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Tower Strikes & Solutions
Most sites in use today separate the coax cables from the tower and route them toward the building entrance panel at a relatively high point on the tower, typically 8 to 15 feet above the tower base. This practice is the single most damaging source of lightning energy directed toward the equipment.
Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) versus Silicon Avalanche Suppressor Diode (SASD)- Designs Discussion The sole function of a quality surge suppressor is to protect sensitive electronic equipment from transient overvoltages that are present on AC power circuits. It is irrelevant whether these overvoltages are generated by lightning activity or are induced upon the AC power lines by utility grid switching, power factor correction actions, power cycling of inductive loads, or from other sources. A quality surge suppressor must limit transient overvoltages to values that do not surpass the AC sine wave peak by more than 30% as it initially absorbs intense amounts of transient energy. The suppressor must immediately respond to transients before they reach their uppermost voltage values. Suppressor performance should not deviate or degrade with use when called upon to divert extreme levels of transient current.
The use of computers and other electronic systems has skyrocketed, and with it, so has the need to protect these systems from damage and service interruptions. Uninterruptible and Stand-by power systems were created to fill the gap when sudden power disturbances threaten the operation of electronic equipment. However, there is a general misconception that UPS systems offer adequate protection against all major power disturbance problems including outages, noise, line regulation and voltage transients. Unfortunately, UPS systems often do not adequately protect against voltage transients.
Silicon avalanche diode based SPDs (surge protection devices) are increasingly being recommended to protect expensive and sensitive electronic equipment from lightning and surges. This is due to their superior performance characteristics. Silicon diode based SPDs feature.
- faster response times
- lower clamping voltages versus other technologies and
- non-degrading performance in their low-level transient suppression function.
Concrete is a fair conductor and can be used safely and effectively to augment the tower Silicon avalanche suppressor diode (SASD) based surge protection devices (SPDs) provide better performance and longer life than the typical MOV (metal oxide varistor) SPDs. However, significant improvements in performance are available through attention to details of proper design and testing by the manufacturer. This article will explore the difference between standard off- the-shelf SASD and discreet silicon avalanche diode cells.
You may not be able to see them, but power anomalies that originate within your automated control system are costing you expensive downtime. Your automated production equipment has a low tolerance for poor power quality, especially if it is controlled by a PLC(s).
Evaluation of Series Element Surge Protective Device for Protection of Electronic Equipment and Systems.
RF. AC. DC and Data Line surge protectors are used to protect critical communication assets in a variety of applications and markets. The following information is created to help explain terminology commonly used in today’s surge protection industry.
An effective solution to mitigating EMP should consider the entire electronic system. This holistic approach includes four integrated elements - grounding, shielding, filtering and surge suppression.
Pole mounted or wall mounted closed circuit television cameras have special protection requirements. Remote Mounted CCTV Cameras - Prime Targets for Lightning Outdoor Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Security Cameras can be prime targets for lightning. A lightning strike can destroy the camera and can damage the control console with energy flowing back through the coax and camera power wiring.
