High Voltage Surge Arresters for Protection of Series Compensation and HVDC Converter Stations

The efficiency of overhead power lines can be increased by series compensation or HVDC transmission. These complex systems can be protected from overvoltages by metal oxide surge arresters. Both porcelain and polymer tube design surge arresters are used for these applications, however, polymer tube design surge arresters offer various advantages over porcelain arresters such as light weight, extremely high mechanical resistance and safe short circuit behaviour. Type and routine tests of surge arresters for series compensation and HVDC stations ensure the general functionality and quality of these devices. The rating of surge arresters for series compensation and HVDC stations follows different consideration as the rating of standard high voltage surge arresters. While the latter ones are rated by mainly taking standard lightning, switching and temporary overvoltages into consideration, the rating of surge arresters for series compensation and HVDC converter stations is given by internal overvoltages due to operating and fault conditions.