Surge Arrester Voltage Distribution Analysis by the Finite Element Method

This paper presents an analytic procedure for designing surge arresters so that a more uniform steady-state voltage distribution is imposed on the arrester components. The procedure is based on a network model in which the stray capacitance of the arrester is evaluated by finite element analysis. The method of computing these capacitances is presented, as well as a sample calculation giving the voltage distribution in an arrester. An experiment has been performed to test the accuracy of the procedure. The experimental findings are in close agreement with the values predicted by the analysis.