Difference between lighting arrester and surge arrester
Answers
Answer:
Lightning arrestor is connected to a conductor which runs along the walls and goes into the earth. Surge arrestor gives the protection against surge currents or voltages in a circuit.
Explanation:
Surge arresters are devices that help prevent damage to apparatus due to high voltages. The arrester provides a low-impedance path to ground for the current from a lightning strike or transient voltage and then restores to a normal operating conditions. A surge arrester may be compared to a relief valve on a boiler or hot water heater. It will release high pressure until a normal operating condition is reached. When the pressure is returned to normal, the safety valve is ready for the next operation. When a high voltage (greater than the normal line voltage) exists on the line, the arrester immediately furnishes a path to ground and thus limits and drains off the excess voltage. The arrester must provide this relief and then prevent any further flow of current to ground. The arrester has two functions, it must provide a point in the circuit at which an over-voltage pulse can pass to ground and second, to prevent any follow-up current from flowing to ground.
A Lightning Arrester is a device used on electrical power systems and telecommunications systems to protect the insulation and conductors of the system from the damaging effects of lightning. The typical Lightning Arrester has a high-voltage terminal and a ground terminal. When a lightning surge (or switching surge) travels along the power line to the Arrester, the current from the surge is diverted through the Arrestor, in most cases to the earth. Without good earth connections, even the most sophisticated of building lightning protection installations will be ineffective. However, the only way to ensure that the earth connections really are good is to test them. If protection fails or is absent, lightning that strikes the electrical system introduces thousands of kilo Volts that may damage the transmission lines, and can also cause severe damage to transformers and other electrical or electronic devices.