Thyristors improve clamping to enhance surge protection
Two series of SIDACtor protection thyristors by Littelfuse are optimised to protect equipment located in high exposure environments from severe over-voltage transients.
The Pxxx0MEL 5kA series and Pxxx0FNL 3kA series SIDACtor protection thyristors offer enhanced reliability through multiple high energy surge events, says Littelfuse. Unlike many non-semiconductor-based high power protective products, which can experience functional degradation after only a few surge events, the Pxxx0MEL and Pxxx0FNL series thyristors are semiconductor-based components, and will continue to provide protection through multiple surge events without functional degradation.
Typical applications for Pxxx0MEL 5kA Series and Pxxx0FNL 3kA Series SIDACtor protection thyristors include CATV amplifiers, telecomms basestation equipment, cell towers, UPS/AC high-power distribution grids, automotive battery charging systems, solar power system DC/AC inverters and uninterruptible battery backup systems.
The Pxxx0MEL 5kA series and Pxxx0FNL 3kA series SIDACtor protection thyristors offer lower on-state voltage values compared with the arc voltage of a traditional gas discharge tube. This low on-state voltage means they can handle much higher surge currents and also offer a much lower voltage threshold than the clamping voltage of a metal oxide varistor. The Pxxx0MEL 5kA series and Pxxx0FNL 3kA series SIDACtor protection thyristors can be used in series with clamping devices such as varistors or TVS didoes to protect AC power input lines.
Pxxx0MEL Series and Pxxx0FNL Series SIDACtor protection thyristors offer several key benefits, says Littelfuse. One is that the low on-state voltage condition ensures low thermal accumulation during long-term events. Another characteristic is that, unlike gas discharge tubes (GDTs) or surge arrestors, these semiconductor crowbar devices have no wear-out mechanism, so they can withstand multiple surge events with minimal degradation, eliminating the need to dispatch service personnel to replace damaged equipment.
Pxxx0MEL 5kA Series SIDACtor protection thyristors in TO-218 packaging are available in tube pack in quantities of 250, with 25 devices per tube and 10 tubes per box. Pxxx0FNL 3kA Series SIDACtor protection thyristors in TO-262M packaging are available in tube pack in quantities of 500 (50 per tube) or in tray pack in quantities of 100. Sample requests may be placed through authorised Littelfuse distributors worldwide.
