A study on EMTP-analysis model for switch-board SPD with gap and propagation characteristics of lightning surge on simple indoor distribution line

The numbers of damages of home electric appliances due to lightning surges have recently increased. Installing Surge Protective Devices (SPDs) for indoor distribution line is one of countermeasures against the damages, and is also spreading after an amendment of the regulation on indoor wires in 2005. Past studies have showed that the SPDs installed on the switchboard are effective for protecting all the equipment supplied by indoor distribution lines against lightning strokes. However, it is difficult to evaluate the protective effects of the SPDs against lightning strikes when considering complex indoor wires in houses. Thus, a high-precision analysis method is required to clarify the lightning performance of the SPDs for interior wiring. In this research, experiments were conducted to grasp the protective effects of the SPDs installed on a switchboard against lightning surges invading into a house, and an analysis model by the EMTP was proposed. The calculated results relatively agreed with the experimental results.