LV Surges and Surge Arresters - LV Insulation Co-ordination

Low voltage insulation coordination consists of matching the surge levels that may appear on an electrical network (or installation) with the surge withstand of the industrial or domestic equipment that it supplies, bearing in mind the possibility of including surge limiting devices in the network structure. This discipline contributes to increased safety of equipment and increased availability of electrical power. Insulation coordination control therefore requires: - estimation of surge level and energy, - knowledge of the characteristics and location of the devices installed, - selection of appropriate protection devices, bearing in mind that for a device, there is only one surge withstand (normally defined by its construction standard). This "Cahier Technique" deals with the aspects relating to standards and implementation of disturbances, protection devices and in particular surge arresters. It mainly concerns LV installations (< 1000 V) in the industrial, tertiary and domestic sectors.