Influence of the Ground Potential Rise on the Residual Voltage of Low-Voltage Surge Protective Devices due to Nearby Lightning Flashes

Abstract

The characteristics of the residual voltage of a surge protective device (SPD) connected to an overhead distribution line due to nearby natural cloud-to-ground lightning and to rocket-triggered lightning are analyzed in this paper. The residual voltage of the SPD is found to be closely related to the ground potential rise at the grounding terminal of the SPD. For natural lightning occurring 1.8 km to 10.5 km away from the SPD, the ground potential rise (GPR) is too small to influence the residual voltage of SPD. For rocket-triggered lightning with a 40-m distance between the lightning channel and the SPD, the residual voltage of SPD is primarily determined by the voltage induced in the distribution line for return stroke and large M-components process, whereas the influence of the GPR becomes strong in the minor M-components stage. For a 5-m distance between the lightning channel and the SPD, the residual voltage of SPD originates primarily from the GPR during the entire flash, exhibiting the characteristics of reversed polarity. The duration of SPD's residual voltage may be up to the order of milliseconds due to the GPR in the case of the large M-components and a long continuing current process, which may cause damage to the SPD.