The development of the UHV a.c. arresters

SUMMARY Ultra-high voltage (UHV) systems require good insulation and high reliability. UHV a.c. system metal-oxide surge arrester (UHV MOA) is an important protective equipment, which used to limit the system overvoltage, to lower the level of insulation, and to increase operational reliability. The technical level of the UHV MOA has a significant impact on the safety and reliability, as well as the investment levels of the UHV project. The successful development of the UHV MOA is one of the most important achievements in arrester area. Before the completion of the China UHV a.c. demonstration project, UHV MOA has not been used commercially abroad, so the arrester standards were not involved of the UHV level. This paper details the development of the UHV MOA, including the design of technical parameters, equipment development, test, and so on. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.