An Electrical Surge Arrestor (ESA) Model For Computer-aided Design And Evaluation

Electrical Surge Arrestors (ESA's) are widely used to protect susceptible electrical and electronic components sub-systems and systems from the potentially damaging (usually in nano henries) effects of lightning, static discharge, Electromagnetic interference and the Electromagnetic pulse arising from associated with L (usually in potential nuclear weapon detonations. ESA's are very non- linear devices when operating near or above the DC break down potential. The ESA model to be described accounts (reflected capacitance at the for a significant number of nonlinear effects including (1) all other sources, leads, streamer formation, (2) plasma conductivity, (3) glow region, (4) arc extinguishing, (5) high frequency oscilla tions, (6) Thermionic effects, and (7) heating and heat (measured or calculated for dissipation to the surrounding medium. The model is illus- trated in Figure I with a corresponding definition for each parameter in the model.