Impact of Gamma Radiation on the Residual Voltage of Surge Protective Components

This letter investigates the impact of gamma radiation on the transient performance of surge protective components under high impulse currents in the range of 0.3–2.0 kA generated by a 6 kV/3 kA combination wave generator. For the first time, the immunity of spark gaps, metal-oxide varistors, and transient voltage suppression diodes to gamma radiation is demonstrated by analyzing their residual voltage before, during, and after their exposure to a Cobalt-60 source for more than 4 minutes; samples were receiving a dose rate of 450 mGy/min. These findings (i) provide insights on test methodologies for international standards on surge protection and (ii) pave the way for implementation of surge protection schemes in highly irradiated environments, such as those encountered in the emerging power and data grids in aviation, space, nuclear, and defense industries.