Page 16 - Surge-Protection-E_0.pdf

Protection Solutions for Buildings

Surges – an underestimated risk With its Red / Line for power supply systems and its Yellow / Line for data
Surges are an often underestimated risk. These voltage pulses (transients) systems, DEHN offers harmonised surge protective devices. The modular
that only take a split second are caused by direct, nearby and remote portfolio allows cost-optimised implementation of protection concepts
lightning strikes or switching operations of a power utility. for all building types and installation sizes.

Direct and nearby lightning strikes DEHN protects industrial buildings
Direct or nearby lightning strikes are lightning strikes into a building, in Keeping production rolling
close proximity to it or in lines entering the building (e.g. low-voltage Lightning and surge protection as well as personal and plant protection
power supply system, telecommunication and data lines). The amplitude ensure that plants and production processes are permanently available.
and energy content of the resulting impulse currents and impulse volt- Sensitive technology and automation systems of Industry 4.0 require
ages as well as the associated electromagnetic field (LEMP) constitute a protection. Machines, plants or sensors communicate with one another
significant threat to the system to be protected. and permanently exchange information. This requires a consistent flow of
The lightning current resulting from a direct lightning strike into a build- both power and information.
ing causes a rise in potential of several 100,000 volts on all earthed de- These systems must run reliably even in case of thunderstorms and surg-
vices. Surges are caused by the voltage drop at the conventional earthing es since a production outage entails high costs and can have existential
impedance and the resulting potential rise of the building with respect to consequences.
the environment. This is the highest stress on electrical systems in build-
ings. DEHN protects functional buildings
In addition to the voltage drop at the conventional earthing impedance, Keeping work processes up and running
surges occur in the electrical installation of the building and in the con- Whether modern work stations, office buildings or commercial premises
nected systems and devices due to the induction effect of the lightning – they all require reliable technical components to fulfil their function.
electromagnetic field. The energy of these induced surges and the result- Outages must be prevented.
ing impulse currents is lower that that of the direct lightning impulse Smart buildings and thus modern work environments depend on sensi-
current. tive networked technology: Building automation, KNX systems, LED lights
and sensitive security, data or communication technology, to name but
a few.
Remote lightning strikes
Remote lightning strikes are lightning strikes far away from the object to Lightning effects and surges put people at risk and lead to downtime
be protected, in the medium-voltage overhead line network or in close and damage to buildings as well as expensive sensitive technology. This
proximity to it as well as cloud-to-cloud discharge. results in high replacement and repair costs and loss of productivity, e.g.,
if entire departments are paralysed and not able to carry out their work.
Switching operations DEHN protects single-family houses
Switching operations of power utilities cause surges (SEMP – Switching Providing safety for your home
Electromagnetic Pulse) of some 1,000 volts in electrical systems. They Modern lifestyle is increasingly defined by digital devices: Smart TV, intel-
occur, for example, when inductive loads (e.g. transformers, reactors, mo- ligent home automation, burglary protection systems or electromobility
tors) are switched off, arcs are ignited or fuses trip. If power supply and to name but a few. A lot of us already take smart technology for granted.
data lines are installed in parallel, sensitive systems may be interfered The downside of this technology is that devices are becoming increasing-
with or destroyed.
ly sensitive and more susceptible to interference.
The more digital devices we use, the more important it is to protect them.
Protection of power supply and data systems This ensures that smart building technology and home offices are perma-
Destructive transients in residential, office and administration buildings nently available, the heating system works reliably and the WLAN router
and industrial plants are likely to occur in, for example, the power sup- stays connected to the Internet.
ply system, information technology system and telephone system, con-
trol systems of production facilities via the fieldbus and controllers of
air-conditioning or lighting systems. These sensitive systems can only be On the following pages you will find protection solutions for industrial
protected by a comprehensive protection concept. In this context, the buildings, functional buildings and single-family houses.
coordinated use of surge protective devices (lightning current and surge
arresters) is paramount. More info:
The function of lightning current arresters is to discharge high energies de.hn/buildings
without destruction. They are installed as close as possible to the point
where the electrical system enters the building. Surge arresters, in turn,
protect terminal equipment. They are installed as close as possible to the
equipment to be protected.

14