What is a Lightning Arrester - ArresterWorks.com

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a<br />

<strong>Lightning</strong><br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>?<br />

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NO…..<br />

It’s not a<br />

very fast<br />

Police<br />

Officer<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

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<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

According to<br />

most definitions,<br />

a <strong>Lightning</strong><br />

<strong>Arrester</strong> <strong>is</strong>….<br />

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<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

A Device Used on<br />

Power Systems<br />

above 1000V to<br />

Protect other<br />

Equipment from<br />

<strong>Lightning</strong> and<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

Switching Surges<br />

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It <strong>is</strong> not a <strong>Lightning</strong> Rod.<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Works.<strong>com</strong><br />

Although <strong>Lightning</strong> Rods<br />

are devices that divert<br />

lightning surges to<br />

ground, they are simple<br />

conductive terminals that<br />

are always at ground<br />

potential and are never<br />

energized.

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<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

Other Devices<br />

Similar to <strong>Lightning</strong><br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>s<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

Surge Suppressor: Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> also a surge diverter,<br />

but generally for voltages well below 1000 volts.<br />

TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor) Again<br />

th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> also a surge diverter, but generally for voltages<br />

well below 1000 volts.<br />

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<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

How do<br />

<strong>Lightning</strong><br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>s Protect<br />

Power Systems?<br />

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Typically<br />

8400 Volts<br />

115 or 220 Volts<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

Impulse Sensitive<br />

Transformer<br />

System<br />

Without<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong><br />

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Typically<br />

8400 Volts<br />

Transformer<br />

115 or 220 Volts<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

When<br />

<strong>Lightning</strong><br />

strikes the<br />

system<br />

----<br />

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equipment<br />

<strong>is</strong> damaged<br />

and the<br />

lights go out<br />

9

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Typically<br />

8400 Volts<br />

115 or 220 Volts<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

<strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

However<br />

on a<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Works.<strong>com</strong><br />

System<br />

With an<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong><br />

10

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Typically<br />

8400 Volts<br />

115 or 220 Volts<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

<strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

When<br />

<strong>Lightning</strong><br />

strikes<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Works.<strong>com</strong><br />

Sensitive<br />

equipment<br />

<strong>is</strong> saved by<br />

the <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

11

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<strong>What</strong> exactly does a<br />

lightning arrester<br />

do?<br />

•It Does not Absorb the <strong>Lightning</strong><br />

•It Does not Stop the <strong>Lightning</strong><br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

•It Does Divert the <strong>Lightning</strong> to Ground<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

•It Does Clamp (limit) the Voltage produced by the <strong>Lightning</strong><br />

•It Only protects equipment electrically in parallel with it.<br />

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Ok, how<br />

does it<br />

divert<br />

lightning?<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Works.<strong>com</strong>

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To Power System<br />

MOV<br />

MOV<br />

MOV<br />

MOV<br />

To Earth<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

At the Heart of All<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>s <strong>is</strong> the Metal<br />

Oxide Var<strong>is</strong>tor (MOV)<br />

The MOV D<strong>is</strong>k <strong>is</strong> a<br />

Semiconductor that <strong>is</strong><br />

sensitive to Voltage.<br />

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At normal Voltages the MOV<br />

d<strong>is</strong>k <strong>is</strong> an insulator and will<br />

not conduct current.<br />

But at higher voltages caused<br />

by lightning it be<strong>com</strong>es a<br />

conductor

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MOV<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

The MOV D<strong>is</strong>k <strong>is</strong> a very<br />

fast acting electronic<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

switch<br />

It <strong>is</strong> an open switch to standard<br />

system AC voltages and a closed<br />

switch to lightning voltages<br />

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MOV<br />

5000X<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Works.<strong>com</strong><br />

By magnifying the<br />

MOV material 5000<br />

times, Metal Oxide<br />

Grains and Dopants in<br />

the material can be<br />

d<strong>is</strong>cerned<br />

Each MOV D<strong>is</strong>k with a<br />

35mm diameter and a<br />

35mm height contains<br />

about<br />

28 Billion<br />

MOV Grains

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The MOV Grains and their Junctions are the<br />

Electronic Switches that turn on and off in un<strong>is</strong>on<br />

to divert the lightning around the equipment.<br />

The Switches<br />

are at the<br />

junctions<br />

between the<br />

grains<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

ZnO Grains<br />

are low<br />

impedance<br />

linear<br />

element of<br />

circuit<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

Spinal Phase<br />

Very<br />

Nonlinear<br />

Part of Circuit<br />

Antimony<br />

Phase<br />

Doped<br />

Junction<br />

Between<br />

Grains<br />

10 micro meters<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

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ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

A lightning arrester <strong>is</strong> essentially a collection of<br />

billions of microscopic junctions of Metal Oxide<br />

Grains that turn on and off in microseconds to form a<br />

current path from the top terminal to the ground<br />

terminal of the arrester.<br />

ZnO Grains<br />

are low<br />

impedance<br />

linear<br />

element of<br />

circuit<br />

Spinal Phase<br />

Very<br />

Nonlinear<br />

Part of<br />

Circuit<br />

Antimony<br />

Phase<br />

Doped<br />

Junction<br />

Between<br />

Grains<br />

10 micro meters<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

ZnO Grain<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Works.<strong>com</strong><br />

Current<br />

path during<br />

<strong>Lightning</strong>

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MOV<br />

MOV<br />

MOV<br />

MOV<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

So there you have it.<br />

A <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong> <strong>is</strong> a<br />

device, used on power<br />

systems, that contains<br />

billions of electronic<br />

switches that divert<br />

lightning around sensitive<br />

equipment and saves them<br />

from damage.<br />

<strong>Arrester</strong>Works.<strong>com</strong><br />

MOV

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<strong>Arrester</strong>Facts-009<br />

<strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> a <strong>Lightning</strong> <strong>Arrester</strong><br />

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Jonathan.Woodworth@arresterworks.<strong>com</strong><br />

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