What are LAMCO Lightning Arresters?
LAMCO Lightning Arresters are also known as Surge Diverters. It is used for protecting the equipments at the substations against the travelling waves. If we talk about it in the other sense then it is the device which diverts the abnormal high voltage of electricity to the ground without affecting the continuity of supply. The lightning arresters are connected in between the line and earth. It is connected to the parallel of the equipment so as to give protection at the substations.
The damages that are caused by the travelling waves at the substations are as follows:
- The crest voltage at the arresters may cause the flash over in the internal winding of the equipment and thus it may affect the winding insulation.
- The waves of the surges may further cause the external flash over in between the terminals of the transformers.
- If there’s high peak voltage at the equipment, then it may cause the external flash over in between the terminals of the equipment and the transformers and which may further result in damaging the insulator.
Therefore, so as to prevent the damage at the substations, the LAMCO lightning arresters are used. But before you purchase one, it is vital that you gain some of the information on how ideal lightning arrester should be.
An ideal lightning arrester should possess the below mentioned characteristics. Those are:
- The lightning arrester shouldn’t draw any of the current during the normal operating condition. This means that even if it sparks over the voltage, then it must be above the normal or abnormal power frequency.
- If there’s any of the abnormal voltage above the breakdown value, then it must be caused to break down as immediate as possible so as to offering a conducting path to the ground.
- If the breakdown has taken place in general, then the lightning arrester must be capable of carrying the discharge current without getting damaged itself and also without the voltage exceeding the value of the breakdown.
- The power frequency of the current that follows the breakdown must be immediately interrupted so as to cut down the transient voltage below the value of the breakdown.
There are a number of lightning arresters that can be used for protecting the equipments at the power stations. The choices of the LAMCO lightning arresters depends upon a number of factors like the voltage of the line, frequency of the line, cost, weather condition and reliability.