Outdoor Surge Arresters Need To Have A High Imax Value.

When designing high-reliability power systems, the Imax (maximum surge current withstand value) of the outdoor lightning surge arrester is an important parameter for measuring performance. For outdoor environments that may be subject to lightning strikes and high-amplitude surge events, selecting an appropriate Imax value can reflect the ability to withstand surge arresters pairs of high-current pulses, which is of great professional concern in industry standards and engineering practices. Imax is typically calibrated using an 8/20μs waveform test, and different Imax values for 11kv lightning arrester represent the tolerance level of 15kv lightning arrester under a single high-energy impact.

Manufacturers associate the maximum discharge current rating with the system installation location, from the service entry point to the end electrical distribution, and adjust this rating according to the risk level of the installation point. For lightning arrester in transformer timers installed outdoors, the environmental impact is more complex. Therefore, when evaluating technical specifications, the focus should be on the Imax calibration requirements that can meet the extreme pulse conditions that the field power system may encounter.