Surge Protector Overview

surge protective device, also known as surge protector, lightning arrester, or lightning arrester, is used to protect electrical equipment from lightning electromagnetic pulses or operational overvoltages. It is an indispensable device for lightning protection of electronic equipment. When external interference suddenly generates a spike in current or voltage in an electrical circuit or communication line, the surge protector can conduct and divert the current in a very short time, thereby preventing the surge from damaging other equipment in the circuit. The type and structure of the surge protection device vary depending on the application, but it must at least include a nonlinear voltage limiting element. The basic components used in surge protectors include: spark gap, gas-filled discharge tube, varistor, suppression diode, and choke coil.

So, what is a surge? Technically speaking, a surge is a short-term overvoltage (i.e., lasting less than 1 millisecond) in a system. It is often referred to as a spike, notch, interference, glitch, or sudden change. In layman's terms, surge refers to a sudden change in voltage caused by external lightning strikes or the switching of large equipment (motors, capacitors, etc.) within the power grid. This transient voltage can sometimes be as high as several thousand volts (the effective voltage in the domestic power environment is 220V), which can easily cause damage to electronic equipment components and insulation breakdown of electrical equipment. It can also easily cause data errors or crashes in computers and other equipment, bringing great harm and losses to the manufacturing industry.