• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.391-396
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• 2023

Recently, as power and electronic devices have increased in frequency and capacity, it has become a major concern to protect electronic circuits and electronic components used in these devices from abnormal voltages such as various surges and pulse noise. To respond to variously rated voltages applied to power electronic devices, the rated voltages of various varistors can be obtained by controlling the size of internal particles of the varistor or controlling the number of layers of the varistor. During bonding, the problem of unbalanced thermal runaway occurring between the electrode and the varistor interface causes degradation of the varistor and shortens its life of the varistor. In this study, to solve the problem of unbalanced heat distribution of stacked varistors to adjust the operating voltage, the contents of the ZnO-based varistor composition were 96 wt% ZnO, 1 mol% Sb₂O₃, 1 mol% Bi₂O₃, 0.5 mol% CoO, 0.5 mol% MnO, and 1 mol% TiO₂. A multi-layered ZnO varistor was modeled by bonding a single varistor with a composition in three layers according to the operating voltage. The thermal distribution of the triple-layered ZnO varistor was analyzed for the thermal runaway phenomenon that occurred during varistor operation using the finite element method according to Comsol 5.2.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.118-124
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• 2007

This paper presents the effects of the injected number and amplitude of impulse current on the service life of ZnO varistors for low voltages. To analyze the effects of lightning impulse currents on the performance of ZnO varistors, the measurements of resistive leakage current and power dissipation at the power frequency ac voltage before and after the injections of the $8/20[{\mu}s]$ impulse currents were made. As a consequence, the duration and amplitude of resistive leakage current flowing through ZnO varistor were increased with increasing the number of injections of the $8/20[{\mu}s]$ impulse currents. It is desirable that the service life of ZnO varistors should be evaluated as a function of the number and amplitude of lightning impulse current.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of IIIuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.275-279
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• 2005

This paper presents leakage current characteristics as a function of injected number and magnitude of impulse current, when$8/20{\mu}s$ lightning impulse current is injected to ZnO varistor. The life of ZnO varistor against $8/20{\mu}s$ lightning impulse current was evaluated. The injected number of the test current to breakdown was inversely proportional to the amplitude of impulse current.

• 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.