tation- ype

ig ntning-) Performance Characteristics

AIEE LIGHTNING-ARRESTER SUBCOMMITTEE

rrester

cluded as a supplement to the tabulated values. This curve is plotted in per cent of the arrester's maximum permissible

point. The actual breakdown voltage for any arrester at any time T can be obtained by multiplying the crest value of the ar100 per cent of reference
rester's maximum permissible line to ground voltage rating by the percentage value indicated for any time T on the The 60-cycle spark potential of the arresters referred to in this report will not be less than 150 per cent of the arrester's
maximum permissible line-to-ground volt-

voltage rating, using the line-to-ground crest value of the voltage rating as the

I additional work by the AIEE lightning arrester subcommittee and contains station-type-arrester performance values which may be expected of present-day commercial station-type arresters rated from 3 to 245 kv. The characteristics of line-type arresters were presented by the subcommittee in the May 1937 and ELECTRICAL issues Of of ELECTRICAL 1938 issues November November 1938
of lin-type rrestes

THIS PAPER presents the results of

C-62; that is 100 kv per microsecond per 11.5 kv of arrester rating. To enable a more complete analysis of arrester performance, a complete curve (figure 1) of arrester gap breakdown voltage is inthe lightning-arrester bycommittee prepared Paper 40-62, of on protective the AIEE subcommittee

curve.

werepresened

by

AIEE at the Manuand presented devices, on protective 22-26, 1940. convention, January ~~~~~winter

devices, recommended by the AIEE committee

age rating.

Table I includes station-arrester impulse gap breakdown values obtained from tests using the rate of voltage rise specified in the AIEE Standards for lightning arresters No. 28 or ASA Standards

ENGINEERING.

available made 1939; June 14, 28, submittedDecember script for released for preprinting 1939; final publication February 23, 1940. Personnel of AIEB lightning-arrester subcommittee: L. R. Ludwig, chairman; H. A. Collins, Herman W. W. Gross, Dambly, J. M. Flanigen, I. H. L. H. North, R. Halperin, J. C. McFarlin, J. LRre.Smth H. RdgSte,ar,H SchirmEr, H.hitSehl,d

the IR discharge voltage ues also includes valve element for currents
of the arrester

The table of arrester-performance val-

The curve of figure 1 shows the distribution of these 34 are-backs through the inverse period. Only one was observed at more than 130 degrees after transition. It occurred at 170 degrees and another anode arced back a few degrees later. By direct experiment with a deck of cards it was found that the curve of figure 1 is not inconsistent with the hypothesis that the probability of arc-back is the same in each of the 10-degree intervals making up the 130 degrees. That is, 34 points placed at random in the 13 10degree intervals gave distributions with as great a saw-tooth irregularity as shown in figure 1.

Discussion

The fact that only one arc-back was observed at more than 130 degrees later than transition may have been not because the later ones have a lower probability of occurrence, but rather to the method used for tripping the oscillograph shutter. On the six-phase rectifiers the oscillograph shutter was tripped by the reverse-current breaker, hence no record of arc-backs which clear without fault, if Bibliography there are such arc-backs, was obtained. There are not a sufficient numberloT IIIII
of~~~~~~~ ar-ak1ooti.hetu

of the instantaneous positive ion current density. The most that can be said in this direction would be that there are several types of arc-backs; and that one type, which constituted 54 per cent of the total, is occasioned by the momentary positive-ion current. On the other hand, other possibilities will fit the above results. For example, we may postulate that are-back causes occur at random throughout the cycle, but with effects lasting a cycle or more. In this case all causes which occur during the conducting period will produce their effect at transition and their number will depend on ratio of conducting to nonconducting period in the rectifier. If there is an equal probability for the whole inverse period, then for the double threephase rectifier connection we should obtain 2300/3600=63.8 per cent of the arc-backs after transition and 36.2 per cent at transition. However, as can be seen from table II for the nine rectifiers tested, the fraction for each rectifier occurring at transition is very variable, which makes the possibility just discussed rather unlikely.

strongly varying function

of 1,500, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000 amperes, all of which are based on a current wave having a time to crest value of 10 microseconds and a time to 50 per cent of the crest value on the tail of the wave of 20 microseconds. The lightning-arrester manufacturers have furnished the data from which the average characteristics of available station arresters are plotted and tabu-

wz

300

wu
<

10 0240

__ ar 0 wo1

z -0

0_

280-

290

220 w< 210 < u- 200

W

<

MICROSECONDS Figure 1. Impulse gap breakdown, tolerance =i=20 per cent ..

_
|

90s
W

I T -

80 E 70

e. 50 _-40. .|| 33C --0

0
IC -

o 6C.

g
I

^9$ \s F

distribution curvre. About all that can be said definitely from the results obtained is that not all arc-backs have a
probability
ofocrec
hc

(a AND CIRCUITS h MERCURYv-ARC te frmof McGrawand F. B. Vogdes. D. C. Prince RECTIFIERS of rc-acs t otal thomo hebook),

Hill, New York, 1927, page 69. 2. Reference 1, page 71. 3. A MaMOav ATTACHMSENT FOR OSCILLOSCOPRS,
1938, pages

I I I- I I- .....

12

iS

Figure 2. Impulse gap breakdown based on

Sa

682-4.AIEwv
TRANSACTIONS 347

JuINE 1940, VOL. 59

AIRE Subcommittee-LightninzgArresters

Table I. Industry Station-Type Arrester Characteristics All IR Voltages on 10-20-Microsecond Current Wave; Kilovolts Crest
Gap Breakdown on AIEE Rate Max. Avg. Min.
IR at 1,500 Amp. Avg. Min. Max.
9.... 18 .... 27 .... 36.... 45.... 60 .... 74 ....
8.... 15 .... 23 .... 31 .... 38 .... 51 .... 63.... IR at 3,000 Amp. Min. Max. 9
.....

Kv*

Avg.

Avg.

IR at 5,000 Amp. Min. Max. 9 17 .... 26 .... 34.... 43.... 57 .... 71 ....

IR at 10,000 Amp. Avg. Min. Max.

.....

IR at 20,000 Amp. Max. Avg. Min.

10..... 14 20..... 28 40 30. 54 40. 50 .... 68 66 .... 90 85..... 115

13 .... 23 .... 35.... 43.... 15. .... 53 .... 20..... 72 .... 25 ..... 89....

3....... 6..... 9 ..... 12 .....

. 16 ... 18 .... 28 ..... 28 .... 42..... 34 .... 52 ..... 42 .... 64 ..... 58..... 86 ..... 71 .... 107.....

10 . ... . 21..... 19.... 31 .... 29.... 41 .... 38.... 52. 47.... 69..... 64 .... 85 .... 79 ....

16.... 25.... 32 .... 40 .... 54 .... 67....

22 .... 33 .... 44..... 54 .... 74 .... 91.....

20.... 30.... 40 .... 50 .... 67.... 83 ....

10...

23 .... 34 .... 46 .... 57 .... 77..... 95.....

22.... 33 .... 44 .... 54.... 72.... 90 ....

1... 13. 139.

12.... 25..... 24.... 19 .... 28 .... 38..... 35.... 37..... 51..... 47.... .... 59 ... 46. 62 . 61 .... 83..... 78.... 77 .... 103.....100....
....

106 .... 85 .... 131 ... .105 .... 136 ... 109 .... 50..... 178 ... 143..... 60..... 214 ... 171 .... 73 ..... 261 ... 209..... 40 .....

37.....

30 .....

127 ..... 89 .... 76 ... 102..... 95.... 81 ... 109.....100 .... 85... .115.....108 .... 92 .... 124 ..... 118... .100 .... 152 145... .123 .... 157 ..... 110 .... 94 ... 126 .... 117... .100.... 134.....124 ... 105 ... 143.....132 ... 112..... . 163 ..... 119... .101... .137 .... 127.... 108... .146.....134 ... 114 ... 154.....144... .122 .... 166.....153 ... 130 .... 213.....149... .127.... 171 .... 158... .134 ... 182.....167 ... 142 .... 192 .... 179... .152..... 206 ..... 191 ... 163 .... 257 ..... 179... .152 ... 206 .... 191... .162... .220.....200... .170 ... 230.....217 ... 185..... 249 ..... 234 ... 199 .... 313.....217 ... 185 ... 249 .... 232 .... 197 ... 267.... 245 ... 208... .282.....262 ... 223 .... 301.....283 ... 241 ....

136 167 176 219 269 325

242

121 . 145 . 169. 195 .

97.....

414.....289 ... 246... .332 .... 308 ... 262 ... 354.....323 ... 275 ... 371.....349... .297..... 401.....377... .321 .... 433 516 . 360... .306.. .414 . 384.. .326 ... 442. 403.. .343 ... 463. 438.. .372 . 504 . 470... .410 . 530 618 ..... 431 ... 366.. .496. 461 ... 392.. .530 . 487.. .414 ... 560 . 523 ... 445 . 601.564... .480 . 648 722.....502 ... 427... 577. 538 ... 457 ... 619. 566 ... 481 ... 651 . 610 ... 519 . 701 . 658... .559 . 757 829 . 578... .491.. .665 . 617 ... 519.. .715 . 647 ... 550.. .744. 698.. .593 . 803.....755.. ..642 . 868 .860... .688. 1,032 ..... 720 ... 612... .828. 768 .... 653.. .883. 806 ... 685.. .927 . 872 ... 741 ..... 1,003 . 940... 799.....1,081
345 ... 430 ... 515... 602... 691...

276 .... 344 . 412 . 482 . 553 .

* Maximum permissible line-to-ground voltage rating.

lated. These values hold for new arresters and do not necessarily hold for
Tolerances are given to include the expected variation from the average values referred to above. The tolerance from the average value of gap breakdown is -20 per cent and the tolerance from the average value of the IR discharge voltages is A 15 per cent. By comparing the complete volt-time curve of the arrester with the complete r . . . volt-time characterlstlc of the insulation

the older types of arresters.

obtained.

to be protected, a reasonable evaluation can be made of the margin of protection

80

90

Figure 4. IR discharge voltage, 10-20microsecond wave; tolerance 15 per cent

=

Figure 5.

IR dis-

t 6t 200 000 AMPERES I0,0~. \ - >s0 40 0 303 o1,0003 - - - . - -

70

Figure 3. Impulse gap b r e a k d o w n b'as ed on AIEE - wave

10-20 -microsecond 15 wave; tolerance per cent,

charge

voltage,

co
3
~~~~~~~~~~MAXIMUM LINE-TO-GROUND RATING-RMS KV

12

15

900-

...900
800

--

*I-

ww
i

70070

100

101010

100

101014

300

10101010

10202020

00

101014

MAXIMUM LINE-TO-GROUND RATING-RMS KV

MAXIMUM LINE-TO-GROUND RATING-RMS

1Y

348 TRANSACTIONS

AIFE Subcommittee-Lighztning Arresters-

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING