HIGH ANXIETY

Very few of us, if any, get through a single day without feeling the impact of some sort of electronic equipment. Computers, cash registers, automatic garage door openers, VCRs and gas pumps are all controlled, to some degree, by electronic “gizmos”. Electronics make our lives much easier in many ways, but they also create high anxiety and inconvenience when they fail to perform.

Being powered by AC power, electronic equipment and devices are subject to electrical surges and noise interference. A powerful surge can destroy solid state circuits in anything from a mainframe computer to electronic testing equipment. Smaller surges can slowly erode performance, leading to electronic malfunctions or complete failure. Although lightning can cause major surge spikes, fast, oscillating surges usually originate from sources in or near the facility.

Radio frequency transmitters, such as ham radios and wireless intercoms place low level surges in the power lines, causing electromagnetic interferences (EMI) or “noise”. Noise can disrupt operations and destroy valuable stored data. To minimize the effects of noise interference, it must be continuously filtered to acceptable levels.

SAY WHAT?

The language of surge and noise interference is somewhat unique and to appreciate and satisfy the requirements of your customer, it’s essential to understand the terms being used to describe the problem. The common term for this category of products is TVSS, which stands for transient voltage surge suppression.

When there is a voltage spike, it occurs almost instantaneously. Typically, it is measured in nanoseconds (ns), one billionth of a second. It is important, then, that a surge suppression device ‘clamp the spike” (stop the surge from exceeding an acceptable level) as quickly as possible. The time required to do this is referred to as Response Time.

Electronic equipment can withstand minimal surge spikes without surge protection. In fact, most commercial equipment can easily withstand transient (short duration) levels of 500 volts or less. But sustained low level surges or severe spikes can damage equipment and potentially ruin sensitive, expensive equipment in less than a heart beat. Thus, the need for surge suppression devices.

The heart of a surge suppression device is the MOV (metal oxide varistor). The MOV activates at a predetermined voltage clamping level to divert excess current and absorb the energy to protect sensitive electronic devices from damaging surges, spikes or transients. If the transient increases in strength, the surge suppressor will, at all times, restrict the transient to the maximum U.L. clamping rating marked on each device. The “restriction level”, also referred to as “actual clamping level”, is the actual voltage restriction level the surge device will allow to pass through the protected piece of equipment and is expressed in “volts”. The lower the clamping level is generally better in protecting the equipment.

When a surge occurs, affected equipment will absorb the sudden injection of energy. Too much energy will cripple or destroy sensitive, electronic components. Surge devices are designed specifically to divert the excess power to companion components in order to protect the equipment from absorbing too much energy. The energy absorption capability of surge devices is measured in “joules” and is one of the key features to check when evaluating competitive products. A joule is a watt per second rating. The higher the joule rating, the more energy the device can absorb or divert and the better protected the electronic components.

Another potential problem for highly sensitive equipment is “noise”. Types of noise are electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). EMI noise is conductive and is usually generated by other pieces of equipment tied into a common electrical system. Motors and generators are typical sources for EMI. Auto ignition systems, radio and TV transmissions, mobile radios, police radios and transformers are typical sources for RFI. This interference is airborne and is not directly connected to the equipment’s electrical system. Noise ranging from .5v to 16v can cause a type of static that may destroy data.

To protect electronic components from noise interference, some surge devices are specifically designed to “attenuate” noise voltages. Essentially, this means that the surge device dilutes or weakens the voltage to a harmless level.

BRYANT TO THE RESCUE

Bryant’s Circuit Watch™ surge suppression receptacles feature an innovative triple disk MOV package that is equal to 6 MOV’s. The total joule rating for Bryant’s Circuit Watchä surge devices is now 240 with all mode protection (L-N, L-G, N-G)! Clamping voltage is 400 V and maximum surge capacity is 15,000 A. Bryant’s Circuit Watch™ surge devices also come with L.E.D. indicators, self-grounding clip, a snub hole wire guide and terminal screws that accept up to #10 stranded or solid wire. Available in 15 amp and 20 amp industrial and hospital grade isolated ground configurations.

Protect your business by protecting your customers from virtually all voltage transients from internal and external sources. When they ask for surge protection, give them Bryant.