MacLean Power Systems’ New and Improved Ground Lead Disconnector

MacLean Power Systems announces another arrester design enhancement only available with the Zforce family of arresters. Have you experienced line-lockout due to an arrester failing to disconnect from the line? Surge arresters become a line fault when they reach their end of life or experience a surge beyond design capability as well as other causes. It is at this time the ground-lead-disconnector, or isolator, is designed to operate and remove the ground connection from the arrester. This allows the system recloser to immediately restore power to the line. Better coordination is required where system fault currents are low, such as with impedance grounded systems or very long distribution lines.

The new and improved Zforce arrester ground-lead-disconnector now operates faster and at lower fault currents than ever before demonstarated by other designs. The ANSI/IEEE standard requires testing arrester disconnects at 20 amps for the lowest current rating. A typical diconnect will operate between 0.5 and 9 seconds at 20 amps. The new Zforce disconnector will operate within 0.09 seconds at 20 amps and within 2 seconds at 1 amp!

The Zforce mold-on arrester design not only extends arrester life with the best protection against moisture ingress, it now provides the greatest assurance it will isolate at the end of its life. For more information on surge protection, contact MacLean Power Systems at 847-455-0014