Voltage Fluctuations: Protecting Electrical Appliances in Stormy Weather

AI Thread Summary
Voltage fluctuations during stormy weather can pose risks to electrical appliances, particularly from large transients caused by lightning strikes. While small dips or surges typically do not cause significant damage, they can lead to issues like computer resets. Most electronic devices include surge suppression circuitry to mitigate damage from powerline transients, but the effectiveness varies based on the spike's magnitude and the quality of the protection. The ITIC (CBEMA) curve outlines acceptable voltage ranges for electronic equipment, indicating that deviations can lead to malfunctions or failures. Understanding these factors is crucial for protecting appliances during storms.
namannitant
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
how can voltage fluctuation arm electrical appliances...

say fluctuation on a stormy night...
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
namannitant said:
how can voltage fluctuation arm electrical appliances...

say fluctuation on a stormy night...

Small dips or surges in the amplitude of the AC Mains waveform generally will not cause much harm. If your PC resets due to an AC Mains voltage dip, well, that can be bad if you're in the middle of typing!

More harmful are large transients on the AC Mains, like from lightning hits nearby, etc. Most electronic devices have some power supply input clamping circuitry to try to keep these powerline transients from causing harm ("Surge Suppressors"), but depending on the size of the spike coming in, and the quality of the surge suppression circuitry, the device may be damaged.

Here is some more reading for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_compatibility

.
 
Thread 'Weird near-field phenomenon I get in my EM simulation'

Thread 'Weird near-field phenomenon I get in my EM simulation'

I recently made a basic simulation of wire antennas and I am not sure if the near field in my simulation is modeled correctly. One of the things that worry me is the fact that sometimes I see in my simulation "movements" in the near field that seems to be faster than the speed of wave propagation I defined (the speed of light in the simulation). Specifically I see "nodes" of low amplitude in the E field that are quickly "emitted" from the antenna and then slow down as they approach the far...
View full post »

Thread 'EMF (Electromagnetic Field) & EHS (Electromagnetic Hyper Sensitivity)'

Hello dear reader, a brief introduction: Some 4 years ago someone started developing health related issues, apparently due to exposure to RF & ELF related frequencies and/or fields (Magnetic). This is currently becoming known as EHS. (Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a claimed sensitivity to electromagnetic fields, to which adverse symptoms are attributed.) She experiences a deep burning sensation throughout her entire body, leaving her in pain and exhausted after a pulse has occurred...
View full post »

Similar threads

Will voltage drop and fluctuation occur?
Replies
7
Views
1K
How to determine kVA for my house? (to buy a servo stabilizer)
Replies
2
Views
1K
Ansys Maxwell Simulation- Torque Fluctuating
Replies
10
Views
3K
How can an appliance work better when the AC Mains stabilizer is removed?
Replies
20
Views
3K
Overvoltage Protection
Replies
5
Views
1K
Considering Earth ground vs floating ground in off grid solar
Replies
13
Views
6K
Request a Diagram or Explanation to wire 220v-50/60hz UK 3-wire device
Replies
1
Views
2K
Can I Use 500W Voltage Converter on 110-127V Appliance?
Replies
1
Views
1K
Will a UPS physically "protect" computing hardware?
Replies
11
Views
2K
How do the appliances work with AC voltage?
Replies
10
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top