Abstract
Surge arresters and overhead ground wires are used to protect equipment and insulation on overhead power distribution lines against lightning. In recent years, surge arresters have been installed on power distribution tines in high density, and number of outages caused by flashover at an insulator has been gradually decreasing. However, failures of surge arresters caused by a large amount of energy more than their withstand capabilities due to lightning still occur.
In this paper, the difference between the energy absorbed by a surge arrester installed at the open-termination of a line and that installed in the midst of a line are studied using the EMTP. In the case of direct lightning hits to an overhead ground wire, the absorption energy of surge arresters installed at the open-termination of a line is about 1.1_??_2.3 times larger than that installed in the midst of a line.
