Control Panel

Technical Guide
How to prevent machine
malfunctions and electronic
damage due to voltage surges?

Contents
Introduction 4-7

The Surge Protection Devices 8-9


The Surge Protection Devices

What does an SPD look like?

How does an SPD work?

applications 10-13

9
9

AC power circuits
Focus on cabling rules of AC SPD
in a machine control panel
Very low voltage circuits

12
13

Selection guides

14-15

To select the SPD according

to circuit voltage
To select contactors and suppressors
for attenuation of switching surge

11

15
15

Machines face surges every

In case of failure, is the righ
Surges are hardly observable, they have multiple consequences
on machines and process. Some are serious with risks of injury,
others are only material. In many cases the users have difficulties
to investigate the causes.

Some relevant
situations
Unexpected stops
Stops of ventilation, elevator, lighting causing
risks for people.
Stops of other equipments causing overheating,
overcooling, flooding with damage to the
installation, the building.
Stops on machines causing production loss, etc.

Strange
behavior
The appropriate
machine controls are
sometimes
unpredictable causing
erratic information on
alphanumeric display,
engine runaway with
mechanical
breakdown as worse
consequences.

Electrical and electronic

breakdown
Electronic devices are usually sensitive to
surges conducted by supply lines, sensors
and communication lines.
Overvoltage can destroy electronic
components or cause flashes between
tracks of printed circuits.
In some situation destruction can
degenerate into a fire.

y day.
ht diagnostic always done?

They are invisible and

transient: surges cause
malfunctions and damages
Their difference is
a matter of energy.
Atmospheric Industrial
surges
surges

Voltage

Lightning
surge thousands
of Volts

230 V

Switching
surge hundreds
of Volts

Time

In a surge due
to a lightning, the
energy is great.
It is sufficient
to destroy electronic
components, even
vaporize conductors.

Example: Damage on a modem

motherboard due to atmospheric
surge carried by the telecom line.

> They are caused by:

capacitor banks
switching, contactor
coils or other inductive
loads switching
motor drives.
> Their consequences:
superposition of noise
on analog signals
that generate false
indications (eg
wrong temperature)
data change
in memories
lower transmission
speed due
to repetitions
system reset, etc.

The energy
coming from
industrial surges
is lower but still a
cause of nuisance.

Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

How atmospheric surges are generated?

A lightning stroke can fall in the vicinity of an electric power line:
it is the electromagnetic radiation of the lightning current that produces
a high current and an overvoltage on the electric power network.

Lightning stroke on an
overhead electric
power line or Telecom
line. The overcurrent
and overvoltage can
spread several
kilometres from the
point of impact.

A lightning stroke can fall

near a building The earth
potential around the point of
impact rises dangerously.

Direct impact of the

lightning stroke on
the building

Installation
earth lead

In all cases the overcurrent

will flow from the power
or telecom line to earth
or in the reverse way,
depending on which
conductor is affected
by the lightning stroke.

Where should the protection be installed?

Lightning rod?
It only provides protection to
the building against fire by forcing
the overcurrent to flow to earth
via a safe conductor.
Reinforced surge protection
on the electrical distribution is
strongly recommanded.

The protection of the

equipments against
surge can be either:
collective,
in main and distant
distribution boards
individual,
in each machine
control panels.

How industrial surges are generated?

Power lines polluted by surges.

Distribution
board

High inrush currents,

during capacitor switching.
High overvoltages, during
simultaneous activation of
multiple contactor coils.

Capacitor
bank

Harmonics, generated
by variable speed drives.

Where should the protection be installed?

Protection by SPD in special
upstream Canalis tap-off or
in the control panels.

Distribution
board

Reduction of perturbations by:

specific contactors for capacitors
with built-in damper resistors
coils filters for contactors.

Capacitor
bank

Inductor/capacitor filters reduce the harmonic distortion

caused by some speed drives on the power line.

Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

The Surge Protection

Devices (SPD)

1
8

What does an SPD look like?

Zoom on:
Cartridge technology
The SPD is composed of
a varistor or a gas tube.

Cartridge-type PRD 3P+N

Combi Quick'PRD 3P+N

Cartridge-type SPD:

Combi-SPD technology:

They have their varistors incorporated into

pluggable cartridges for easier maintenance.

The built-in circuit-breaker (disconnector)

automatically isolates to the SPD when its
cartridges need replacement.
Thus, the disconnector offers continuity
of service to the rest of the installation.

Varistor: its resistance

decreases when the voltage
increases.

Gas tube: a conductive arc

appears between electrodes
above a certain voltage.

How does an SPD work?

The SPD acts as a valve:
It is closed (high impedance)
when the voltage is normal (U = Un).

Load to
protect

It is opened (conductive)

in case of surge.

U > Un

> 230 V AC, but non destructive

U = Un

230 V AC

Load to
protect

What happens when the

main voltage exceeds the
maximum permanent
voltage (Uc of SPD)?
The surge current is derivated directly
to earth thus the surge voltage is dropped
to a non-destructive value for the electrical
installation which is cabled in parallel.

Disconnector

SPD

A disconnector is
a dedicated circuit
breaker which
isolates the SPD
circuit when the
varistor cartridge
has come to its end
of life or during
maintenance.

After a certain number of shocks depending

on their intensity, the varistor will be shortcircuited and need to be replaced.
The information is usually given by
a mechanical indicator.

Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

Surge Protection Devices

applications

2
10

Which protection means to choose?

AC power circuits

Implementation
The SPD and its disconnector are connected
between the incoming circuit breaker
(usually to the distribution block) and the
earth terminal block.
As the voltage surge will be limited between
these 2 points, the machine circuits
will be protected.

Control panelboard
Lightning
current

Incoming circuit breaker

Distribution block

Disconnector

SPD
Earth terminal block

Machine control and power circuits

Expert's tip
The impedance of the disconnector + SPD circuit must be as low as possible. Cable liaisons must be as short
as possible to ensure the lowest residual surge voltage during the current flow.
50 cm of cable per phase ensure a residual voltage 500 V. Which is acceptable.

Choice of

AC SPD types according to the risk

Very exposed area or
building equiped with
a lighting-rod (even in the
case of an underground
power line).

Building with totally

or partially overhead
power line.

Against self re-generated

residual surges which appear
over 20-30 meters of a cable
connected to an already
protected panel board.

> Very strong risk

> Common risk

> Very strong & common risk

Type 1

Type 1+2

SPD Type 1 / 1+2

Preferably install
SPD in the main
distribution board.

Type 2

SPD Type 2

Alone or as a
complement of a
SPD type 1.
Install SPD in main
distribution board or
remote panel board.

Type 3

SPD Type 3

As a complement
of a SPD Type 1+2
or Type 2.
To be placed close
to the load to
be protected.

SPD disconnector

It is chosen in the range prescribed by

the SPD manufacturer in order to ensure
its electrical coordination with the known
or presumed upstream protection.
Thus, main tripping during lightning
will be avoid.

Thanks to Combi SPD technology

the choice of a separate disconnector
is no longer needed.

11

Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

Focus on
Cabling rules of AC SPD in a machine
control panel
Example in a:

Example in a:

Pragma plastic enclosure

Prisma Plus metallic enclosure

Incoming

Distribution
block
SPD

Incoming

2
3
Primary earth
connector

Zone for protection

and control
components

1
Secondary
earth connector
Earth

L1 (longest L cable)
12 cm

L2 (internal liaison)
0 cm

Earth

The metallic chassis is

used as a conductor
Connect the cable with

1 a lock washer to ensure

a perfect contact.
This solution is only
possible with enclosures
complying to the
IEC 60439-1 standard.

L3 (SPD earth cable)

5 cm

L1 + L2 + L3 < 50 cm

The Surge Protection Devices for AC applications by Schneider Electric

Perfect electrical coordination between
the disconnector and the SPD.
Faster cabling.
Safety is preserved as the disconnector is
tripped in case of faulty or missing cartridge.
Quick disconnection of the SPD before
dielectric test of the distribution or
the control board.

12

QuickPRD 40r
Combi technology
offers betters
performances
than traditional
technology.
iQuickPRD 40r 3P+N
(ref. A9L16294)

Very low voltage circuits

4 channels PRI SPD
protecting the inputs
of a controller:

Electronic sensor
Screened cable

IN

SPD in series

OUT

Programmable
logic controller

Cabling principle of an SPD for use in series.

4 binary sensors with common polarity are

protected by a 4 channels iPRI SPD.

2 analog sensors or data lines without common

polarity are protected by a 4 channels iPRI SPD.

iPRI 4 channels
(ref. A9L16339)

Expert's tip
Place the SPD in the control panel board, close from the sensor terminal block.

13

Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

Selection guides

3
14

To select:
The SPD according to circuit voltage
AC Power
Type 1+2 (+ disconnector)

Type 2

Type 3

High risk, for single machine in

an Isolated and exposed shelter
(pump, wind turbine).

Common risk, for machine protection.

For complementary machine protection

when a global Type 1 or 2 protection is already
provided by the electrical distribution.

Icc max: 10 kA

Icc max: 10 kA

Icc max: 10 kA

C120N - 80 A

iPRF1 12.5r

iQuick PRD 20r

1P+N (ref. A9L16632) 1P+N (ref. A9L16295)

3P (ref. A9L16633) 3P
(ref. A9L16296)
3P+N (ref. A9L16634) 3P+N (ref. A9L16297)

Common surge protection

tap-off

iQuick PRD 8r

Common surge protection

tap-off

Canalis KN (ref. KNBQPRD)

Canalis KS (ref. KSBQPRD)

1P+N (ref. A9L16298)

3P
(ref. A9L16299)
3P+N (ref. A9L16300)

Canalis KN (ref. KNBQPF)

Canalis KS (ref. KSBQPF)

Very low voltage AC/DC

Series SPD for supply, sensor or
data cables running along high voltage
conductors or outdoor.

High voltage DC
DC SPD for
photovoltaic generator

Series SPD for

analog telecom line,
ADSL compatible.

 ax permanent voltage: 53 V DC 37 V AC
M
Max line current: 300 mA
iPRI

Max permanent voltage:

180 V DC 130 V AC
iPRC

Max. permanent voltage:

600 V DC for 16434 1000 V DC for 16436.
iPRD40r 600DC
iPRD40r 1000DC

4 channels (ref. A9L16339)

1 channel (ref. A9L16337)

(ref. A9L16434)

(ref. A9L16436)

Contactors and suppressors for attenuation

of switching surge
Contactors
for capacitor
banks

Suppressor modules for

contactor coils
Contactor coil generates
transients during
commutation. They can be
absorbed by a suppressor
module connected
in parallel.

The capacitors are commutated in 2 phases:

Phase 1: auxiliary contacts closed, the damp
resistors (resistive white cables) limit the inrush
current.
LC1D.K series:
3 poles contactors for
capacitor switching

Phase 2: less than 1 second later, the main

contacts are closed shorting the damp
resistors. The full current flows.

LA4D.., LAD4
suppressor modules for
TeSys D contactors

Several types of
suppressors (RC, varistors,
flywheel diodes) to choose
according AC or DC voltage
and acceptable increase of
contactor drop out time.

15

Useful links
Understanding the protection principles, designing
protection systems

Choosing the appropriate SPD

http://www.schneider-electric.com

http://www.electrical-installation.org/wiki/Protection_against_voltage_surges_in_LV

Useful Documents
Designing a distribution network according
IEC standards

Order:
http://www.order.engineering.schneider-electric.com

www.schneider-electric.com

Schneider Electric Industries SAS

35, rue Joseph Monier
CS 30323
F- 92506 Rueil Malmaison Cedex
RCS Nanterre 954 503 439
Capital social 896 313 776
www.schneider-electric.com

CPTG002_EN

As standards, specifications and designs change from time to time, please ask for confirmation of
the information given in this publication.
This document has been printed on ecological paper.
Publication: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
Design/Layout: SEDOC
Photo Moodboard / GraphicObsession
Printed:
07-2012

2012 - Schneider Electric - All rights reserved.

Make the most of your energy