Analysis of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Surge Arrester Connected to Various Ground Electrodes

Abstract

This paper presents impulse tests results on a zinc oxide (ZnO) surge arrester connected to four ground electrodes, with its resistance values ranging from 17 Ω to 104 Ω. It has been noted that when in series with various ground resistance values, the voltage–current characteristics of the zinc oxide (ZnO) surge arrester are far from the one tested using a common grounding, which is a standard measurement method described in IEC 60060-1. This paper clarifies the relationship between the surge arrester with various ground electrodes and its performance when tested with a common practice, based on IEC 60060-1. The tests carried out on a 15 kV ZnO surge arrester, under high-impulse conditions by field measurements, provide important information on the characteristics and ability of the surge arrester to adequately function in various ground electrodes.

Keywords

• surge arrester
• ground electrodes
• v-i characteristics
• ground resistance values