Development of Metal-Oxide Varistors for Gas-Insulated Surge Arresters

Metal-oxide varistors have a high degree of non-linearity in their voltage-current characteristic, making arrester application without gaps possible. This is a particularly significant advantage in gas-insulated substation (GIS) arrester applications. The metal-oxide varistor elements have excellent long-term stability and compatibility in an SF6 environment. Using multiple soldered columns of metal-oxide varistors, a gapless arrester assembly has been designed that has a simplified overall construction.