• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.79-85
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• 2009

This paper describes the degradation properties of ZnO surge arresters impressed by lightning impulse currents. To investigate the deterioration behaviors of ZnO surge arresters due to lightning surges, the 8/20[${\mu}s$], 2.5[kA] standard lightning impulse currents were injected to the ZnO surge arrester under test. The power frequency AC and DC leakage currents flowing through the ZnO surge arresters with and without the injection of lightning impulse currents were measured. As a result, the leakage currents are increased and the asymmetry of the AC leakage current is pronounced as the number of injection of the impulse current increases. The ZnO grain of the surge arrester without the injection of lightning surges are uniform but the ZnO grain of the ZnO surge arrester with the injection of lightning impulse currents are deformed. Also, it was found that the decrease of the $Bi_2O_3$ due to the lightning impulse current leads to the lack of grain boundary layer and the current concentrated by the lack of grain boundary layer play an important role to degrade nonlinear property of ZnO surge arrester blocks.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.79-86
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• 2013

In order to analyze the electrical performance of ZnO surge arresters stressed by the combined DC and AC voltages that are generated in DC/AC converter systems, the leakage current properties of ZnO surge arrester blocks deteriorated by impulse currents were investigated. The test specimens were deteriorated by the 8/$20{\mu}s$ impulse current of 2.5kA and the leakage currents flowing into the deteriorated zinc oxide(ZnO) arrester blocks subjected to the combined DC and power frequency AC voltages are measured. As a result, the leakage currents flowing through deteriorated ZnO surge arrester blocks were higher than those flowing through the fine ZnO surge arrester blocks and the larger the injection number of 8/$20{\mu}s$ impulse current of 2.5kA is, the greater the leakage current is. The leakage current-voltage curves(I-V curves) of the fine and deteriorated ZnO surge arrester blocks stressed by the combined DC and AC voltages show significant difference in the low conduction region. Also the cross-over phenomenon is observed at the voltage close to the knee of conduction on plots of I-V curves.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2001.07a
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• pp.190-193
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• 2001

ZnO varistors have been widely used to protect power system and electronic system against overvoltages based on their excellent nonlinearity. In order to increase their protection capability, the fracture and protection technologies of arresters have to study according to their applications, namely ImA DC voltage, leakage currents, impulse residual voltages, withstanding capability to impulse surge, and energy absorption capability. ZnO varistors which have nonlinear current-voltage characteristic name a number of failure mechanism when ZnO elements absorb surge energies. Failure mode by thermal stress and Pin hole are among the most common failure mechanism at the high current surge current. In this study, the fracture mechaism of power arresters are introduced and protection technologies are researched. In particular the effect of thermal stress by surge currents to ZnO elements and methods against arc surge energy through withstand structure design of arrester are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.79-84
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• 2012

As the huge economical loss and function paralysis of information technology-based systems can be caused by the misoperation of residual current devices(RCDs) due to surge voltages and currents, RCDs shall not operate by surge currents. In this paper, in order to evaluate the reliability of residual current operated circuit-breakers with integral overcurrent protection for household and similar uses((RCBOs) stressed by surges, the unintended trip characteristics of RCBOs under surge currents were experimentally investigated using the combination wave generator. Seven different types of single-phase RCBOs being present on the domestic market were investigated according to KS C IEC 61009-1 standard. As a result, all kinds of specimens were satisfied the requirements for 0.5 [${\mu}s$]/100[kHz] ring wave impulse currents. Most of specimens stressed by the 8/20[${\mu}s$] impulse current tripped at least one or more, and some of them were broken down during consecutive tests. It was found that only one type of specimens meets the L-N mode immunity to the combination wave of 1.2/50[${\mu}s$] impulse voltage and 8/20[${\mu}s$] impulse current.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.1305-1306
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• 2008

In this work, in order to investigate the effect of lightning impulse currents on ZnO surge arrester. and the deterioration characteristics of ZnO surge arrester, 8/20 [${\mu}s$], 2.5 [kA] impulse currents were applied to the ZnO surge arrester under test. The leakage currents of ZnO surge arrester were measured and ZnO element was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As a result, the resistive leakage current of ZnO surge arrester was increased with the injection number of lightning impulse currents.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.257-262
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• 2006

To evaluate the change in protective levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) varistors after the surge absorption, this paper investigated the effects of the number of injection and amplitude of lightning surges on the life of ZnO varistors for low voltages. Leakage currents flowing through ZnO varistors subjected to the $8/20{\mu}s$ impulse currents under 60 Hz AC voltages were measured. The surge simulator system ECAT that can generate $8/20{\mu}s$ impulse currents with a peak short-circuit of 5 $[kA_p]$ was used. The ZnO varistor leakage current increases with exposure to impulse current, and the number of injection of $8/20{\mu}s$ impulse currents to breakdown was inversely proportional to the amplitude of the test current. Behaviors of ZnO varistor leakage currents were strongly dependent on the number of injection and amplitude of $8/20{\mu}s$ impulse currents. ZnO varistors degrade gradually when subjected to impulse current, and the resistive leakage current flowing through ZnO varistors subjected to the $8/20{\mu}s$ impulse currents under 60 Hz AC voltages was significantly increased after a certain number of injection that is dependent on the amplitude of the test impulse current. As a result, the life of ZnO varistors mainly depends on the amplitude and occurrence frequency of lightning surges.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.212-216
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• 2000

ZnO varistors for distribution surge arrester (18kV, 5kA) were developed and tested microstructure and electrical characteristics. Microstructure of ZnO varistor was consisted of ZnO grain, spinel phase and Bi-rich phase. Average grain size of ZnO varistor was $\mu\textrm{m}$ Reference voltage and lightning impulse residual voltage of ZnO varistor exhibited a good haracteristics above 5.5kV and below 11.56kV, respectively. Consequently, discharge capacity which is the most important characteristics of ZnO varistor for surge arrester exhibited excellent properties above 70kA at twice high-current impulse test. Moreover, variation rate of reference voltage and lightning impulse residual voltage showed below 5% and 2% after high-current impulse test, respectively. Leakage current and watt loss of ZnO varistor will not increase during accelerated aging test at stress condition, such as 3.213kV/$115^{\circ}C$/1000h.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2000.07c
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• pp.1877-1879
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• 2000

This paper deals with the change of the micro-structure of ZnO associated with lightning surge current and ageing test. In this work, a surge current generator which can produce 8/20 [${\mu}s$], 6 [kA] impulse current is designed and fabricated to simulate the lightning impulse current. The residual voltage and leakage current flowing to ZnO blocks are observed. Also a compensation circuit was used in resistive current measurement. The micro-structures of ZnO arrester block were significantly changed by lightning surge current and accelerated temperature ageing test.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2000.07c
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• pp.2132-2134
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• 2000

Since surge arresters are recommended to protect the electric power system from the lighting surge, the impulse current is generally used to verify this requirement at the test labotaries. Recently, the international standard(IEC 60060-2) related to the impulse current techniques revised requiring a traceability of measuring system for impulse current measurements. In this paper, a shunt for impulse current is developed satisfing the revised IEC standard and the possibility of application has been investigated using step response.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.07a
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• pp.546-547
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• 2005

This study aims to evaluate the properties and the performance of the newly designed disconnector for surge arrester. This disconnector was verified with the performance in long-duration current impulse test and high current impulse test. And time-current characteristic test was done at 20A, 200A and 800A(3points) for simulating the internal fault condition of the arrester. The results of this test was very good. Consequently, the newly designed disconnector was, evaluated that it is possible to be used for surge arrester in distribution line system.