Cutler Hammer, Div of Eaton Corp SPD Series Catalog Page

Surge protective devices

Eaton SPD Series

For mounting external to electrical distribution equipment

Eaton SPD Series sidemount
surge protective devices

Eaton sidemount versions
of the SPD Series surge
protective devices are the
latest and most advanced
ULT 1449 3rd Edition certified
surge protectors. Application
of SPD Series units throughout
a facility will ensure that
equipment is protected with
the safest and most reliable
surge protective devices
available. Units are available
in all common voltages and
configurations, and also in
a variety of surge current
capacity ratings from 50
through 400 kA. Three feature
package options are also
available to choose from.

Applications

The increasing necessity for
facility-wide surge protection

The ever-increasing use of
microprocessors and other
sensitive electronic equipment
has increased the necessity for
facility-wide surge protection.
These sensitive electronic
components are used within
many pieces of equipment,
including computers,
programmable logic controllers,
and other commonly used
electrical and electronic
equipment. Surges can wreak
havoc on equipment, causing
catastrophic failures, process
interruptions and premature
aging leading to failure. The
application of surge protective
devices (SPDs) can mitigate
problems with sensitive
electronic equipment, keeping
the equipment and the related
processes up and running reliably
without disruption or damage
due to surge-related events.

In addition to externally
generated surge events, such
as lightning and grid switching,
equipment is also susceptible to
damage by internally generated
surges. In fact, the majority of
surges are generated internally
by commonly used items, such
as fluorescent lighting ballasts,
light dimmers, photocopiers, fax
machines and variable frequency
drives. This further reinforces the
necessity for facility-wide surge
protection applied at all stages
of the electrical distribution
system, from the electrical
service entrance down to the
single-phase loads.

Standards
and certications

•

UL 1449 3rd Edition

•

Canadian Standards
Association (CSAT)

Features

•

Uses thermally protected
metal oxide varistor
(MOV) technology

•

20 kA nominal discharge
current (I
rating assigned by UL)

•

50 through 400 kA surge
current capacity ratings

•

Three feature package options

•

Factory-sealed assembly
prevents arc flash and
shock hazards

•

Contains no replaceable
parts or items that require
periodic maintenance

•

Optional internal
disconnect available

•

200 kA short-circuit current
rating (SCCR)

•

10-year warranty (15 years
with registration)

The breadth of the SPD
Series’ features, options and
configurations ensures that the
correct unit is available for all
electrical applications, including
service entrances, distribution
switchboards, panelboards and
point-of-use applications.

) rating (maximum

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The SPD Series makes surge
suppression safer than ever

The SPD Series employs safety
and design features that make
surge protection safer than ever.
Unlike many surge protective
devices, the SPD Series contains
no user-serviceable parts or
items that require periodic
maintenance, such as replaceable
surge modules, replaceable
fuses, surge counter memory
backup batteries or wire lugs
that require periodic retightening.
Sidemount versions of the unit
are factory-sealed, meaning no
potential contact with harmful
voltages present within the unit
is possible.

The SPD Series sidemount
series has also taken safety to
the next level by using thermally
protected MOVs as its core
surge suppression component.
These thermally protected
MOVs operate in a safe
manner, even when subjected
to abnormal conditions, such
as temporary overvoltages or
high fault current conditions.
When one of these conditions
exists, the thermally protected
MOVs are removed from the
circuit quickly and safely before
a potentially unsafe condition
can occur, with absolutely no
discharge of smoke or ionized
gases. Using the latest in
technology and surge protective
device design, the SPD Series
provides safe, reliable, worry­free surge protection.

Prewired

All SPD Series sidemount units
are prewired at the factory and
contain a factory-installed conduit
interface, making installation
very easy. Simply mount the unit,
perform any required conduit
runs, and land all required wires
to the electrical assembly that
the unit is being interfaced with.
No internal wiring connections
or access to the inside of the
unit is required.

Factory-sealed

All SPD Series sidemount
units are factory-sealed. This
preventive safety measure
eliminates potential arc flash
and shock hazards, as the
user/installer has no chance
of coming into contact with
energized electrical components
within the unit. In addition, the
unit contains no user-replaceable
or serviceable items, such as
surge modules, fuses, backup
batteries for the surge counter’s
memory or wire lugs that
require periodic retightening.
Factory-sealing all units, coupled
with the lack of replaceable

items, further increases user
safety, as contact with live
electrical parts is neither
possible nor necessary.

Compact size

Sidemount versions of the
SPD Series are compact in
size, taking up less space in the
electrical room. Units housed
in NEMAT 1 rated enclosures
in the 50 kA through 200 kA
surge current capacity range
are housed in a 74-square-inch
enclosure that is only 3.50 inches
deep. Units housed in NEMA 1
rated enclosures in the 250 kA
through 400 kA surge current
capacity range are housed in a
74-square-inch enclosure that is
only 6.00 inches deep.

Enhanced protection
status indicators

The Eaton SPD Series has
elevated the features normally
found within surge protective
devices to the next level. Unlike
many surge protectors that
may have only single-colored
indicators that simply indicate
whether power is applied to
the surge protective device,
each SPD Series unit includes
dual-colored protection status
light emitting diodes (LEDs)
that indicate the true status of
the protection. On three-phase
units, if power is removed from
a phase, the unit’s protection
status LEDs continue to indicate
the status of the protection on
that phase, not the status of
the power applied to the phase.
This new feature ensures
that the user is supplied with
accurate information concerning
the status of the protection the
SPD is supplying on the phase,
not the status of the power
applied to the phase.

All units that require a neutral
wire connection also contain an
additional set of dual-colored
LEDs that report the status of the
protection in the neutral-ground
(N-G) protection mode. Like the
phase protection status LEDs,
the N-G protection status LEDs
also report the true status of the
protection in the N-G mode.

Although most SPDs on the
market contain N-G mode
protection, they do not monitor
and indicate the status of
the protection in that mode.
Specifying the SPD Series’
N-G protection mode status
indication feature will ensure
that users are supplied
with complete and accurate
information concerning the
surge protective device’s
protection status.

20 kA nominal discharge
current rating (I

)

n

The entire SPD Series product
offering has a nominal discharge
current (I
achievable rating for this

) of 20 kA, the highest

n

important parameter. This is
a new rating for SPDs that is
included as part of UL 1449
3rd Edition testing and certifi­cation. This rating provides an
indication of the SPD’s design
robustness and ability to handle
a number of large-magnitude
surges over a short period of
time and remain operational
within tested parameters.

During I
subjected to 15 surges of a

testing, the SPD is

n

current magnitude chosen by
the SPD’s manufacturer. Valid
current magnitude choices for
the test are 20 kA and 10 kA for
Type 1 SPDs. Valid choices for
Type 2 SPDs are 20 kA, 10 kA,
5 kA and 3 kA. The 15 surges
are then applied at the value
chosen by the manufacturer.

Prior to the start of I
a preliminary voltage protection

testing,

n

rating (VPR) is measured. The
VPR is the measured let-through
voltage of the unit when a
6 kV, 3 kA surge is applied. This
value is documented and saved
as a reference. After all surges
have been applied, the VPR
is measured once again and
compared to the value that was
recorded prior to the 15-surge
sequence. In order to pass the

test, the SPD must survive all

I

n

15 surges, and the measured
pre- and post-VPR values must
be within ±10% of each other.

Choosing an SPD with an I
of 20 kA ensures that your

n

equipment is being protected
by a unit that will continue to
maintain a high level of surge
protection performance, even
after being subjected to multiple
high-magnitude surges.

Industry standards for lightning
protection systems require the
installed SPDs to have a nominal
discharge current of 20 kA.
The 2008 Edition of National
Fire Protection Agency (NFPAT)
Standard 780, titled “Standard
for the Installation of Lightning
Protection Systems,” states
the requirement in Section

4.18.3.1.2. The 2007 Edition
of Underwriters Laboratories
(UL) Standard 96A, titled
“Installation Requirements for
Lightning Protection Systems,”
states the requirement in
Section 13.1. Choosing an SPD
with an I
that compliance with these

of 20 kA will ensure

n

standards can be achieved.

SPD Series unit

Eaton SPD Series sidemount
unit mounted externally to an
Eaton panelboard.

All SPD Series sidemount units
come prewired and include a
factory-installed conduit
interface, making installation
very easy.

All SPD Series units are factory­sealed, ensuring that the user/
installer has no potential of
coming into contact with
harmful voltages present
inside the unit.

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EATON CORPORATION Surge protective devices