Surge Protection Devices (SPDs)
Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) are essential components in electrical systems designed to protect sensitive equipment from transient over-voltages, commonly known as surges. These surges can originate from various sources, such as lightning strikes, power outages, or switching operations, and can cause significant damage to electronic devices. SPDs work by diverting excess voltage away from the protected equipment, typically to the ground, thus ensuring that the voltage level remains within a safe range. The basic operating principle involves the use of components like metal oxide varistors (MOVs), gas discharge tubes (GDTs), or transient voltage suppressor diodes, which respond to over-voltage conditions by changing their impedance and shunting the excess energy away from the circuit.