DC-Surge Arresters for Railway Applications

The limitation of electrical overvoltages to protect cost intensive and high-maintenance railway application can be realised reliably by metal-oxide surge arresters (MO arrester). With the help of MO arresters lightning and surge overvoltages can limit. The operating voltage can consist of a variety of waveforms and sometimes places very high demands on the electrical equipment, like the MO arresters. With the help of experimental investigations on various MO varistors at different waveforms of operating voltages the electrical conductivity and the occurring power loss density of the MO varistors were determined and evaluated. Further, guidance is given for the dimension and selection of MO arresters for different railway applications.