Kularatna NSteyn-Ross DASilva Thotabaddadurage, Dr. Sadeeshvara2022-05-122022-05-122021Silva Thotabaddadurage SU, Kularatna N, Steyn-Ross DA (2021). Optimization of Supercapacitor Assisted Surge Absorber (SCASA) Technique: A New Approach to Improve Surge Endurance Using Air-Gapped Ferrite Cores. Energies. 14(14). 4337-4337.1996-1073https://hdl.handle.net/10092/103677SCASA is a patented technique commercialized as a surge protector device (SPD) that adheres to UL-1449 test standards. Apart from the novel use of supercapacitors, SCASA design incorporates a coupled-inductor wound to a specially selected magnetic material of powdered-iron. In this study, we investigate the limitations of the present design under transient operation and elucidate ways to eliminate them with the use of air-gapped ferrite cores. In modelling the operation under 50 Hz AC and transient conditions, a permeance-based approach is used; in addition, non-ideal characteristics of the transformer core are emphasized and discussed with empirical validations. The experimental work was facilitated using a lightning surge simulator coupled with the 230 V AC utility mains; combinational surge-waveforms (6 kV/3 kA) defined by IEEE C62.41 standards were continuously injected into SPD prototypes during destructive testing. Such procedures substantiate the overall surge-endurance capabilities of the different core types under testing. With regard to optimizations, we validated a 95% depletion of a negative-surge effect that would otherwise pass to the load-end, and another 13–16% reduction of the clamping voltage verified the effectiveness of the methods undertaken. In conclusion, SCASA prototypes that utilized air-gapped cores revealed a greater surge endurance with improved load-end characteristics.</jats:p>enAll rights reserved unless otherwise statedsupercapacitorssurge protectionmagnetic permeanceair-gapped transformereffective permeabilitySCASAJournal Article2022-02-1602 Physical Sciences09 EngineeringFields of Research::40 - Engineering::4008 - Electrical engineering::400805 - Electrical energy transmission, networks and systemsFields of Research::40 - Engineering::4008 - Electrical engineering::400807 - Engineering electromagneticsFields of Research::40 - Engineering::4008 - Electrical engineering::400802 - Electrical circuits and systemsFields of Research::40 - Engineering::4009 - Electronics, sensors and digital hardware::400911 - Power electronics40 - Engineering::4009 - Electronics, sensors and digital hardware::400904 - Electronic device and system performance evaluation, testing and simulationhttp://doi.org/10.3390/en14144337