This IEEE conference paper explores the engineering considerations involved in selecting and sizing surge arresters for modern electrical power systems, balancing industry standards, simulation results, and practical operating experience.
Presented at the 2025 IEEE Rural Electric Power Conference (REPC).
As renewable generation, inverter-based resources, and increasingly complex power systems become more common, selecting the appropriate surge arrester has become significantly more challenging. Traditional sizing methods remain an important foundation, but they may not fully capture the dynamic operating conditions introduced by renewable energy resources, distributed generation, capacitor bank switching, and advanced protection systems.
This paper examines how engineers can integrate insulation coordination studies, transient overvoltage analysis, applicable IEEE standards, and practical engineering judgment to make more informed arrester selection decisions.
Why This Matters
Surge arresters play a critical role in protecting electrical equipment from transient overvoltages caused by lightning, switching operations, and fault conditions. Selecting an arrester that is too small can reduce system reliability, while oversizing an arrester may compromise equipment protection by increasing protective voltage levels.
As electrical systems continue evolving through renewable integration, inverter-based resources, and increasingly dynamic operating conditions, engineers must evaluate surge protection using more than traditional rule-of-thumb approaches.
This paper demonstrates how combining insulation coordination, transient overvoltage studies, and practical engineering analysis results in more effective surge protection strategies while maintaining system reliability.
Key Topics Explored
- Surge arrester selection and sizing methodology
- Maximum Continuous Operating Voltage (MCOV) considerations
- Insulation coordination studies
- Temporary and transient overvoltage analysis
- Renewable energy and inverter-based resource impacts
- Industrial and utility system applications
- Practical engineering approaches for balancing protection and reliability
Engineering Decision Framework
The paper compares several methodologies used throughout the arrester selection process, including traditional steady-state analysis, transient simulation, and application-specific engineering evaluations.
Using practical case studies, the authors demonstrate how engineering judgment complements industry standards to optimize surge protection for modern power systems, particularly where renewable generation, capacitor bank switching, line regulators, and distributed generation introduce complex operating conditions.
Proper insulation coordination balances arrester protection levels with equipment withstand capability to improve overall system reliability.
Authors
Chaitali Naik – NEI Electric Power Engineering
Chad Brotherton, PE – NEI Electric Power Engineering
Carson Bates, PhD, PE – NEI Electric Power Engineering
Eric Senkowicz, PE – NEI Electric Power Engineering
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Note: This page contains the accepted manuscript version. The final published version is available through IEEE Xplore.
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