Surge arresters

Bowthorpe EMP AC-type Class 2 OCP2 surge arresters provide active over voltage protection that contributes directly to protecting expensive assets and improved reliability of the railway system. These are designed and tested to meet our customers’ needs, offering reliability and improved operational performance. The OCP2 are qualified as per IEC 60099-4 standards and all test reports are independently certified. It is also tested specifically for the Rail market and meets EN 45545-2 and qualified for GOST Certificate of Conformity.

This new surge arrester can be mounted directly on the transformer and also at the rear side of the high voltage (HV) cable assembly that connects to the transformer. This takes away a product from the train’s rooftop thus saving space. The surge arrester is fully tested against shock and vibration, and meets the fire and smoke norms of EN45545-2. It fits perfectly in a sealed HV system, giving maximum design freedom in its vicinity. For trains using the new Lopro circuit breaker, this secondary surge arrester can even be placed directly on the circuit breaker, creating even more configuration freedom in the HV system. The short circuit current is 20kA and the product is tested for 15kV and 25kV AC track systems.

Bowthorpe EMP AC-type silicone Class 3 PCA surge arresters provide active over voltage protection that contributes directly to protecting expensive assets and improved reliability of the railway system. It is also shock and vibration tested specifically for the Rail market and meets EN 45545-2 and qualified for GOST Certificate of Conformity. The PCA series arrester is designed to perform in the toughest environmental conditions and to meet and exceed the requirements of IEC 60099-4.

The HE60 surge arrester is used for the protection of DC rail networks against switching and atmospheric overvoltages. The surge arrester which has a polymeric housing and a void free construction can be used in in both DC railway systems and networks up to 4.0 kV. HE 60 surge arresters have been tested in compliance with the EN 50123-5 standard for surge arresters in DC networks for railways. Further tests have been carried out to examine the insulation withstand on the arrester housing, residual voltage, long duration current impulse and few more.