SOLUTIONS TO AVOID SURGES IN INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL POWER SYSTEM
We recently explored the causes of surges in Industrial & Commercial Power Systems. In this blog, we will discuss ways to protect electronic equipment from surges in industrial and commercial areas.
Why It's Imperative to Avoid Surges:
- Equipment Reliability: Unplanned downtime, costly repairs, and even equipment replacement can result from surges that compromise the reliability of equipment.
- Operational Continuity: Surges can disrupt operations, leading to financial losses and reduced productivity.
- Data Protection: Surges have the ability to corrupt or destroy sensitive/vital data stored on servers and computer systems, resulting in permanent data loss.
- Safety Considerations: Electrical surges can be dangerous, causing device faults, overheating, or electrical fires.
Types of Surges:
- Radiated Surges: Caused by lightning, can move across the air — Faraday Cages and shielding devices are frequently used to protect against them.
- Conducted Surges: These go across power, data, and communication cables — SPDs are essential for mitigating the effects of conducted surges.
The Role of Surge Protection Devices (SPDs):
- SPD Functionality: SPDs are normally inactive but activate during surges, similar to fuses but dependent on voltage rather than current.
- Surge Handling: SPDs can tolerate several surges over time, with performance dependent on the amplitude of the shocks absorbed.
- MCOV: SPDs become active when the voltage across them surpasses a predetermined level known as Maximum Continuous Operating Voltage.
Choosing the right SPD for a specific application is crucial, as is ensuring proper installation. Most Electrical Engineers are well-versed in installing current-operated devices like fuses and MCBs, but SPDs function differently as voltage-operated devices — a short, direct wire run is more critical than wire thickness.
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