ARRESTERS

PORCELAIN VS. POLYMER

Why should I replace my porcelain housed substation
arrester with polymer? . . . Pressure relief.
odern porcelain housed station and intermediate
arresters incorporate pressure relief means to
allow the surge arrester to vent in the unlikely
event that the arrester should fail. Over the years
as the available fault currents in substations have
increased, arrester manufacturers have responded by improving
fault current ability.

The table (below) shows the pressure relief ratings of Ohio

Ohio Brass Surge Arrester Pressure
Relief Ratings
Silicon Carbide Designs
Symmetrical kA
Intermediate - Type GP 3-120 kV Rated
16.1
Series III
16.1
Station
- Type MP 3-15kV Rated
Series III, IV, V
65.0
Station
- Type MP 21-48kV Rated
40.0
Station
- Type MPR 60-192kV Rated
40.0
Station
- Type MPR 228-312kV Rated
25.0
Metal-Oxide Designs
Symmetrical kA
Intermediate - Type VI 3-120kV Rated (Porcelain)
25.0
Station
- Type VL 3-48kV Rated (Porcelain)
65.0
Station
- Type VN 54-312kV Rated (Porcelain) 93.0
Station
- Type VS 54-312kV Rated (Porcelain) 93.0
Station
- Type VX 396-612kV Rated (Porcelain) 49.0
Intermediate - Type PVI 3-108kV Rated (Polymer)
25.0
Station
- Type PVN 3-144kV Rated (Polymer)
80.0 *
* Successfully withstood 80kA symmetrical reclose.

PVN after pressure relief operation (right).

Brass arrester designs supplied over the

past 30 years. Early surge arrester designs
supplied by all manufacturers did not even
incorporate pressure relief provisions.
If the pressure relief rating of the arrester
is exceeded, it may fail violently, expelling
porcelain and internal components
potentially damaging equipment and
injuring workers in the substation.
A successful pressure relief operation is
essentially a race between the rate at which
pressure builds up in the arrester and the
time that it takes to transfer the arc
outside of the housing. Therefore, the
length of the housing in a porcelain
arrester is limited by its ability to vent
safely. This is why higher voltage porcelain
arresters are made in several units.
One critical issue that has not been
addressed by the industry is the fact that

when a porcelain arrester vents, the

housing is likely weakened. The
claimed pressure relief capability of the
porcelain housed arrester is only for the
first venting. The venting of a shorted
arrester results in a circuit breaker
operation. Most utilities will automatically reclose at least once into a fault.
This could cause the arrester to explode.
Additionally, standards allow for a
porcelain arrester to thermally collapse into a pile of parts. If the arrester
is being used as a bus support member
this could lead to catastrophic results.
Ohio Brass polymer housed surge
arresters have the desirable feature that
it is possible to reclose on a failed
arrester a number of times. The pressure relief rating of the PVN and PVI
arresters are the same for each of the
reclose events.
text continued

For a porcelain housed arrester to not

explode during a pressure relief operation,
the internal arc must transfer to the
outside. This transfer is assisted by the
incorporation of pressure relief directional
ports.
The photos at the lower right show a
porcelain arrester successfully venting.
The time between each frame is 1/4 cycle
of a 60 Hz. This dramatically demonstrates the time delay in transferring the
internal arc to the outside. Once the arc is
transferred to the outside, it will remain
there.

Circuit Breaker
Close 2 or 3 times

During the duration of this series of

pictures the pressure inside of the arrester
kept building. Because the arrester did
not fragment violently, the pressure
remained below the bursting strength of
the porcelain.
If this arrester is reclosed upon (and on
most systems it will be) the arrester must
go through the same sequence. With a
weakened housing this arrester will likely
burst (i.e., explode) before it can vent.

93kA - Pressure Relief

Not Reclosable
Safety vents in event of single release.

Polymer housed arresters more efficiently

vent out the sides to instantaneously
relieve the pressure.

Venting of porcelain arrester showing how the arc must travel the
length of the housing.

573-682-5521

&

Fax 573-682-8714

TiPS NEWS
Copyright

POWER
SYSTEMS, INC.
http://www.hubbellpowersystems.com

NOTE: Because Hubbell has a policy of continuous

product improvement, we reserve the right to change
design and specifications without notice.

view from Vol. 3, No. 1 JANUARY 1997

2000 Hubbell Power Systems 210 North Allen Street Centralia, MO 65240

EU1486-WB
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