A Wide-Range Model for Metal-Oxide Surge Arrester

This paper presents an electric model of a metal-oxide surge arrester (MOSA). The proposed electric model accurately represents the MOSA in a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. The model was developed and validated based on MOSA electrical behavior in each one of the three operating regions of the zinc-oxide (ZnO) surge arresters, and in a database composed of voltage and current waveforms measured from tests performed in 12 ZnO varistors having different physical dimensions and electrical characteristics-from five different manufacturers. These varistors were subjected to different voltage levels in the low current region, and multilevel amplitude of switching current impulses (30/60 μs), lightning current impulses (8/20 μs), high current impulses (4/10 μs), and fast-front current impulses (1.5/26 μs and 3/6 μs) encompass the three regions of operation and a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. The results provided by the MOSA wide-range (MWR) model were compared with those obtained in the laboratory. The MWR model has shown good agreement in terms of waveform, peak value, and absorbed energy for the evaluated cases.