Why Should Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Be Protected?
Lightning strikes as a result of high voltage discharges and sudden voltage spikes that may occur as a result of on-off operations may cause electrical circuits to malfunction or burn out. Electric vehicles play an important role in the journey towards a sustainable future. However, if the charging stations to be used for charging electric vehicles are not protected against natural disasters such as overvoltage and lightning, they may suffer serious physical and material damage. Therefore, a special set of measures should be taken to provide protection from overvoltage and lightning strikes at electric vehicle charging stations.
More Reliable Protection with AG Surge Arresters!
Firstly, the basic components such as switches, charge control units, inverters and batteries that provide energy transfer to electric vehicle charging stations should be secured with high quality insulation materials, cables and grounding systems. The increase in the quality of these materials will increase the durability and reliability of charging stations.
Secondly, the correct protection planning should be made according to the location of the charging station. For example, if charging stations are located in an open area, they must be protected against lightning strikes. To do this, lightning rods or lightning grounding systems in the external lightning category can be used. These systems prevent lightning from striking the charging station directly and collect the lightning energy and transmit it to earth. However, safe operation may not always be possible with external lightning protection. In this case, LV surge arresters in the internal lightning category come to the fore as another protection equipment that can be used in charging stations. The important point here is the installation of the protection system by correctly analysing the lightning levels according to IEC 62305 lightning protection standard.
Which LV Surge Arrester to Choose for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations?
When LV surge arrester protection devices are considered, lightning strikes are damped by class B (Type 1) surge arresters, while sudden voltage spikes are damped by class C (Type 2) surge arresters. Charging stations that require sensitive protection may be exposed to both lightning and sudden high voltage pulses depending on their location. At this point, B+C class surge arresters offer a reliable protection structure against both potential damage factors and can dampen even a lightning strike of 100 kA as well as all sudden voltage surges.
Indirect Protection Factors
Finally, indirect protection at charging stations also plays a major role in ensuring a reliable system. Electric vehicle charging stations should be checked regularly, all connections should be reviewed and necessary updates should be made to ensure that they are protected. In addition, factors such as the pruning of trees near charging stations and the consideration of tall buildings in the vicinity should also be taken into account during the installation of the protection system.