Piotr Korycki

Elektrotechnical Institute
High Power Division

Selected problems of testing gap les surge arresters and surge protective devices for high and
low voltage power systems

1.Introduction
At present metal oxide gapless surge arresters form the main part of overvoltage protection in
high voltage power transmission and distribution systems. To limit the peak value of lightning and
switching overvoltages and to protect the main insulation of (power and measuring) transformers the
arresters are connected between line (or not directly grounded neutral) and ground terminals.
Lightning protection system is another part of HV power distribution system protection. Aims of this
part are: to limit the probability of direct lightning strokes to line and to limit the value of the
lightning discharge currents in the arresters.
Surge protective devices (named SPD) are used in low voltage power systems. These devices
according to definition have composite “black box design”. Most often the metal oxide varistors are
used as a basic active non linear component in SPD and are used without any switching components.
Requirements and testing methods are covered by CENELEC standards: for surge arresters in
EN 60099-4 [1] and for SPD in EN 61643-11 [2]. Test requirements determine behavior of these
apparatuses in service conditions. On the other hand these standards are a compromise between the
manufacturer and the user of the apparatuses. In many requirements there is an additional discussion
and interpretation helping to correctly use these apparatuses as well as to carry out the tests properly.
Four principal questions relating to the procedures of surge arresters and SPD tests are discussed in
the present report. Author hopes that the problems tackled will initiate a wider discussion in this
field.
2. Residual voltage at lightning impulse discharge currents
Residual voltage test for metal oxide surge arresters foresees measurements at steep impulse current
with front time T1=1,0±0,1µs and peak value equal to the nominal discharge current In ±5% .
Standard EN 60099-4 requires introduction of a correction of the measured residual voltage. The
correction is determined as a peak value of the voltage drop in the test circuit in which the test object
is replaced by a copper cylinder. For residual voltage measurements at 8/20 impulses (for both MOA
surge arresters and SPD) this procedure is not required.
Two specific errors may be made during residual voltage measurement at impulse currents (see
literature [3]).
A. . Voltage divider not directly connected to the test object terminals. Voltage drop across current
carrying connection adds to the voltage on the test object. The voltage drop increases with the
steepness and the peak value of current and is proportional to the inductance and the resistance of the
connection.
B. There is an electromagnetic coupling existing between impulse test current and voltage
measurement circuits. These circuits form an air-core transformer. Voltage peak value, wave form
and polarity occurring on the VD connected to the secondary winding of this air-core transformer are
function of:
• Peak value of the test current,
• Steepness of the test current
• Electromagnetic coupling between circuits (function of dimension, position, and
characteristics of elements of the circuits possible screens between circuits, etc.)
• Impedance of the voltage divider
 These errors are not indicated in procedures ordinary used for calibration and accuracy testing.
Impulse current used during residual voltage measurement of MOA by 8/20 impulse have peak value
ranging from 1 250 A to 40 000 A (0,5 In to 2,0 In for In=2 500 A to 20 000 A) with front time from
7 to 9 µs.
For the determination of the measured protection level of SPD for Class 1 and 2 test impulse currents
up to 100 000 A 8/20 are used.
Value of steepness of current at the steep impulse residual voltage measurement are from 2 273 A/µs
to 23 333 A/µs.
Value of steepness of current at 8/20 impulse used for residual voltage measurement are from
264 A/µs up to 11 430 A/µs.
The collections of steepnesses and peak values have a big common part. The minimum value of the
residual voltage of SPD may be lower then 300V.
The accuracy problems at the measurements are the same.
Impulse current circuit used for accuracy residual voltage measurement testing is presented on fig. 1.

ELECTROMAGNETIC COUPLING

T
E
HV
Impulse
S
T
Measuring
Current

O
Circuit VD
Generator
B
J
area
8/20 E
C
T

rsi

OSC
rsi – impulse current shunt VD – voltage divider
Fig. 1 Impulse current circuit for accuracy residual voltage measurement testing
The voltage
divider was connected to ground on both sides. HV measuring circuit had an area of:
• 0.09 m2
• 0.005 m2
Three voltage dividers: 374Ω, 1500 Ω and 1 GΩ 50 MHz were tested.
Example oscillograms of voltage recorded are presented on fig. 2.

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VD resistance 374Ώ, area of the High resistance VD (100MΏ), area VD resistance 1500 Ώ, area of the
measuring circuit 0,09m2 Umax=- of the measuring circuit 0,09m2 measuring circuit~ 0,005 m2
20V Umax= +182V (bifilary) Umax=-1,13V
Fig. 2

Now a question arises:

Question 1.
Is it not necessary to introduce the same correction during the residual voltage measurement as
required during the steep current test

3. Operating duty test of gapless surge arresters and SPD

Operating duty test of MOA requires application of two high current impulses with wave form 4/10
and peak value:
• 65 kA (for 5kA nominal discharge current arresters) and
• 100 kA (for 10 kA and 20 kA nominal discharge current arresters)
These impulses simulate conditions of direct lightning strokes to line, close to the arrester. Arrester
shall withstand this high discharge impulse current without internal breaking or flash-over on its
external insulation. Residual voltage due to the mentioned high current impulses is about 50% higher
then the residual voltage measured at the nominal discharge current and used for insulation
coordination of HV system (see fig 3). Safety factor used by insulation coordination at lightning
over-voltages according to EN 60099-5 [4] is 15% only. The outside insulation of arresters is tested
according to EN 60099-4 cl.7.2.6 with fifteen voltage impulses 1.2/50 with peak value 30% higher
then the residual voltage at the nominal discharge current.

Discharge current 10kA 8/20 Uo=6,06kV Discharge current 100 kA 4/10 Uo=8,93 kV
Fig, 3 Residual voltage of the metal oxide varistor with nominal discharge current 10 kA

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Question 2:
Is the requirement to withstand the high current impulses according to EN 60099-4 justified?
Would it not be better to require that:
“The protection level of the arrester at all wave forms and all possible discharge currents shall be
lower then the insulation withstand level. The breakdown or flashover in the arrester are
acceptable” ?

Operating duty test checks the thermal stability of an arrester or SPD at the continuous operating
voltage after the standard stress. Power dissipated in MOA or SPD with metal oxide varistors
instantly increases in function of the varistor temperature [4] (in range of temperature from 5 oC to
35 oC the power dissipated in varistor increases 1,73 times) . Operating duty test may be performed at
ambient temperature between 5 and 35 oC . Normal service conditions are:
-40 to +40 oC for MOA and -5 to 65oC for SPD. Solar radiation additionally increases the
temperature of MOA and SPD in service
Question 3.
Is the present requirement for the ambient temperature during the operating duty test
sufficient to check the thermal stability of MOA and SPD in the full range of normal ambient
service conditions?

At the operating duty test of SPD Type 2 the maximum energy dissipated in SPD occurs at Imax
8/20. Required tolerances of the impulse for different objects are listed in Table 1:

Table 1
Parameter of impulse /test object SPD type 1 SPD type 2 SPD type 3 Surge arrester
Imax ± 10%
Q ± 20%
W/R ± 35%
peak value I1 ± 10%
front time T1 ±10%
time to half value on the tail T2 ±10%
peak value of the opposite polarity I2 <20%
Uoc peak value ±3%
front time T1 ±30%
time to half value on the tail T2 ±10%
Fictive impedance ±10%
Energy in long duration impulse + 10%

The main parameters of stress during the operating duty test for SPD Type 1 are:
the charge of the impulse current Q=∫ i dt and the specific energy W/R=∫ i2dt. For SPD Type 2 theses
parameters were calculated using a simplified procedure (triangle approximation of the wave form)
and presented in Table 2.
Values of Qr and Wr correspond to nominal wave form and peak values, values of Q and W
correspond to acceptable extreme wave forms and peak values.
Values of W/ Wr are between 0.65 and 1.52. Values of Q/Qr are between 0.77 and 1.52.
The relation between the minimum and the maximum calculated values are 234% for W/Wr and
198% for Q/Qr. These differences are many times greater then tolerances acceptable for the operating
duty test of SPD Type 1, as well as for gapless surge arresters.

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The differences presented in Table 2 may have big influence upon the test results and can cause
improper rating determination of the SPD.

Table 2. Specific energy W and charge Q calculated for SPD Type 2 for different acceptable wave
forms and current peak values.

T1 T1 [µs] T2 T2 [µs] T1/T2 I1 I2 Q/Qmin Q/Qr W/Wmin W/Wr

nominal 8 nominal 20 2,50 nominal nominal 1,31 1,00 1,54 1,00
minmal 7,2 minmal 18 2,50 minmal nominal 1,06 0,81 1,13 0,73
minmal 7,2 minmal 18 2,50 nominal nominal 1,18 0,90 1,39 0,90
maximal 8,8 maximal 22 2,50 nominal nominal 1,44 1,10 1,70 1,10
minmal 7,2 maximal 22 3,06 nominal nominal 1,50 1,15 1,85 1,20
maximal 8,8 minmal 18 2,05 nominal nominal 1,11 0,85 1,23 0,80
nominal 8 nominal 20 2,50 nominal maximal 1,57 1,20 1,62 1,05
minmal 7,2 minmal 18 2,50 nominal maximal 1,41 1,08 1,46 0,94
maximal 8,8 maximal 22 2,50 nominal maximal 1,73 1,32 1,78 1,15
minmal 7,2 maximal 22 3,06 maximal maximal 1,98 1,52 2,34 1,52
maximal 8,8 minmal 18 2,05 nominal maximal 1,33 1,02 1,30 0,84
maximal 8,8 minmal 18 2,05 minmal nominal 1,00 0,77 1,00 0,65

Question 4.
Is it possible to compare the SPD parameters measured in different laboratories taking into
account present requirement for tolerances of the wave form and peak value of the impulse
current?

Literature
1] EN 60099-4:2002 – Surge Arresters – Part 4 Metal oxide surge arresters without gaps for a.c.
systems
2] EN 61643-11:2002. Low-voltage surge protective devices.Part 11: Surge protective devices
connected to low-voltage power systems -Requirements and tests (IEC 61643-1:1998 + corr. 1998,
modified)
3]R. Kosztaluk, Technika badań wysokonapięciowych T1 (High Voltage test technice Book 1) clause
6.5 page 193. WNT Warsaw 1985.
4] EN 60099-5-1999 Surge arresters part 5: Selection and aplication recomendations (IEC 60099-5:
1996/A1:1999)

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