Surge arrestor and Isolator

Prepared by : Safin Amin

Introduction

• Define surge arrestor

• State what is the Isolator ?
• Find out the function of both of
them .
Traveling Wave/ Overvoltage
Protection

• Lightning hits mid-span

Surge arrestor or Lightning Arrestor

• It is a protective device, which protects

the costly equipment's such as over
headlines, poles or towers, transformer
etc. against lightening impulses and
switching impulse
What exactly does a Lightning
Arrestor Do?
• It Does not Stop the Lightning
• It Does not Absorb the Lightning
• it arrests the lightening of very high
voltage (thousands of KV) and dump it
into the ground
 Types of surge arrester
• 1. Metal oxide type
A metal oxide surge arrester (MOSA) utilizing
zinc oxide blocks
provides the best performance, as surge
voltage conduction starts
and stops promptly at a precise voltage level.
• there is always a small value of leakage
current present at power frequencies
Types of surge arrester
2-Gapped silicon carbide type
Silicon carbide has more nonlinearity than
zinc oxide. Without a gap the increase in
leakage current, because of this
nonlinearity, would soon burn out the
arrester. A gap prevents burnout, but it
does mean that the arrester will not
operate until the gap sparks over.
Types of surge arrester
• Main difference between both of them :
Porcelain Housed Surge
Arrester
Surge Counter
Isolator
• ISOLATER:
• Circuit breakers always trip the circuit
but open contacts of breaker cannot be
visible physically from outside of that
is why it is recommended not to touch
any electrical circuit just by switching
off the circuit breaker
Isolator
• So for better safety there must be
some arrangement so that one can see
open condition of the circuit before
touching it. Isolators is a mechanical
switch which isolates apart of circuit
from system as when required.
Isolator
• Electrical isolators separate a part of
the system from rest for
safe maintenance works.
• So definition of isolator can be
rewritten as Isolator is a manually
operated mechanical switch which
separate a part of the electrical power
system normally at off load condition
Summary
• What is the main function of isolator ?
• Main function of Surge arrestor
• Any question ?!