Manufacturing & Test Standards for SPDs
APT TVSS/SPDs are manufactured and tested in accordance with applicable industry standards. UL Marks are found on APT equipment. These are the most accepted and recognized safety certification marks in North America and provide an unbiased thorough product evaluation and quality assurance assessment.
The following standards are the basis of design, manufacture, and test of SPD equipment:
IEEE C62.41.1 - 2002 : Guide for Surge Voltages in Low-Voltage AC Power Circuits
This is a guide describing the surge voltage, surge current, and temporary over voltages (TOV) environment in low-voltage (up to 1000 V rms) ac power circuits. A practical basis is provided for the selection of voltage and current tests to be applied in evaluating the surge withstand capability of equipment connected to utility power circuits, primarily in residential, commercial, and light industrial applications. The recommended practice covers the origin of surge voltages, rate of occurrence and voltage levels in unprotected circuits, wave shapes of representative surge voltages, energy, and source impedance. Three location categories are defined according to their relative position from building service entrance. For each category, representative waveforms of surge voltages and surge currents are described and organized into two recommended “standard waveforms,” and three suggested “additional waveforms.”
IEEE C62.41.2 - 2002 : Recommended Practice on Characterization of Surges in Low Voltage (1000V and less) AC power circuits
This IEEE standards product is part C62 Family on Surge Protection and supersedes C62.41-1991. The scope of this recommended practice is to characterize the surge environment at locations on ac power circuits described in IEEE Std C62.41.1-2002 by means of standardized waveforms and other stress parameters. The surges considered in this recommended practice do not exceed one half-cycle of the normal mains waveform (fundamental frequency) in duration. They can be periodic or random events and can appear in any combination of line, neutral, or grounding conductors. They include surges with amplitudes, durations, or rates of change sufficient to cause equipment damage or operational upset.
IEEE C62.45 - 2002 : IEEE Guide on Surge Testing For Equipment Connected To Low-Voltage AC Power Circuitry
This IEEE standards product is from part C62 Family on Surge Protection. The scope of this recommended practice is the performance of surge testing on electrical and electronic equipment connected to low-voltage ac power circuits, specifically using the recommended test waveforms defined in IEEE Std C62.41.2 -2002. Nevertheless, these recommendations are applicable to any surge testing, regardless of the specific surges that may be applied.
IEEE C62.62 - 2000 : IEEE Standard Test Specification for Surge Protective Devices For Low-Voltage AC Power Circuitry
This standard establishes methods for testing and measuring the performance characteristics for surge-protective devices used in low-voltage ac power circuits. Definitions are stated that apply specifically to surge-protective devices. The testing requirements are categorized into two groups, in which a minimum set of basic tests (BTs) are prescribed for all surge-protective devices within the scope of its documents, supplemented by additional tests (ATs) that might be needed to establish particular application requirements.
ANSI/IEEE C62.11 – 1993 : Standard for metal-oxide surge arrestors for AC power circuits
This standard applies to metal oxide surge arresters designed to repeatedly limit the voltage surges on 48Hz to 62Hz power circuits by passing surge discharge current and automatically limiting the flow of system power current. This standard applies to devices for separate mounting and to those supplied integrally with other equipment.
ANSI/IEEE C62.33 – 2000 : Test Specification for Varistors surge-protective devices
This standard applies to varistors for surge protective applications on systems with dc to 420Hz frequency and voltages equal to or less than 1000V RMS or 1200V dc. This standard contains definitions, services conditions, and a series of test criteria for determining the electrical characteristics of these varistors. If the characteristics differ from the direction of conduction, then the tests determine the characteristics for both polarities. Arresters covered by ANSI/IEEE C62.1 - 1984 are excluded from this standard.
IEEE STD 1100 - 2005 Emerald Book : Recommended Practice for Power & Grounding Electronic Equipment
IEEE Recommended Practice for Powering and Grounding Sensitive Electronic Equipment. Section 5.20.9 provides guidelines for installations utilizing UPS systems. Specifying surge suppression should be placed on the rectifier/charge input circuit and the bypass circuits including the manual bypass. The Emerald book also contains information concerning the installation of suppressors within a facility in section 9.11.2
IEEE STD 446 - 1995 Orange Book : Emergency & Standby Power
IEEE Recommended Practice for Emergency and Standby Power Systems for Industrial and Commercial Applications. Sections 6.4.2.2 and 6.7.5 recommend fundamental practices for overvoltage and transient voltage protection.
IEEE C62.72 (Not yet published) : IEEE Standards Guide for Application of Surge Protective Devices for Low Voltage (1000 Volts or Less) AC Power Circuits
Guide for the Application of Surge Protective Devices for Low Voltage (1000 Volts or Less) AC Power Circuits. The transient over voltages or surge events that are described and discussed in this guide are those that originate outside of a building or facility and impinge on a power distribution system through the service entrance conductors. Transient over voltages or surge events that originate from equipment within a facility are not within the scope of this document.
UL 1449 Second Edition Revision (Rev 2.5) – 2007 : UL Standard for Safety for TVSS
The current revision is Rev. 2.5, effective February 2007. The next revision is Rev. 3 in September 2009. These UL test procedures incorporate recommendations from IEEE C62.41, C62.45, and UL designed safety tests. The safety testing focuses on mechanical and electrical failure mode and insures that the suppressor being evaluated fails safely. The UL MARK for TVSS 1449 cannot be used if the unit fails the safety test. Additional requirements for the UL MARK include performance testing. Performance testing does not include a pass/fail performance grade, but results in a suppression rating assigned to the specific product. The performance test is a let through test that measures the amount of transient voltage remaining when a specific magnitude transient is injected at the input of the suppressor. A pulse life test is also performed as part of the 1449 listing; this is a pass/fail test and measures the ability of a suppressor to survive multiple transients in succession.
UL 1283 - 2007 : Electromagnetic Interference filters
This UL listing is the safety testing procedure for EMI/RFI filters. This is a safety only standard, not a performance standard. Some surge suppressors include a capacitive filter as part of the suppression circuit.
UL 67 - 2000 : Panelboards
This UL listing is for panelboard interiors. This is a safety listing describing clearances, heat dissipation, and conductor material, and sizes. This standard covers panelboards 600 volts and less. This would pertain to suppressors mounted internal to panelboards.
UL 50 - 2003 : Enclosures for electrical equipment
This UL listing is for panelboard enclosures. This is a safety listing that describes the size and material used for panelboard enclosures.
UL 845 - 2005 : Motor control Center
This UL listing is for motor control centers and pertains to suppressors mounted internal to a motor control center bucket.
UL 857 - 2001 : Busways
This is the UL listing for busplug devices and pertains to a suppressor mounted internally to a busplug unit.
UL 1414 - 2007 : UL Standard for Safety Across-The-Line Antenna Coupling and Line Bypass Capacitors for Radio- and Television- Type Appliances
Safety standard for capacitors and suppressors for radio- and television- type appliances. These requirements cover capacitors rated not more than 1.0 microfarad, 85°C, 250V, and 60 Hz that are employed in radio, television receiving, and similar appliance circuits where breakdown of the capacitor results in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons.
NEC Article 280 – 2002 & 2005 Editions : Surge Arresters
This covers general requirements, installation requirements, and connection requirements for surge arresters installed on premise wiring systems on circuits of less than 1000 volts.
NEC Article 285 – 2002 & 2005 Editions : Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors
NEC Article 285 addresses transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSS), while NEC Article 280 addresses surge arresters. These are not the same, though they both provide surge protection. Surge arresters apply to (in most cases) only the supply side (line side) of the meter (280.22). TVSS devices apply to load side (285.21). Some devices are listed for use in either location, but typically surge protection devices are designed for use in only one or the other. TVSS devices reduce potentially damaging short-duration spikes on main power sources in a facility.
NFPA 780 - 2007 : Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems
This document covers traditional lightning protection system installation requirements for: Ordinary structures, miscellaneous structures and special occupancies, Heavy-duty stacks, Watercraft, Structures containing flammable vapors, flammable gases, or liquids that give off flammable vapors. This document does not cover lightning protection system installation requirements for early streamer emission systems or charge dissipation systems.
NEMA Standards Publication No. LS 1 - 2000 : Low voltage surge protection devices
This document is the National Electrical Manufacturers Association standardized surge suppression specification format. The document provides standard definitions and specification format.
IEC 61643-1 - 2005 : Low voltage surge protective devices – requirements and tests
This part of IEC 61643 is applicable to devices for surge protection against indirect and direct effects of lightning or other transient over voltages. These devices are packaged to be connected to 50/60 Hz a.c. and d.c. power circuits, and equipment rated up to 1000 V r.m.s. or 1500 V d.c. Performance characteristics, standard methods for testing, and ratings are established for these devices that contain at least one nonlinear component that is intended to limit surge voltages and divert surge currents.
IEC 61643-12 - 2002 : Low voltage surge protective devices – Selection and Application Principles
This part of IEC 61643 describes the principles for selection, operation, location and coordination of SPDs to be connected to 50 Hz to 60 Hz a.c. and to d.c. power circuits and equipment rated up to 1 000 V r.m.s. or 1 500 V d.c.
CSA C22.2M – 2000 : Bonding of Electrical Equipment
This is the CSA guideline for compliance with Canadian Electrical Code for bonding and grounding and surge suppressors. CSA and UL have a reciprocal agreement allowing the sharing of testing information to accommodate CSA Certification and UL listing of surge suppressors.
FIPS PUB 94 - 1983 : Guidelines on Electrical Power for ADP Installations
Federal Information Standards Publication 94 guidelines for Federal data processing centers and covers the complete environment for installing computers. Topics covered include air conditioning, grounding, transformers, lightning protection, and surge suppression.
MIL STD-220B - 2000 : Method of filter insertion-loss measurement
The military standard for measuring filter attenuation using the 50 ohm insertion loss method. This standard is used for surge suppressors with EMI/RFI filtering circuits.