely low clamping and

    exceptionally fast response times are

    particularly suited to mobile telecom

    applications.

    DSP1 and DSP3

    Spur Protector

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    B

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    TRANSFORMER BACKUPGENERATOR

    11KV POWER(3-PHASE)

    UNDERGROUNDCONDUITS

    P.A.B.X. AND OTHERCOMMUNICATIONS

    EQUIPMENT

    SURGES ARE GENERATED INSIDEBUILDINGS BYAIR CONDITIONERS,

    LIFTS, PHOTOCOPIERS, DRINKSMACHINES, FACTORY MACHINERY,

    REFRIGERATORS ETC.

    SURGES ARE GENERATEDOUTSIDE BUILDINGS BYLIGHTNING,

    POWER FAULTS, SWITCHING ANDCONTACT BETWEEN POWER AND

    COMMUNICATIONS LINES, ETC.

    WALLCONDUIT FOR MAINSAND DATALINE CABLING

    415V POWER(3-PHASE)

    Supply

    Distribution

    Surge

    Protector

    Sub-distribution

    Panel Protector

    DIN-rail mountab

    dataline sur

    protecti

    Telecom surge

    protection

    Surge

    Protected

    Socket Strips

    Service Entry

    Surge Protector

    41

    2

    9

    1

    9

    8

    7

    6

    6

    4

    7

    12

    Spur and InlineSurge Protector

    9

    67

    8

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    Telecommunications and Wireless Protection Systems

    14

    Aircraftwarning light

    Microwave dish

    TV antenna

    Transmissionequipment Digital switching

    equipment

    Mains powersupply

    Typical steelcabin/equipment

    room

    Induced surgeinto buriedtelecom cable

    Common earthbar connected to

    all electronicequipment andbonded to theearth ring

    DC power equipment(batteries, rectifiers,inverters, converters)

    FM broadcast ormobile telephone

    antenna

    Tower footingring earth

    Equipotentialearth bonding

    3

    4

    1

    2

    1MDSP AC powerprotection 4

    Co-axial surge protector

    barriers

    FEATURES:

    Exceptionally high surge handling Two stage (redundant) protection Replaceable DIN rail mount modules Dual thermal/current overload fusing Status indicators with remote signalling Silicon Avalanche Diode models

    available for extremely low clampingand exceptionally fast response time

    Site wiring fault indicator

    APPLICATIONS: Front end of building protection for

    mission critical sites and applications SAD models particularly suited to

    mobile telecom applications.

    FEATURES:

    Din rail or panel mounting Low let-through voltages

    Fast response times High surge handling capability

    Negligible effect on normal lineoperation

    APPLICATIONS:

    LANs EPOS

    CCTV Ethernet Plant & Process Control

    Signalling and telemetry

    Modular Distribution

    Surge Protector

    3

    Telecommunications lineprotector installed inMDF to protect sensitivetelecoms equipment

    FEATURES:

    Surges reduced to below normal signalvoltage

    High surge handling capability

    Negligible effect on normal lineoperation

    Models available for connection toLSA-Plus termination strips

    Optimum performance with lightningrelated surges

    APPLICATIONS: PABX PSTN

    Telephone and facsimile Computer communications using

    voice line modems

    Telecom Line

    Protectors

    2Surge protector installedon AC power supply toaircraft warning light

    FEATURES:

    High surge handling capability Two stage (redundant) protection Full protection status indicators

    Remote signalling version available Fast response time and low let-

    through voltage

    APPLICATIONS:

    Front end of building protection

    Sub distribution panel protection

    Individual protection of critical &costly equipment such as computer

    systems

    Distribution Surge

    Protectors

    Network & Signal Line

    Barrier Protectors

    Distributed Internationally by Keison Products Tel: +44 1245 600560 Fax: +44 1245 600030 e-mail: [email protected] www.keison.com14

  • 8/4/2019 Application Guide for Surges

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    I dont need surge protection because my

    building already has structural protection.

    WRONG!

    Structural lightning protection and lightningconductors do not protect the sensitive

    equipment within the building.

    I dont need surge protection because my

    system is connected to a UPS.

    WRONG!

    Most UPSs are not designed with BS6651 in mindand consequently any surge protection fitted is

    likely to be limited in its surge handling capability.

    Any protection fitted inside the UPS is specificallydesigned to protect its own electronics, not the

    equipment connected to it.

    UPS bypass switches, when in operation, reduceany protection afforded by the UPS.

    Lightning never strikes twice.

    WRONG!A site that has been struck once is clearly

    susceptible and will often suffer problems on a

    regular basis.

    My site is surrounded by tall buildings,

    so is safe from lightning damage.

    WRONG!

    Tall buildings may attract lightning away fromyour site, but, your systems will be at risk from

    the secondary effects caused by the

    electromagnetic pulse generated when lightning

    strikes nearby.

    Your site is also at risk from surges andtransients present on incoming power andcommunication cabling.

    The cabling between my two buildings is

    underground, so doesnt need protection.

    WRONG!

    When lightning strikes the ground, even 1 or 2km away, the current discharged raises the

    ground potential in the surrounding area by

    100,000s of volts depending on proximity to the

    strike. While the current dissipates through theground, a difference between the building earth

    points stresses the cable and any connected

    equipment.

    QI didnt hear anything aboutsurges and transients tenyears ago. Why are they causing

    problems NOW?

    ATodays computers use smaller and

    more sophisticated electronic

    components than ever before which are far

    more sensitive to transient voltages than

    earlier technologies.

    Furthermore, we can now put computers

    and communication equipment anywhere

    we want so must be aware of variations in

    the quality of different operating

    environments. Perhaps more importantly,

    the electricity supply companies are not

    required to provide computer-grade power,

    so it is our responsibility to ensure thepower used for our computers is clean.

    QWe get very little lightning inmy area. Do we still needtransient suppression equipment?

    ALightning is only one source of

    transients. Repetitive, low level

    spikes on power and communication lines

    cause circuit degradation and eventual

    example, different types of computer network

    use a variety of connector formats, signal

    levels and operating frequencies. Some

    applications are contained within one

    building, however, others include data and

    power connections between several buildings

    which have different protection needs.

    QHow do surge protectorswork?A

    Surge protectors continuously

    monitor the power or signal line for

    overvoltages. When the voltage rises

    above a certain level components inside

    the protector divert the excess energy to

    earth and limit the voltage to a safe level.

    QWhat is thermal overloadprotection and why do I

    need it?

    ABowthorpe products have thermal

    overload protection fitted as

    standard. Surge protection products where

    protection elements are not fitted with this

    safety feature can overheat under fault

    conditions and give rise to the risk of

    electric shock or fire.

    failure. These spikes are frequently caused

    by utility power switching and heavy

    industrial power users.

    QIs it possible for transients to

    affect my equipmentunnoticed?

    AAbsolutely. Small transients can be

    an invisible problem, they dont

    necessarily cause immediate equipment

    failure, but WILL cause micro bullet holes

    inside semi-conductor electronics leading to

    degradation.

    After some period of time, the hardware will

    fail and be replaced under the assumption

    that it died a natural death of age.

    However, its life expectancy is actually

    shortened by the degrading process. In

    other words, the useful life of computer

    equipment can be extended by installing

    surge protection.

    QIs there one completesolution that provides totalprotection?

    AEvery system and application is

    different in one way or another. For

    Questions and Answers

    Common Misconceptions