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TECHNOLOGIES > POWER

Select the Right Varistors for Overvoltage Circuit Protection

Though MOVs are relatively simple devices, choosing the right one
requires some knowledge.

Tim Patel | Jan 26, 2015

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Varistors, also called metal-oxide varistors (MOVs), are used to protect

sensitive circuits from a variety of overvoltage conditions. Essentially,
these voltage-dependent, nonlinear devices have electrical characteristics
similar to back-to- back Zener diodes.

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Voltage TransientsVaristors feature high durability, which is essential for

withstanding repeated high-peak pulse currents and high-energy surge
transients. They also offer a wide voltage range, high energy absorption,
and fast response to voltage transients. Peak current ratings range from 20
to 70,000 A, while peak energy ratings range from 0.01 to 10, 000 J.
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In this context, “voltage transients” are defined as short-duration surges of

electrical energy. In the electrical or electronic circuits that varistors
intend to protect, this energy may be released either in a predictable
manner via controlled switching actions, or randomly induced into a
circuit from external sources. Common sources include:

• Lightning: In fact, transients induced by lightning are not the result of a

direct strike. A lightning strike creates a magnetic field that can induce
large magnitude transients in nearby electrical cables. A cloud-to-cloud
strike can affect both overhead and buried cables. The outcome also is
unpredictable—a strike that occurs a mile away can generate 70 V in
electrical cables, and another can generate 10 kV from 160 yards away.
• Inductive-load switching: Generators, motors, relays, and transformers
represent typical sources of inductive transients. Switching inductive
loads on or off can generate high-energy transients that intensify in
magnitude with increasingly heavy loads. When the inductive load is
switched off, the collapsing magnetic field converts into electrical energy,
 switched off, the collapsing magnetic field converts into electrical energy,
which takes the form of a double exponential transient. Depending on the
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source, these transients can be as large as hundreds of volts and hundreds
of amperes, with durations of 400 ms. Due to varying load sizes, there will
be variance in wave shape, duration, peak current, and peak voltage of the
transients. Once these variables are approximated, circuit designers will
be able to select a suitable suppressor type.
• Electrostatic discharge (ESD): This energy is the result of an imbalance of
positive and negative charges between objects. It’s characterized by very
fast rise times and very high peak voltages and currents.

Varistor Basics
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Varistors primarily consist of arrays of zinc-oxide (ZnO) balls, in which the

ZnO was altered with small amounts of other metal oxides such as
bismuth, cobalt, or manganese. In the MOV manufacturing process, these
balls are sintered (fused) into a ceramic semiconductor. This produces a
crystalline microstructure that allows these devices to dissipate very high
levels of transient energy across their entire bulk. After sintering, the
surface is metallized, and leads are attached via soldering.

Thanks to the MOVs’ high energy dissipation, they can be used to suppress
lightning and other high-energy transients found in ac power-line
applications. They’re equipped to withstand large amounts of energy and
divert this potentially destructive energy away from sensitive electronics
located downstream. MOVs, which are also used in dc circuits, come in a
variety of form factors (Fig. 1).
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1. Metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) are available in a variety of form factors

and sizes for a broad range of applications. The radial leaded disc type is
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the most common version.

Multilayer Varistors

Multilayer varistors (MLVs) address a specific part of the transient-voltage

spectrum: the circuit-board environment. Although lower in energy,
transients from ESD, inductive load switching, and even lightning-surge
remnants might otherwise reach sensitive integrated circuits on the board.
MLVs are also made of ZnO materials, but they’re fabricated with
interwoven layers of metal electrodes and produced in leadless ceramic
packages. They’re designed to transition from a high-impedance state to a
conduction state when subjected to voltages that exceed their nominal
voltage rating.
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MLVs come in various chip form sizes, and are capable of dissipating
significant surge energy for their size. Thus, they suit both data-line and
power-supply transient-suppression applications.

Application Guidelines

When choosing an appropriate MOV for a specific overvoltage-protection

application, the circuit designer must first determine the operating
parameters of the circuit being protected, including:

• Circuit conditions such as the peak voltage and current during the surge
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event
• The MOV continuous operating voltage (should be at 20% above
maximum system voltage under normal conditions)
• The number of surges the MOV must survive
• Acceptable let-through voltage for the protected circuit
• Any safety standards with which the circuit must comply

For the sake of simplicity in this example, assume the objective is to select
a low-voltage dc disc MOV for the following circuit conditions and
requirements:

• A 24-V dc circuit
• Current waveform for surge is 8 × 20 μs; voltage waveform is 1.2 × 50 μs
(these are typical industry-standard waveforms)
• Peak current during the surge = 1000 A
• The MOV must be able to survive 40 surges
• Other circuit components (control IC, etc.) must be rated to withstand 300
 • Other circuit components (control IC, etc.) must be rated to withstand 300
V maximum
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Step 1:  To find the voltage rating of the MOV, allow for 20% headroom to
account for voltage swell and power-supply tolerances: 24 V dc × 1.2 = 28.8
V dc. Given that no varistors have a voltage rating of exactly 28.8 V, check
the datasheets for specifications for 31-V dc MOVs.
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Step 2:  To determine which MOV disc size to use, first identify the MOV
series that minimally meet the 1000-A surge requirement. Inspecting the
table above suggests a 20-mm MOV with a 31-V dc maximum continuous
voltage rating (part number V20E25P) as a possible solution to meet the
requirements.

Step 3: Use the pulse-rating curves (Fig. 2) in the same datasheet to

determine pulse capabilities relative to the 40 pulses at the 1000-A
requirement.
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2. The MOV’s datasheet will provide a pulse-rating curve; this example

is for a 20-mm MOV.

Step 4:  Use the V-I curve (Fig. 3) in the MOV’s datasheet to verify that leak
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voltage will be less than the 300-V ceiling.

3. An MOV datasheet will also feature a voltage-versus-current curve, such as

this maximum clamping-voltage curve for the 20-mm device in Fig. 2.
Protecting MOVs Against Thermal Runaway

The varistor’s absorption of the transient energy during a surge event

 produces localized heating within the component, which eventually leads
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to its degradation. If left unprotected, the degradation of a varistor can
increase heating and thermal runaway. As such, a growing number of
varistor-based surge-protection devices offer a built-in thermal disconnect
function. It provides added protection from catastrophic failures and fire
hazards, even under extreme circumstances of varistor end-of-life or
sustained overvoltage.

MOVs are rated for specific ac-line operating voltages. Exceeding these
limits by applying a sustained abnormal overvoltage condition could
result in overheating and damage to the MOV.

MOVs tend to degrade gradually after a large surge or multiple small

surges. This degradation leads to increasing MOV leakage current; in turn,
this raises the MOV’s temperature, even under normal conditions such as a
120-V ac or 240-V ac operating voltage. A thermal disconnect adjacent to
the MOV (Fig. 4) can be used to sense the increase in MOV temperature
while it continues to degrade to its end-of-life condition. At this point, the
thermal disconnect will open the circuit, removing the degraded MOV
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from the circuit and thus preventing potential catastrophic failure.

4. A thermal disconnect can open a circuit, preventing a catastrophic

failure of a degraded MOV.

 
 LED Drivers and Lightning
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Generally, most LED power supplies are a constant-current type, and are
often referred to as LED drivers. These can be purchased as off-the-shelf
assemblies containing MOVs to meet lower-level surge requirements.

Typically, drivers are rated to handle surges in the range of 1 to 4 kV. The
varistor, ranging from 7 to 14 mm in diameter, is usually located
downstream of the fuse on the ac mains. However, to provide higher-level
surge immunity for lighting installed outdoors in exposed surge
environments, outdoor-lighting OEMs may want to add surge-protection
devices (SPDs) on the ac input lines of their luminaires ahead of the LED
driver.

MOV Design Example: Industrial Motors

One aspect of ac motor protection is the surge-withstand capability of the

motor itself. Paragraph 20.36.4 of the NEMA motor generator standard
MG-1 defines a unit value of surge as:
 
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u × VL-L (or 0.816 × VL-L)

where VL-L is the line-to-line voltage of the ac power system.

For transient rise times of 0.1 to 0.2 μs, twice the unit value of surge
capability is required on stator windings. When rise times reach 1.2 μs or
greater, 4.5 times the unit value is stipulated. In the case of external
transients such as lightning, this would equate to a surge voltage
capability of 918 VPEAK for a 230-V motor (full load current = 12 A) on a
250-V high-line condition. (Lightning surges can exceed these values, so
stator windings would also need a suppression element for protection.)

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Operating temperatures are another consideration. Assume the ambient

operating temperature for this application ranged from 0 to +70°C. This
would be within the MOV’s -40 to +85°C rating, and there would be no
 would be within the MOV’s -40 to +85°C rating, and there would be no
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requirement for derating of surge current or energy across this 

temperature range.Taking high-line tolerance into account, a 275-V ac-

rated MOV may be chosen for this example. Using a 2-hp, single-phase,
medium-sized motor, the MOV’s required surge-current rating would be
determined by the peak current induced at the motor supply. Assuming a
service location for the motor and a line impedance of 2 Ω, it was
determined that a 3-kA lightning surge was possible.
In this case, one datasheet indicates a maximum clamping voltage of 3 kA
at 900 V, which is below the 918-V suggested stator-winding withstand
capability. If the motor’s operational life were estimated to be 20 years and
specified as being able to withstand 80 lightning transients during term of
service, the datasheet pulse-rating curves would verify a rating of 100+
surges.

For a more detailed explanation of how to match MOVs to applications,

check out the “DC Application Varistor Design Guide.”

TAGS: COMPONENTS CIRCUIT PROTECTION ENGINEERING ESSENTIALS

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 Understanding the Pros and Cons of Overvoltage Protection
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TECHNOLOGIES > POWER

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How Does the IoT Help Save Energy for Today’s Smart Factory?

If you run a manufacturing factory, you have just a handful of variables

that present options for cost-cutting. Chief among them is energy use.

Vinay Nathan | Mar 28, 2018

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Energy conservation saves money. This fact isn't new. What is new is the
IoT.

Lots of effort is put into saving energy—use of motion-sensitive bulbs,

limited time use of air conditioners, and cutting the number of shifts and
functioning hours are some examples. But those actions require
productivity/OEE boosting focus of the facility rather than affect energy
 conservation. Energy conservation is a byproduct of those efforts.
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Adding the Internet of Things (IoT), on the other hand, can enable direct
energy savings for the smart factory of today.

Many experts recommend IoT-based real-time monitoring systems to

bring optimum use of energy. But the issue is more nuanced than that.
Sure, real-time monitoring helps you track energy consumption, but that
might not lead directly to energy conservation. For that, the real-time
energy monitoring should lead to better predictions of energy usage and
become a guide to implementing the right load-level energy equipment.
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Two Components of Electrical Energy Billing

Let’s take an example of electrical energy. Usually, electrical energy billing

has two components: demand charge and runtime/consumption-related
charges. Demand load is typically the peak load provided by the electricity
service providers from the power grid. This usually has a hard and fast
limit. Crossing it will prompt penalties of around 20 times the usual rates.

Avoiding this scenario often comes down to two options: reduce the total
load required by the machinery, or ensure that the threshold limit is never
reached.

The Problem of Motors

One major source of electricity usage in the plant involves electrical

motors and HVAC systems. A motor is considered under-loaded when it’s
 motors and HVAC systems. A motor is considered under-loaded when it’s
in the range where efficiency drops significantly with the decreasing load.
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Most electric motors are designed to run at 50% to 100% of rated load.
Maximum efficiency is typically near 75%. Drop below the 50% rated load,
and the efficiency tends to lower dramatically.

In many cases, operating motors are either overloaded, resulting in

overheating, or under-loaded, working at most at 40% of their capacity.
That causes huge spikes in energy consumption. Oversized motors have a
higher initial cost and are very expensive to repair and maintain.
Undersized motors don't perform well and prompt higher losses than
properly sized electric motors. The same goes for air conditioners. If their
tonnage and room size or room dynamics aren’t suitable, it leads to higher
energy consumption.

Addressing a Wide Range of Energy Consumers

Apart from regular electrical consumption of motors and HVAC, IoT can
address numerous energy sources and resources. These include:
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• Air compressors—the source of air across plant.

• Boilers that serve as the main source of steam used across plants.

• Backup generators that provide an alternative electricity source in case of failure

of the primary.

• Fuel, including diesel, coal, wood, solar, and batteries that are used to run above
systems.

How IoT Can Help

In the pre-IoT era, the traditional energy-management system would

collect a sample of energy usage at an interval. The traditional system is
good to get energy-consumption data, but it doesn’t help you with alerts in
case of spikes, curating usage pattern, predicting the seasonal demand, or
suggesting appropriate configuration.
 Also in the pre-IoT era, the motor load test was a lengthy and cumbersome
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affair. Engineers used slip tests and electrical tests with a digital
stroboscope. They had to spend hours with the equipment to obtain
samples. Even then, the data collected was only a sample, and not real
time.

With the IoT in place, the analyses can occur on real-time data from the
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motor. That makes the analysis quick, painless, and more accurate. IoT
brings real-time alerts, ability to predict energy demand, usage patterns,
and ways to optimize energy consumption.

With the right IoT platform, you can recommend the proper sizing needed
for motors, thus saving money on the original investment. IoT-based
conditional monitoring ensures the motor never reaches its threshold
limit, which means the motor lasts longer and suffers fewer failures.

An IoT-based monitoring system gives early warnings of electric motor

vibration/temperature problems. Condition monitoring saves time from
unplanned production outages. And the unnecessary stress of carrying out
urgent repairs can be avoided.

In addition, a properly designed IoT system can not only track the energy
consumption at distribution points throughout a smart factory, but with
the help of smart meters, they can track energy consumption right from its
 the help of smart meters, they can track energy consumption right from its
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source all the way to the consumption point. Moreover, it can help predict
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leakages or voltage drops at nodes, if any occur.

The ultimate goal of the smart factory is a generating a real-time energy

audit that traditional energy monitoring systems can’t provide. IoT-
enabled energy monitoring can solve a lot of issues that are core to
hindering a plant from real energy conservation efforts. That not only
saves money, but paves the way for true implementation of Industry 4.0. If
you run a factory and are looking to cut energy costs, then IoT is worth a
closer look.

Vinay Nathan is the co-founder and CEO at Altizon Systems, the Industrial
IoT Company.

TAGS: INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION IOT

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Communicating Effectively from the IIoT Edge Node

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Q&A: Simplifying the Big Data Process for Big Business

 DEC 11, 2017
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TECHNOLOGIES > POWER

How to Design High-Voltage, Wide-Input Power Supplies

Sponsored by Texas Instruments: High voltage and wide-input voltage

swings create problems in pretty much any design, but innovative IC
solutions are available to quell those issues.

Lou Frenzel | Mar 27, 2018

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Download this article in PDF format.

Power-supply designers frequently encounter projects where the input

voltages are much higher compared to the low output voltages usually
require to power the target equipment. Typical output needs are 3.3, 5, or
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12 V, while inputs can range from about 24 V to as much as 100 V in some

cases.

The high input voltage, typically from a battery or power system bus, often
forces designers to use more stages and multiple discrete devices to get the
desired results, thereby driving up the circuit complexity and cost. But
now, such problems can be solved by deploying a range of new wide VIN
power-management ICs that help simplify design, reduce BOM cost, and
enhance reliability.

 Sponsored Resources: 

• Wide VIN power management ICs simplify design, reduce BOM cost, and enhance
reliability

• Why a wide VIN DC/DC converter is a good fit for high-cell-count battery-powered

drones
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• How to minimize undershoot when the pre-boost converter wakes up  SEARCH

Typical Use Cases

Many power systems use high-voltage rails to meet power requirements of

the application or achieve efficiency goals. Real-world examples include
communication infrastructure, industrial, automotive, and consumer
electronic systems. For instance, telecom equipment commonly uses 48-V
dc rails that can often swing from about 36 up to 72 V. Power over
Ethernet (PoE) equipment uses rail voltages in the 37- to 57-V range. And
industrial systems using motors often operate at voltages ranging from 24
to 100 V. These dc voltages come from power buses in other equipment
and increasingly from battery supplies. The power buses are the source of
power for the low-voltage supplies that operate other equipment.

In general, three types of systems require high voltage. First are the
systems that must operate at high-voltage levels. Examples include electric
vehicles, drones, and other battery-powered equipment. Second are those
systems that need to be protected from high-voltage surges and transients.
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Third, there are systems that don’t necessarily need high voltage, but it’s
desirable for efficiency or safety.

Now wide-input-voltage power-management ICs are available that can

significantly simplify the design of high-voltage power supplies. These
high-voltage power-management integrated circuits can reduce
component count, enhance reliability, and facilitate design reuse. Texas
Instruments, using advanced, custom semiconductor-processing methods
with different doping concentrations and wider component and lead
spacing, has developed a complete product line of wide-VIN ICs that
include power managers, dc-dc converters, LDOs, and complete power
modules.

Wide-VIN Representative Designs

An example shown in Figure 1 is a telecom supply with a nominal output

of 48 V, but with potential bus variations from 36 to 72 V. A 12-V supply
 of 48 V, but with potential bus variations from 36 to 72 V. A 12-V supply
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output is needed. Occasionally an isolated additional supply voltage may
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also be required.

1. Here’s a simplified diagram of a synchronous buck regulator used to

compensate for wide voltage swings while producing stable 5- and 12-V
outputs.

To solve this problem, designers can integrate a TI LM5017 synchronous

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buck regulator. The primary output of 12 V is set by resistors R1 and R2.

The filter inductor also serves as the primary winding of a transformer to
implement the fully isolated 5-V supply. The switching frequency that can
be as high as 1 MHz is set by an external resistor.

Growth in the use of commercial drones has produced some interesting

power requirements. More and more, these larger drones require higher
voltage motors with high-cell-count battery packs to support longer flying
distances and flight times. As it turns out a wide-VIN dc-dc converter is a
good fit for such high-cell-count battery-powered drones.

Figure 2 shows a drone power solution. A multi-cell lithium-ion battery

pack is used to develop a 50-V bus to power the motors. This voltage is
applied to an H-bridge motor driver made up of power MOSFETs to
provide forward and reverse control. The normal mode is a forward
current path through the motor. However, if the motor slows or changes
directions, it becomes a generator that can put a high reverse current and