Electro Mobility: Reliably securing

charging infrastructure

With the increasing proliferation of electric vehicles, and the new “fast charging”
technology, the need for a reliable and safe charging infrastructure is also
increasing. Both the actual charging devices and the connected vehicles
themselves need to be protected against overvoltages, as both have sensitive
electronic components.

Protecting equipment against the effects of lightning strikes
as well as against power fluctuations on the network side is
necessary. A direct hit by a lightning strike is devastating
and hard to protect against, but the real danger for electronic
devices of all kinds comes from the resultant electrical surge.
In addition, all grid-side electrical switching operations that
are connected to the grid, are potential sources of danger
for the electronics in electric cars and charging stations.
Short-circuits and earth faults can also be counted among the
possible sources of damage to this equipment.
In order to evaluate the corresponding scenarios, it is
necessary to assess the risk of a lightning strike and its
effects. For this purpose, various characteristics are available,
ranging from direct impact (S1) to indirect coupling (S4). In
combination with the respective impact scenario (S1-S4) and
the identified application type (LPL I-/ IV), the corresponding
products for lightning and surge protection can be
determined.
S1

In order to be prepared against these electrical risks, it is

absolutely necessary to take appropriate protective measures.
Safeguarding expensive investments is imperative, and
corresponding electrical standards prescribe the appropriate
ways and means of safeguarding. There is a lot to consider,
S1 4

because the different sources of danger cannot be addressed

with one solution for everything. This paper serves as an aid 3

to identifying risk scenarios and the associated protection S2

solutions, both on the AC and DC side.

4

Evaluate scenarios correctly 3

S1 Strike to the structure
S2
Overvoltages caused, for example, by direct or indirect S2 Strike near the structure
lightning strikes into the alternating current (AC) network must
be diminished up to the input of the main distributor of the
EV charging device. It is therefore recommended to install
Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) which conduct the impinging
surge current to earth, directly after the main circuit breaker. A Incoming servic
very good basis is provided by the comprehensive lightning 4 S4
protection standard IEC 62305-1 to 4 with its application S3
Incoming service
examples. There, the risk assessment as well as external and 3

S4
internal lightning protection are discussed.

The lightning protection levels (LPL), which describe various

mission critical applications, are decisive in this case. For
example, LPL I includes the aircraft towers, which must still be S3 Strike to incoming services(s)

operational even after a direct lightning strike (S1). S4 Strike near the incoming services(s)
LPL I also considers hospitals; where equipment must also be
Figure 1: Various lightning strike scenarios according to IEC 62305.
fully functional during thunderstorms and protected from fire
hazard so that people are always as safe as possible.

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The lightning protection levels for internal lightning protection Values are per conductor

are divided into four categories: LPL I is the highest level and LPL Flash to Structure
Direct and Indirect Flashes
to the Service
is expected at 100 kA for the maximum load of a pulse inside
an application. This means 200 kA for a lightning strike outside S1 (10/350) S1(8/20) S2 (8/20) S3 (10/350) S4 (8/20)

the respective application. Of this, 50 percent is discharged 1 phase 3 phase

Inductive Induced
1 phase 3 phase
Inductive
Coupling Current Coupling
into the ground, and the "remaining" 100 kA is coupled into the
interior of the building. In the case of a direct lightning strike I 50 kA 25 kA 10 kA 0.2 kA 20 kA 10 kA 5 kA

risk S1, and an application of lightning protection level I II 35 kA 17.5 kA 7.5 kA 0.15 kA 15 kA 7.5 kA 3.75 kA
(LPL I), the corresponding network must therefore be
considered. The overview to the right provides the required III / IV 25 kA 12.5 kA 5 kA 0.1 kA 10 kA 5 kA 2.5 kA

value per conductor:

Rule of Thumb
LPL Iimp Inductive Coupling
for Linkage

I 200 kA 100 kA 5 kA

II 150 kA 75 kA 3.75 kA

III/IV 100 kA 50 kA 2.5 kA

Table 1: Various lightning strike scenarios according to IEC 62305.

The correct surge protection for the electrical charging infrastructure

Similar considerations need to be applied to electrical
charging infrastructure. In addition to the AC side, the DC
side must also be considered for some charging column
technologies. It is therefore necessary to adopt the scenarios
and values presented for the charging infrastructure of electric
vehicles. This simplified schematic illustration shows the
structure of a charging station. A lightning protection level
LPL III/IV is required. The below picture illustrates the
scenarios S1 to S4:

Transformer S1 EV Charger
Station
S3

S4
S2

Charging station with various lightning strike

scenarios according to IEC 62305.

These scenarios can give rise to the most varied forms of coupling.

Transformer EV Charger
Station

Charging station with various coupling options

These situations must be countered with lightning and surge

protection. The following recommendations are available in
this regard:
Values are per conductor
• For charging infrastructure without external lightning Direct and Indirect
LPL Flash to Structure
protection (induction current or mutual induction; values Flashes to the Service

per conductor): only indirect coupling occurs here and S1 (8/20) S1 (8/20) S4 (8/20)
only overvoltage protection precautions need to be taken.
Inductive Coupling Induced Current Inductive Coupling
This is also shown in Table 2 on the pulse shape 8/20 µs,
which stands for the overvoltage pulse. III/IV 5 kA 0.1 kA 2.5 kA

Table 2

2 www.raycap.com
 Charging station without LPS (lightning protection)

MDB

AC
T2 T2 T2 T2 EV Charger T2 EV Charger
DC

• In this case showing direct and indirect coupling through Values are per conductor

an overhead line connection, the charging infrastructure LPL Flash to Structure

Direct and Indirect
Flashes to the Service
has no external lightning protection. Here an increased
lightning risk is discernible through the overhead line. It is S1 (8/20) S1 (8/20) S3 (10/350) S4 (8/20)

therefore necessary to install lightning protection on the Inductive

Induced Current 1 phase 3 phase
Inductive
Coupling Coupling
AC side. A three-phase connection requires at least
5 kA (10/350 µs) protection per conductor, see Table 3. III/IV 5 kA 0.1 kA 10 kA 5 kA 2.5 kA

Table 3

Charging station without LPS (lightning protection)

MDB

AC
T1 T2 T2 T2 EV Charger T2 EV Charger
DC

• For charging infrastructure with external lightning
protection: The illustration on page 4 shows the
designation LPZ, which stands for the so-called Lightning
Protection Zone - i.e. the lightning protection zone that
results in a definition of protection quality. LPZ0 is the
outer area without protection; LPZ0B means that this area
is "in the shadow" of the outer lightning protection. LPZ1
refers to the building entrance, for example the entry point
on the AC side. The LPZ2 would represent a further
sub-distribution inside the building.
In our scenario we can assume that products of LPZ0 / LPZ1
lightning protection products are required which are accord-
ingly designated as T1 products (Type 1) (Class I per IEC or
coarse protection). In the transition from LPZ1 to LPZ2 there is
also talk of overvoltage protection T2 (Type 2), Class II per IEC
or medium protection.
In our example in Table 4, this corresponds to an arrester with
4 x 12.5 kA for the AC connection, i.e. a total lightning current
carrying capacity of 50 kA (10/350 µs). For AC/DC converters,
appropriate overvoltage products must be selected. Attention:
On the AC and DC side this must be done accordingly.

Meaning of external lightning protection

For the charging stations themselves, the choice of the Values per conductor

correct solution depends on whether the station is within the LPL Flash to Structure
protection zone of the external lightning protection system. If
this is the case, a T2 arrester is enough. In outdoor areas, a T1 S1 (8/20) S1 (8/20) S2 (8/20)

arrester must be used according to the risk. See Table 4. 1 phase 3 phase Inductive Coupling Induced Current

III/IV 25 kA 12.5 kA 5 kA 0.1 kA

Table 4

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 Charging station with LPS (lightning protection)

LPZ 0A

MDB
LPZ 0B
LPZ 1 LPZ 2
AC
T1 T2 T2 T2 EV Charger T1 EV Charger
DC

Important: Other sources of interference can also lead to
overvoltage damage and therefore require appropriate
protection. These can be switching operations on electrical
systems that emit overvoltages, for example, or those that
occur through lines inserted into the building (telephone, bus
data lines).
A helpful rule of thumb: All metallic cable lines, such as gas,
water or electricity, that lead into or out of a building are
potential transmission elements for surge voltages. Therefore,
in a risk assessment, the building should be examined for
such possibilities and appropriate lightning / surge protection
should be considered as close as possible to the sources of
interference or building entry points.
Voltage
The right type and SPD to choose
The smallest clamping voltage should be applied to the
application to be protected. It is therefore important to select
the correct design and the suitable SPD.
Compared to conventional arrester technology, Raycap's
hybrid technology ensures the lowest overvoltage load on
the equipment to be protected. With optimum overvoltage
protection, the equipment to be protected has a negligible
current flow of a safe size and low energy content (I2t) - the
upstream residual current switch is not tripped.

Conventional
Table 5 below provides an overview of the different types of
Technology
surge protection available:

Test
Type Designation SPD-Types
Category
Reference Parameter Hybrid
Technology
Iimp (Lightning Pulse Current
Lightning Arrester Type 1 Class I
10/350µs)

Surge Protection Type 2 Class II In (Rated Current 8/20µs)

Terminal Protection Type 3 Class III Uoc (Open-Circuit Voltage)

Table 5: Overview of different surge protection types.

Time
Figure 2: Compared to conventional arrester technology, Raycap's
hybrid technology ensures the lowest overvoltage stress on the
equipment to be protected.

4 www.raycap.com
Back to the specific application of charging stations for
electric cars: If charging devices are more than ten meters
away from the main distribution board in which the primary
surge protection is located, an additional SPD must be
installed directly at the terminals of the AC side of the station
in accordance with IEC 61643-12.
SPDs at the input of the main distribution board must be
able to derive partial lightning currents (12.5 kA per phase),
categorized as Class I according to IEC 61643-11, in
accordance with Table 1, in the AC network without mains
frequency in the event of lightning strikes. In addition, they
must be free of leakage current (in pre-metering applications)
and insensitive to short-term voltage peaks that can occur
due to faults in the low-voltage network. This is the only way
to guarantee a long service life and high SPD reliability. UL
certification, ideally type 1CA or 2CA according to UL 1449,
ensures worldwide applicability.
Raycap's hybrid technology is ideally suited for AC protection
at the input of the main distribution board according to these
requirements. Due to the leakage-free design, these devices
can also be installed in the pre-meter area.
Special feature:
Direct current applications
Electric mobility also makes use of technologies such as rapid
charging and battery storage systems. DC applications are
specifically used here. This requires dedicated arresters with
correspondingly extended safety requirements, such as larger
air and creepage distances. Since the DC voltage, in contrast
to the AC voltage, does not have a zero crossing, the resulting
arcs cannot be automatically extinguished. As a result, fires
can easily occur which is why an appropriate surge protection
device must be used.
Since these components react very sensitively to overvoltages
(low interference immunity), they must also be protected with
appropriate protective devices. Otherwise they can be pre-
damaged, which significantly shortens the service life of the
components.
+/- -/+
ProBloc B 1000DC
With its product ProBloc B 1000 DC, Raycap offers a
solution designed for use in the DC range. Its main features
include a compact design and a special high-performance
disconnecting device that can be used to safely extinguish a
switching arc. Due to the high self-extinguishing capacity, a
prospective short-circuit current of 30 kA can be separated,
as can be caused, for example, by battery storage.
Because the ProBloc B 1000 DC is a Type 1 and Type 2
arrester, it can be used universally for e-mobility applications
on the DC side as lightning or surge protection. The nominal
discharge current of this product is 20 kA per conductor.
To ensure that insulation monitoring is not disturbed, it is
recommended to use a leakage current-free arrester - this is
also guaranteed with ProBloc B 1000 DC.
Another important aspect is the protective function in the
event of overvoltages (UC). Here ProBloc B 1000 DC offers
safety up to 1000 volts DC. As the protection level is <2.3 kV,
the protection of the electric vehicle is ensured at the same
time. A rated impulse voltage of 2.5 kV must be guaranteed
for these cars. Thus if the wiring is correct the SPD also
protects the electric car being charged. (Figure 3)
ProBloc B 1000 DC offers a corresponding color display that
provides convenient status information about the viability of
the product. With an integrated telecommunications contact,
evaluations can also be carried out from remote locations.
Universal protection scheme
The Raycap standard solution with hybrid technology offers
very good overvoltage protection for the scenarios shown and
significantly reduces the risk of failures due to overvoltages.
However, Raycap also offers its patented Strikesorb
technology for high-risk areas and mission-critical charge
parks. This technology is even safer due in large part to an
oversized MOV encapsulated under 1500 pounds of pressure
inside a robust aluminum housing. Strikesorb is the only surge
protection solution designed to last for over 25 years, and
is maintenance-free. The mostly fuse-free integration can
withstand several thousand short duration strikes (such as
those caused by lightning) and is globally certified to safety
standards. If correctly installed, Strikesorb cannot explode or
catch fire, has a controlled life-end mode,
can carry extremely high short-circuit
currents and has the best
protection level of all the
Raycap SPD products. This
protection is recommended
for complex and large
installations powered by a
central converter. (Figure 3)
Strikesorb 35-P-HV-M
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Raycap offers the most comprehensive product portfolio on the market, with a
device for any scenario and many times more than just one. For all of the above
cases Raycap products can reliably secure the entire charging infrastructure - both
universal IEC solutions and UL-certified products.

ProTec ZPS ProTec T1H ProTec T1 ProTec T2 RayDin Strikesorb 40

EV Charger Charging Station

AC

DC

*If I, >10m another set of

SPD SPD SPD SPDs is needed.

RayDat Strikesorb 35-P-HV-M ProBloc B 1000 DC SafeTec T2-1000DC-3+0(-R)

Figure 3: Possible options of lightning and surge protection devices.

Summary
Special scenarios cannot be covered comprehensively
with universal solutions - just as a Swiss Army Knife can
not replace a well-equipped tool set. This also applies to
the environment of EV charging stations and electric cars,
especially since appropriate measuring, control and regulation
instruments should ideally also be included in the protection
solution. It is important both to have the right equipment and
to make the right choice depending upon the situation. If
you take this into consideration, you will find a high-reliability
business segment in electro mobility - and a suitable partner
in Raycap.

6 www.raycap.com
About Raycap
Raycap is a technology leader in lightning and surge
protection solutions. The company has grown steadily since
its inception in 1987. With more than 1,200 employees
worldwide, its own accredited and certified test laboratories
and numerous patents, Raycap product quality, reliability and
innovation are guaranteed. All surge protection products are
tested and certified independently to international standards
(Type 1 to 3) according to UL, IEC and EN.
Customers come from a wide range of industries, including
building/construction, telecommunications, energy
(photovoltaic, wind, power generation in general and energy
storage), e-mobility and rail.
More information is available at www.raycap.de and
www.raycap.com.
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Sources:
IEC 62305 Part 1 to 4, DIN VDE 0100-534, DIN VDE 0100-443
IEC 61643-41, IEC 61643-11, IEC 61643-12

Contact Raycap if you need technical

assistance about how to protect against
surge or overvoltage damage, or if you
Raycap GmbH
have questions about your applications. Parkring 11
85478 Garching Munich
info@raycap.com

© 2019 Raycap  All Rights Reserved.

G09-00-124  190612

8 www.raycap.com