pre-emptive power and lightning protection

Pre-emptive Powerand Lightning Protection

Ever More Sophisticated Equipment Deployed Drives Greater Power Protection Needs

• Tower and site standards

• Grounding program

• Equipment protection improvements

Traditional Grounding and Surge Protection

Devices (SPDs) alone do not fully protect

service integrity

BlitzGuard• BlitzGuard is the final line of defense for electrical

systems vulnerable to lightning induced surges and protracted AC Supply fluctuations

• BlitzGuard isolates vulnerable systems from the threats of:- Grid supply fluctuations - Ground Potential Rise (GPR)- Direct or near Lightning Strike

Unstable AC Grid Supply Voltage is a CommonProblem Worldwide

• Exposing the AC Power components to high or low voltage affects site reliability

• Protect through isolation of selected site equipment

Why Pre-emptive Protection?

The most effective protection for sensitiveelectronic systems during lightning events isdisconnection

• Surge Protection Device’s (SPDs) allow some surge voltage/energy to pass through: known as “let through”

• Repeated exercise of an SPD often leads to failure• SPDs are designed to cope with specific surge events

Why Pre-emptive Protection?

The results of a near lightning strike

The effects of lightning on electronics

• Can either come through the AC grid or from the site ground to grid following an AC line or local ground strike

• Results in some level of GPR

• These multi-frequency electrical surges burn up electrical equipment and their power supply circuitry

• Microprocessor circuitry can be damaged by a nearby strike even if they are not in use

Even the best of grounding systemscan fail to providethe intended and

expected protection

• Isolation before the event is the only effective protection

against Ground Potential Rise (GPR)

• The combination of suitable SPDs and Pre-emptive

Isolation provides the best possible level of protection

Why Pre-emptive Protection?

What does Pre-emptive Isolation deliver?

• Reduced capital costs through virtual elimination of site equipment failure due to power issues

• Reduced service down time • Reduced operational costs through fewer site visits; 50%

reduction typical due to – Fewer equipment replacements– Fewer breaker trips requiring unnecessary site visit

SG01 : Single Phase

SG02 : Two Phase

SG03 : Three Phase

All models:

120V or 230V per Phase

BlitzGuard

Microwave & Cellular Installation in South Africa

• BlitzGuard deployed in front of rectifiers

• Protects Power shelf and site electronics

• Lightning Sensor mounted on site building to detect threatening lightning activity

BlitzGuard InstallationAC SupplyTo facility

Building Ground Connections

Meter &

Breakers/Fuses

Isolates AC

Supply

SensorGuard

SPD’s

Lighting Rings&other non criticalareas

IT: Servers, PC’s, LAN

PABX, Phones, Alarm System

UPS

BlitzGuard

40KV30KV20KV10KV

10KV 40KV

Voltage Gradient Between Remote Locations

Current Flow

Base Transceiver

DC PowerSupply

Battery

AC Supply

AC SurgeProtector

(SPD)

PhaseNeutral

Cell Site Power and Protection Scheme (1)

Tower Strike with Conventional Protection

TowerGround

Building &EquipmentGround

AC ServiceGround

+

- Φ

N

PowerSystemGrounds

Co-AxialProtector

Comment: Connections to the site grounding system are the lowest impedance path to ground for lightning fault currents. The fault will divide and flow through all available paths to the point of greatest potential difference. GPR at the tower base will find paths into the equipment as it seeks the lowest impedance path to ground. Also, the SPD may fire backwards under these conditions.

GPR

Base Transceiver

DC PowerSupply

Battery

AC Supply

AC SurgeProtector

(SPD)

PhaseNeutral

Cell Site Power and Protection Scheme (2)

Tower Strike with BlitzGuard

TowerGround

Building &EquipmentGround

AC ServiceGround

+

- Φ

N

PowerSystemGrounds

Co-AxialProtector

Comment: By opening the path between the site electronics and the AC power system ground (the greatest potential difference from the fault), fault currents equalize over the remaining available paths.

GPR

BlitzGuard

Industry Applications include:

• Telecoms, both fixed line and wireless• Radio Communications (emergency services)• Energy pipeline infrastructure• Transportation Signalling• Media: TV and Radio Transmission sites• General IT and Equipment protection

Applications of BlitzGuard

• Protects Cellular systems against GPR• Complements Site Grounding and SPD• For DLC cabinets, mitigates against substandard grounding• Virtually eliminates rectifier/Power shelf damage• Substantially reduces line card failure• Reduces unnecessary site breaker trips

Telecoms Fixed Line & Wireless

Telecoms Fixed Line & Wireless

• Suitable for Television and Radio transmission sites

• Protects site equipment from GPR when site struck by

Lightning

• Used to protect radio communication sites where mast

exposed to lighting strike

- e.g. Emergency services radio systems

Radio and Media Sites

Radio and Media Sites

Pipeline Infrastructure• AC Service• Rectifiers• Control Electronics• Pipeline Skin DC output terminal• Anode Bed DC output terminal

All these have connections to Grounded, metallic elements – pipeline, anode bed, and local AC Service ground

• Signalling and communication systems on Rail systems exposed to Lighting surges

• Motorway/Highway signalling infrastructure exposed by multiple dispersed grounds

• Sophisticated monitoring and communications exposed

Transportation Signalling

Many ThanksQuestions?

CONTACT US:EGC International Corp.

6788 N.W. 17 Ave. Fort Lauderdale FL. USA 33309Tel: (954)979-5510 Fax: (954)979-5515