Surge protection for low voltage power supplies in case of direct lightning strikes - testing of complete systems

The latest generation of surge protective devices protects sensitive electronic equipment even in case of impulse currents and impulse voltages resulting from direct lightning strokes. Modern arresters should influence the power supply of downstream consumers the least possible. Laboratory tests at complete installations or parts of installations are a possibility to prove the efficiency of such protection devices. Also the performance of installation parts flown through by partial lightning currents can be examined in laboratory tests. The following paper will introduce test procedures by means of application examples in telecommunications and railway engineering, which allow to prove the lightning current carrying capability of system components, the continuity of supply for the system and equipment protection, even at direct lightning currents. These engineering and test services performed in the laboratories of the manufacturer of the SPDs provide a valuable contribution to proving the efficiency of the lightning and surge protective measures.