Supercapacitor assisted surge absorber (SCASA) technique: Selection of supercapacitor and magnetic components

Compared to typical non-linear devices (NLD) used in surge protection circuits, which have energy absorption ratings applicable to milliseconds order durations, current supercapacitor families have large continuous energy storage capabilities. Based on the transient absorption properties of supercapacitors, confirmed in recent investigations, a supercapacitor based surge energy absorption technique was developed by combining a multi-winding magnetic component with a typical NLD in a novel configuration. This paper presents an overview of new technique known as the supercapacitor assisted surge absorbers (SCASA) and its basis for selecting the magnetic core required and the supercapacitor sub-circuit effectively, with experimental results generated using a lightning surge simulator with surge capability up to 6.6 kV. Selection of the magnetic core is critical for the success of the technique, since the combination of the leakage and magnetizing components of the multi-winding magnetic core plays a dominant role. Overall performance of the SCASA technique with optimized magnetics is compared with a typical commercially available surge protector, which is practically used to safeguard electronic systems against transient over-voltage related power quality issues.