Control Panel

technical guide
How to prevent machine
malfunctions and electronic
damage due to voltage surges?
 Contents
Introduction 4-7

The Surge Protection Devices 8-9

1 What does an SPD look like?
How does an SPD work?
9
9


2
The Surge Protection Devices
applications 10-13
AC power circuits 11
Focus on cabling rules of AC SPD
in a machine control panel 12
Very low voltage circuits 13

Selection guides 14-15

3 To select the SPD according
to circuit voltage 15
To select contactors and suppressors
for attenuation of switching surge 15

3
 Machines face surges every
In case of failure, is the right
Surges are hardly observable, they have multiple consequences
on machines and process. Some are serious with risks of injury,
others are only material. In many cases the users have difficulties
to investigate the causes.

Some relevant
situations
Unexpected stops
Stops of ventilation, elevator, lighting causing
risks for people.
Stops of other equipments causing overheating,
overcooling, flooding with damage to the
installation, the building.
Stops on machines causing production loss, etc.

Strange
behavior
The appropriate
machine controls are
sometimes
unpredictable causing
erratic information on
alphanumeric display, Electrical and electronic
engine runaway with breakdown
mechanical
breakdown as worse Electronic devices are usually sensitive to
consequences. surges conducted by supply lines, sensors
and communication lines.
Overvoltage can destroy electronic
components or cause flashes between
tracks of printed circuits.
In some situation destruction can
degenerate into a fire.

4
 day.
t diagnostic always done?

They are invisible and

transient: surges cause
malfunctions and damages
Their difference is
a matter of energy.
Voltage
Atmospheric Industrial
surges surges
Lightning
surge thousands
of Volts
In a surge due > They are caused by:
Switching
to a lightning, the capacitor banks
surge hundreds energy is great. switching, contactor
230 V of Volts coils or other inductive
It is sufficient
loads switching
to destroy electronic
motor drives.
Time components, even
vaporize conductors. > Their consequences:
superposition of noise
on analog signals
that generate false The energy
indications (eg coming from
wrong temperature) industrial surges
data change is lower but still a
in memories cause of nuisance.
Example: Damage on a modem
lower transmission
motherboard due to atmospheric speed due
surge carried by the telecom line.
to repetitions
system reset, etc.

5
 Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

How atmospheric surges are generated?

A lightning stroke can fall in the vicinity of an electric power line:
it is the electromagnetic radiation of the lightning current that produces
a high current and an overvoltage on the electric power network.

Lightning stroke on an Direct impact of the

overhead electric lightning stroke on
power line or Telecom the building
line. The overcurrent
and overvoltage can
spread several
kilometres from the
point of impact.

A lightning stroke can fall

near a building The earth
potential around the point of
In all cases the overcurrent
impact rises dangerously. Installation
will flow from the power
earth lead
or telecom line to earth
or in the reverse way,
depending on which
conductor is affected
by the lightning stroke.

Where should the protection be installed?

Lightning rod?
It only provides protection to
the building against fire by forcing
the overcurrent to flow to earth
via a safe conductor.
Reinforced surge protection
on the electrical distribution is
strongly recommanded.

The protection of the

equipments against
surge can be either:
collective,
in main and distant
distribution boards
individual,
in each machine
control panels.

6
How industrial surges are generated?
Power lines polluted by surges.

Distribution
board

High inrush currents,

during capacitor switching.
High overvoltages, during
Capacitor
simultaneous activation of bank
multiple contactor coils.

Harmonics, generated
by variable speed drives.

Where should the protection be installed?

Protection by mean of Surge
Protection devices in in tap-off
connectors or in the control panels.

Distribution
board

Reduction of perturbations by:

specific contactors for capacitors
with built-in damper resistors Capacitor
bank
coils filters for contactors.

Inductor/capacitor filters reduce the harmonic distortion

caused by some speed drives on the power line.

7
 Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

The Surge Protection

Devices (SPD)

1
8
What does an SPD look like?
Zoom on:
Cartridge technology
The SPD is composed of
a varistor or a gas tube.

Varistor: its resistance

decreases when the voltage
Cartridge-type SPD 3P+N Combi-SPD 3P+N increases.

Cartridge-type SPD: Combi-SPD technology:

They have their varistors incorporated into The built-in circuit-breaker (disconnector)
pluggable cartridges for easier maintenance. automatically isolates to the SPD when its
cartridges need replacement.
Thus, the disconnector offers continuity
of service to the rest of the installation. Gas tube: a conductive arc
appears between electrodes
above a certain voltage.

How does an SPD work?

The SPD acts as a valve:
It is closed (high impedance)
when the voltage is normal (U = Un).
L U = Un L U > Un It is opened (conductive)
in case of surge.

What happens when the

> 230 V AC, but non destructive

Load to
protect
Load to
protect
main voltage exceeds the
maximum permanent
voltage (Uc of SPD)?
230 V AC

The surge current is derivated directly

to earth thus the surge voltage is dropped
to a non-destructive value for the electrical
installation which is cabled in parallel.

A disconnector is After a certain number of shocks depending

a dedicated circuit on their intensity, the varistor will be short-
breaker which circuited and need to be replaced.
Disconnector
isolates the SPD The information is usually given by
circuit when the a mechanical indicator.
varistor cartridge
SPD has come to its end
of life or during
maintenance.

9
 Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

Surge Protection Devices

applications

2
10
Which protection means to choose?

1 AC power circuits
Implementation
Control panelboard
The SPD and its disconnector are connected Lightning
between the incoming circuit breaker current
Incoming circuit breaker
(usually to the distribution block) and the Distribution block
earth terminal block.
As the voltage surge will be limited between
Disconnector
these 2 points, the machine circuits
will be protected.
SPD

Earth terminal block

Machine control and power circuits

Expert's tip
The impedance of the disconnector + SPD circuit must be as low as possible. Cable liaisons must be as short
as possible to ensure the lowest residual surge voltage during the current flow.
50 cm of cable per phase ensure a residual voltage 500 V. Which is acceptable.

Choice of
AC SPD types according to the risk SPD disconnector
Very high risk (the Common risk. For fine protection.
building will possibly
be equipped with a
lightning rod).

Type 1 Type 1+2 Type 2 Type 3

It is chosen in the range prescribed by
the SPD manufacturer in order to ensure
its electrical coordination with the known
SPD Type 1 / 1+2 SPD Type 2 SPD Type 3 or presumed upstream protection.
Thus, main tripping during lightning
will be avoid.
Preferably install Alone or as a As a complement
SPD in the main complement of a of a SPD Type 1+2
distribution board. SPD type 1. or Type 2. Thanks to Combi SPD technology
Install SPD in main To be placed close the choice of a separate disconnector
distribution board or to the load to is no longer needed.
remote panel board. be protected.

11
 Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

Focus on
Cabling rules of AC SPD in a machine
control panel
Example in a: Example in a:

Pragma plastic enclosure Prisma Plus metallic enclosure

Distribution
Incoming block SPD Incoming

1
2

3
Primary earth
connector

Zone for protection

and control
components

Secondary
earth connector
Earth
Earth

The metallic chassis is

1 L1 (longest L cable)
12 cm used as a conductor
Connect the cable with
2 L2 (internal liaison) 1 a lock washer to ensure
0 cm a perfect contact.
This solution is only
3 L3 (SPD earth cable) possible with enclosures
5 cm
complying to the
IEC 60439-1 standard.
L1 + L2 + L3 < 50 cm

The Surge Protection Devices for AC applications by Schneider Electric

Perfect electrical coordination between QuickPRD 40r
the disconnector and the SPD. Combi technology
Faster cabling. offers betters
Safety is preserved as the disconnector is performances
than traditional
tripped in case of faulty or missing cartridge.
technology:
Quick disconnection of the SPD before
dielectric test of the distribution or QuickPRD 40r 3P+N
(ref. 16294)
the control board.

12
 2 Very low voltage circuits
4 channels PRI SPD
protecting the inputs
of a controller:

Electronic sensor

Screened cable

1
IN OUT Programmable Cabling principle of an SPD for use in series.
SPD in series logic controller

2
4 binary sensors with common polarity are
protected by a 4 channels PRI SPD.

2 analog sensors or data lines without common

3 polarity are protected by a 4 channels PRI SPD.

PRI 4 channels
(ref. 16339)

Expert's tip
Place the SPD in the control panel board, close from the sensor terminal block.

13
 Control Panel - technical guide How to prevent machine malfunctions and electronic damages due to voltage surges?

Selection guides

3
14
To select:
The SPD according to circuit voltage
AC Power
Type 1+2 (+ disconnector) Type 2 Type 3
High risk, for single machine in Common risk, for machine protection. For complementary machine protection
an Isolated and exposed shelter Placed in the machine control panel board. when a global protection is already provided
(pump, wind turbine). by the electrical distribution.
Icc max: 10 kA Icc max: 10 kA Icc max: 10 kA

C120N - 80 A PRF1 12.5r Quick PRD 20r Protected Canalis tap-off Quick PRD 8r Protected Canalis tap-off
1P+N (ref. 16632) 1P+N (ref. 16295) Canalis KN (ref. QNBQPRD) 1P+N (ref. 16298) Canalis KN (ref. QNBQPF)
3P (ref. 16633) 3P (ref. 16296) Canalis KS (ref. QSBQPRD) 3P (ref. 16299) Canalis KS (ref. QSBQPF)
3P+N (ref. 16634) 3P+N (ref. 16297) 3P+N (ref. 16300)

Very low voltage AC/DC High voltage DC

Series SPD for supply, sensor or Series SPD for DC SPD for
data cables running along high voltage analog telecom line, photovoltaic generator
conductors or outdoor. adsl compatible.

 ax permanent voltage: 53 V DC 37 V AC
M Max permanent voltage: Max. permanent voltage:
Max line current: 300 mA 180 V DC 130 V AC 600 V DC for 16434 1000 V DC for 16436.
PRI PRD PRD40r 600DC PRD40r 1000DC
4 channels (ref. 16339) 1 channel (ref. 16337) (ref. 16434) (ref. 16436)

Contactors and suppressors for attenuation

of switching surge
Contactors Suppressor modules for
for capacitor contactor coils
banks Contactor coil generates
transients during
commutation. They can be
absorbed by a suppressor
module connected
The capacitors are commutated in 2 phases: in parallel.
Phase 1: auxiliary contacts closed, the damp Several types of
resistors (resistive white cables) limit the inrush suppressors (RC, varistors,
current. flywheel diodes) to choose
Phase 2: less than 1 second later, the main according AC or DC voltage
LC1D.K series: LA4D.., LAD4
3 poles contactors for contacts are closed shorting the damp suppressor modules for and acceptable increase of
capacitor switching resistors. The full current flows. TeSys D contactors contactor drop out time.

15
Useful links
Understanding the protection principles, designing Choosing the appropriate SPD
protection systems

http://www.schneider-electric.com

http://www.electrical-installation.org/wiki/Protection_against_voltage_surges_in_LV

Useful Documents
Designing a distribution network according
IEC standards

Order:
http://www.order.engineering.schneider-electric.com

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