It is well known, that excessive voltages and the resulting surge currents can damage or even destroy communications equipment, data transmission and energy supply systems. Injury to human beings cannot always be excluded either. Such excessive voltages may be due to a number of factors. They include:
- Atmospheric fields and discharges (thunderstorms)
- Inductive coupling from power supply lines, e.g. triggered by switching processes
- Direct contact between communications and power supply lines
- Electrostatic discharges Gas-filled surge arresters offer optimal protection in these cases. They limit surge voltages quickly and safely to uncritical values and reliably discharge any dangerous currents that may occur.
- DC spark-over voltage...70 ... 5500 V
- Impulse discharge current (8/20 µs)...max. 100 кА
- Impulse discharge current (10/350 µs)...max. 100 кА
- Alternating discharge current (1 s)...max. 20 А
- Alternating discharge current (0,2 s)...max. 300 А
- Arc voltage...10...35V
- Insulation resistance...min. 1GΩ
- Capacitance...min. 0.2pF
- Breakdown voltage 70...6000V
Epcos manufacturing plants supply an extensive range of surge arresters, meeting the most diverse requirements of our customers. Thanks to international business operations, the company has developed a significant advance in the sector of overvoltage protection.
Gas-filled surge arresters operate on the gas-physical principle of the highly effective arc discharge. Electrically, surge arresters act as voltage-dependent switches. As soon as the voltage applied to the arrester exceeds the spark-over voltage, an arc is formed in the hermetically sealed discharge region within nanoseconds. The high surge current handling capability and the arc voltage, which is almost independend of the current, short-circuit the overvoltage. When the discharge has died down, the arrester extinguishes and the internal resistance immediately returns to values of several 100 MΩ.
EPCOS arresters
SMD arresters
Epcos arresters: EM and EHV series
The series of gas arresters represent leaded components applied in telecommunication customer's line, modems. The main advantages of such components are large current-carrying capacity, high isolation resistivity, which make them key components in the equipment operating at high voltage values. EM Series are suitable for operating at 2,5 кА ( impulse discharging current )/2,5 А (discharging current at 50Hz, 1s). Sizes:∅ 5,5×6 mm. EHV series working characteristics: 3 кА (импульсный разрядный ток)/ -. Размеры:∅ 6×7 mm.
M Series
Light-duty EC Series
ЕС Series of 2-electrode arresters produced by Epcos represent a great interest for using in telecommunications. Produced light-duty components Выпускаемые маломощные компоненты рассчитаны для работы при 5 кА (импульсный разрядный ток)/5 А (discharge current at 50Hz, 1s). Sizes:∅ 8×6 mm.
2-electrode arresters (medium-duty types)
Gas-filled high-duty arresters
Heavy-duty arresters: A71 Series
3-electrode medium-duty arresters T30...T33, T80...T83 Series
Additional information
Components in-stock
To check the components in stock and the price you can in our online shop.
The search by characteristics
For perfect searching of suitable arresters one can use
special program search at the website TDK-EPCOS