EN 60099-4:2004/prAA

Surge arresters - Part 4: Metal-oxide surge arresters without gaps for a.c. systems

Work merged into 37/324/FDIS (pr=16386) * Standstill maintained

Überspannungsableiter - Teil 4: Metalloxidableiter ohne Funkenstrecken für Wechselspannungsnetze

Parafoudres - Partie 4: Parafoudres à oxyde métallique sans éclateurs pour réseaux à courant alternatif

Prenapetostni odvodniki - 4. del: Kovinsko-oksidni prenapetostni odvodniki brez iskrišč za sisteme z izmenično napetostjo

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• ICS: 29.120.50 - Fuses and other overcurrent protection devices
• ICS: 29.240.10 - Substations. Surge arresters
• Technical Committee: CLC/SR 37 - Surge arresters
• Drafting Committee: IEC/TC 37 - IEC_TC_37
• Parallel Committee: IEC/TC 37 - IEC_TC_37
• Current Stage: 4098 - Decision to drop project - Standstill maintained / released - Enquiry
• Start Date: 07-Feb-2006
• Completion Date: 23-Sep-2025
• Ref Project: SIST EN 60099-4:200X/OprAA:2004 - Surge arresters -- Part 4: Metal-oxide surge arresters without gaps for a.c. systems

Relations

• Amends: EN 60099-4:2004 - Surge arresters - Part 4: Metal-oxide surge arresters without gaps for a.c. systems
• Effective Date: 29-Jan-2023

Overview

EN 60099-4:2004/prAA is a key standard issued by the CLC that focuses on metal-oxide surge arresters without gaps designed for alternating current (a.c.) systems. This document defines essential test procedures and performance requirements, particularly emphasizing the lightning impulse discharge capability of surge arresters. The standard is critical for ensuring the reliability and safety of surge arresters installed on high-voltage lines, especially those exposed to lightning-induced stresses.

This standard work has been merged into document 37/324/FDIS (pr=16386) and remains under review, highlighting its evolving nature in adapting to technological advances in surge arrester design and testing.

Key Topics

• Metal-oxide surge arresters without gaps: These arresters are used primarily in a.c. electrical power systems to protect electrical equipment from lightning impulses and switching surges.
• Lightning impulse discharge capability: The standard introduces a mandatory test procedure (Annex O) to assess the arrester's ability to withstand lightning-induced currents and energy surges, essential for installations on lines exceeding 52 kV.
• New testing clauses: Amendment 1-f2 to IEC 60099-4 Ed 2.0 includes a new clause (6.17) specifying test conditions and performance metrics to demonstrate lightning impulse discharge capability.
• Test sample selection: Criteria are provided for selecting samples with specific residual voltage characteristics and current distribution for reliable testing outcomes.
• Impulse test procedure: The test consists of a series of 18 electrical discharge operations to simulate typical lightning strike conditions, followed by residual voltage measurements and visual inspections to confirm arrester integrity.
• Test parameters and measurement:
  • Current impulse shape should be approximately sinusoidal with a duration of 200 µs ± 30 µs.
  • The energy and charge values are measured and compared to thresholds from standardized tables to determine the rated lightning impulse discharge capability.
  • Oscillographic records document voltage, current waveforms, and dissipated energy during testing.

Applications

EN 60099-4:2004/prAA is applicable for:

• High-voltage power lines (above 52 kV), particularly where lightning exposure risks are high.
• Electric utilities and transmission operators aiming to improve the lightning performance and reliability of their power delivery infrastructure.
• Manufacturers of surge arresters, providing guidance on product design validation and type testing to meet international safety and performance standards.
• Quality assurance and safety assessment teams engaged in specifying equipment for new installations or system upgrades.
• Test laboratories conducting standardized verification of surge arrester durability under lightning surge conditions.

Implementing this standard ensures that metal-oxide surge arresters without gaps deliver predictable and consistent protection against transient overvoltages, reducing the risk of equipment damage, power outages, and safety hazards.

Related Standards

• IEC 60099-4 Ed 2.0: The base standard for metal-oxide surge arresters upon which this amendment and testing procedures build.
• EN 60099-1: General requirements and definitions for surge arresters, providing foundational concepts for the series.
• IEC 60099 series: A comprehensive framework covering different types of surge arresters and their specific applications and tests.
• EN 60060: Standard for high-voltage test techniques that complement surge arrester testing.
• IEC/TC 37: Technical committee responsible for standardization of surge arresters and related equipment.

Practical Value

By adopting the testing methodologies in EN 60099-4:2004/prAA, stakeholders can:

• Ensure arrester reliability against severe lightning surges through validated discharge capability tests.
• Protect power system components from transient overvoltages, enhancing grid stability.
• Meet international safety and performance benchmarks, facilitating equipment acceptance in global markets.
• Optimize arrester selection and application by understanding detailed electrical stress performance.
• Enhance inspection and maintenance standards by applying visual and measurement criteria defined in the standard.

This leads to cost savings by reducing equipment failures and downtime, while supporting environmental and operational safety goals in power system management.

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Keywords: metal-oxide surge arrester, lightning impulse discharge capability, surge arrester testing, high-voltage surge protection, EN 60099-4, IEC 60099-4, a.c. surge arresters, lightning impulse test, power system protection, surge arrester standards

Standards Content (Sample)

37/307/CDV
COMMITTEE DRAFT FOR VOTE (CDV)
PROJET DE COMITÉ POUR VOTE (CDV)

Project number IEC 60099-4-A1-f2 Ed 2.0
Numéro de projet
Date of circulation Closing date for voting (Voting
IEC/TC or SC:
TC 37
Date de diffusion mandatory for P-members)
CEI/CE ou SC:
Date de clôture du vote (Vote
2004-06-04
obligatoire pour les membres (P))
2004-11-05
Titre du CE/SC: Parafoudres TC/SC Title: Surge Arresters
Secretary: J. L. Koepfinger
Secrétaire:
Also of interest to the following committees Supersedes document
Intéresse également les comités suivants Remplace le document
37/274A/CD and 37/284B/CC
Functions concerned
Fonctions concernées
Safety EMC Environment Quality assurance
Sécurité CEM Environnement Assurance qualité
CE DOCUMENT EST TOUJOURS À L'ÉTUDE ET SUSCEPTIBLE DE THIS DOCUMENT IS STILL UNDER STUDY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE. IT
MODIFICATION. IL NE PEUT SERVIR DE RÉFÉRENCE. SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES.
LES RÉCIPIENDAIRES DU PRÉSENT DOCUMENT SONT INVITÉS À RECIPIENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR
PRÉSENTER, AVEC LEURS OBSERVATIONS, LA NOTIFICATION DES COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF
DROITS DE PROPRIÉTÉ DONT ILS AURAIENT ÉVENTUELLEMENT WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO PROVIDE SUPPORTING
CONNAISSANCE ET À FOURNIR UNE DOCUMENTATION EXPLICATIVE. DOCUMENTATION.

Titre : Amendment no 1-f2 a la CEI 60099-4 Ed Title : Amendment 1-f2 to IEC 60099-4 Ed 2.0 -
2.0 Parafoudres - Parte 4: Parfoudres áoxyde Surge Arresters - Part 4: Metal-oxide surge
meétallique sans éclaterures pour reeaux á arresters without faps for a.c. systems
courant alternatif
Note d'introduction Introductory note The material is base upon the comments
of the National Committees to 37/273/CD and 37/274/CD.

At the time of the preparation of this CDV the final
published version of IEC 60099-4 Ed 2.0 was not available.
Clauses are numbered according to 37/298/FDIS.

ATTENTION ATTENTION
CDV soumis en parallèle au vote (CEI) Parallel IEC CDV/CENELEC Enquiry
et à l’enquête (CENELEC)
permitted to download this electronic file, to make a copy and to print out the content for the sole
purpose of preparing National Committee positions. You may not copy or "mirror" the file or
printed version of the document, or any part of it, for any other purpose without permission in
writing from IEC.
60099-4 Amend 1/f2/Ed 2.0/CDV © IEC 2
LIGHTNING IMPULSE DISCHARGE CAPABILITY OF A METAL-OXIDE
SURGE ARRESTER
Amemdment 1 Fragment 2 to IEC 60099-4 Ed 2.0

Add new clause to 37/298/FDIS (60099-4, Ed. 2)
6.17 Impulse lightning discharge capability
When required, the lightning impulse discharge capability shall be demonstrated by tests and
procedures of Annex O.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Add new Annex O to 37/298/FDIS (60099-4, Ed. 2)

Annex O
(normative)
TEST PROCEDURE TO DETERMINE THE LIGHTNING IMPULSE
DISCHARGE CAPABILITY
O.1 General
This procedure applies to surge arresters used on lines with system voltages exceeding
52 kV to improve the lightning performance of such lines. In general, theses arresters are
subjected to higher energy and current stresses caused by lightning than arresters installed
in stations with effective lightning protection on incoming lines. In addition, the anticipated
current waveform for decisive cases, with a duration of several tens of microseconds for
arresters applied on shielded lines and several hundreds of microseconds for arresters on
unshielded lines, considerably differs from waveforms specified in the operating duty test and
in the long duration current impulse test.
An impulse duration of 200 microseconds has been considered as a suitable compromise to
cover both the typical applications and the effect of multiple strokes.
Arresters intended for this application, therefore, shall be tested in accordance with the
lightning impulse discharge capability test to verify the rated lightning impulse discharge
capability of the arrester.
O.1.1 Selection of test samples

Three samples shall be tested. These samples shall include complete arresters, arrester
sections or resistive elements. They shall not have been subjected to any previous tests
except as necessary for evaluation purposes of this test.

60099-4 Amend 1/f2/Ed 2.0/CDV © IEC 3
The samples to be chosen for the lightning impulse discharge capability test shall have a
residual voltage at nominal discharge current at the highest end of the variation range
declared by the manufacturer. Furthermore, in case of multi-column arresters the highest
value of uneven current distribution shall be considered. In order to comply with these
demands the following shall be fulfilled:
a) The ratio between the rated voltage of the complete arrester to the rated voltage of the
section is defined by n. The volume of the resistor elements used as test samples shall not
be greater than the minimum
...