Application Note CCC-00-002

November 14, 2003

Series vs. Parallel Connected Transient Protection

Steven P. Zwierlein, Sr. Applications Engineer
Control Concepts Corporation

Parallel connected Sine Wave Tracking

(SWT) surge suppressors and series connected
Active Tracking filters (ATF) both have their place
in the Total Copper Wire Protection scheme. In
order to achieve the most effective applications, it is
important to first look at how both types of systems
are connected to the facilitys power grid. Figure 1
shows connection diagrams for both types of
systems. The parallel connected device is tapped
off the load side of a service panel. Typically, a
dedicated circuit breaker in the service or branch
panel is used as the means of connection. On the
other hand, the series connected filter, also wired to
the load side of the service panel, is directly
connected in-line with the protected equipment
(typically hard wired with no quick means of
disconnect). To understand why one type might be
the better choice, for a particular application, it is
necessary to now look at each from a component
level.
Parallel Connected SPD
's
N

To
"Protected"
Panel or
Loads

Service
Panel

Parallel Connected Devices:

Parallel surge protective devices (SPDs)
generally contain components that clamp and divert
transients away from the load. The technologies
most commonly used are gas tubes, silicon
avalanche diodes (SADs) and metal oxide varistors
(MOVs). In this paper, MOVs are going to be the
primary component discussed. MOVs are voltage
sensitive components that begin to conduct current
when a transient voltage condition exists on the line.
The diagram, in figure 2, shows the inside of
a typical parallel surge protection device. The MOVs
are attached across, or in parallel to, the incoming
wiring from the panel. The length of the surge paths
a, b, and c are dependent on the distance between
the SPD and the panel it is connected to. This
distance has a direct effect on the performance of the
device. The greater the distance, the greater the
amount of let-through voltage the loads are going to
experience. Because parallel SPDs perform in this
manner, installation rules require the SPD to be
mounted as close as possible to the panel that it is
protecting (general rule of thumb is less than five feet
away). Often, this can be a difficult task for a
contractor.
Additionally, even if the contractor
mounts the SPD as close as possible to the
connecting panel, the lead length may have adverse
effects on the desired performance.

SPD

Series Connected Filter

's
N
G

Service
Panel

Active
Tracking
Filter

To
"Protected"
Panel or
Loads

Figure 1.
Connection Diagrams

Figure 2.
Parallel-Connected Components

Application Note CCC-00-002

Series Connected Filters:
Active Tracking Filters (ATF) were originally
designed to protect sensitive equipment from highfrequency noise. Control Concepts now offers these
products with parallel and series components that
provide high-energy transient protection as well as
filtering.
Control Concepts ATFs use a low-pass
circuit to eliminate high-frequency noise. Low-pass
or L-C filters are the most popular type of circuit used
for transient reduction and consist of series inductors,
capacitor and resistors. ATFs are load dependent,
which means that the series inductors located on
each phase and neutral conductor, are sized to
handle the maximum current draw on the line. These
inductors together with the capacitors and resistors
form a circuit capable of absorbing a large bandwidth
of noise.
The ATFs parallel, high-energy, clamping
components are similar to that discussed in the
previous section. Surge components (MOVs) are
mounted directly across the lines with no additional
lead length (Figure 3). The a, b and c surge paths
are as short a possible allowing virtually all of the
surge to get to the MOV. This minimizes the amount
of let-though voltage and maximizes the circuit
performance.
The components shown in figure 3 perform
the following functions. Starting from the left side of
the diagram, the series inductors block voltage and
smooth current. Next, capacitor/resistor networks
shunt and absorbs normal mode noise. Finally, the
parallel MOVs clamp high-energy common mode (LG) and normal mode (L-N) transients.
This
combination of staged components offers the tightest
clamping voltage ratings in the industry.

November 14, 2003

Sine Wave Tracking:
Sine wave tracking is an industry wide term
that refers to a device that contains parallel
connected components as their sole means of
transient protection. The majority of these products
are parallel connected to the service or distribution
panel. A sine wave tracking device has a threshold
at which it clamps high-energy spikes (figure 5). This
threshold, which is commonly called the units
clamping voltage, is based on three criteria:
1. The nominal system voltage
2. The size of the pulse
3. The length of leads
For example, a 120V parallel device that is subjected
to 6kV, .5A pulse at 6 inches outside the case will
typically have a clamping voltage of 400 to 600V.
Additional benefits of parallel connected SPDs are
as follows:
1. Usually lower price than series connected SPDs.
2. Because they contain no series components they
generally have smaller overall size.
3. Easy installation, power to equipment does not
need to be interrupted for servicing.
Disadvantages of parallel connected SPDs include:
1. Performance is at the mercy of the installer,
because clamping voltage is dependent on lead
length.
2. Let-through voltage at 0 point is significantly
more than at 90 on sine wave.
3. High frequency noise may not be attenuated by
the SPD, thus leaving sensitive equipment
unprotected.

Figure 3.
Series-Connected Components

Figure 4.
Sine Wave Tracking Performance

Application Note CCC-00-002

Active Tracking Filters:
Active Tracking is a Control Concepts
patented term describing devices that contain series
components. The devices are connected in series
with the critical industrial loads they are protecting.
Active tracking filters have the ability to attenuate
high and low level transients at any point on the sine
wave. This is accomplished by the addition of an L-C
circuit to the existing parallel components. Figure 5
shows how high-energy transients and highfrequency noise are converted once they pass
through the filter and to your sensitive equipment.
Additional benefits of series connected Active
Tracking Filters:
1. Converts potentially damaging high frequency
noise into clean reliable ac power.
2. Lowest possible clamping voltage because
modules are directly across lines.
3. Performance of device does not depend on
installer.

November 14, 2003

Parallel (SWT) vs. Series (ATF):
A major difference between a parallel
connected Sine Wave Tracking device and a series
connected Active Tracking Filter is the way they
respond to high frequency noise. High frequency
(also known as EMI/RFI) noise typically falls within
the range of 10kHz to 150MHz. Figures 6 and 7 are
EMI/RFI sweeps of a parallel and series connected
devices. The X-axis of each graph indicates the
frequencies injected into the device. The Y-axis
represents the amount of attenuation, input versus
output, measured in decibels. The higher the dB
value, the better the filter. The plot in figure 6 show a
narrow curve or notch of 80dB maximum at the
approximately 1MHz. As one can see, the parallel
connected device is providing very limited protection
at frequencies other than 1MHz. On the other hand,
the plot in figure 7 shows a deep bath tub shaped
curve reaching 90dB attenuation over a wide range of
frequencies. Comparison of the two graphs clearly
shows that the ATF design provides much more
protection from high frequency noise then the SWT.

Disadvantages of series connected Active Tracking

Filters:
1. Load dependent therefore may be substantially
higher in cost than parallel connected devices.
2. Power to equipment must be cut for installation
and servicing.

Figure 6.
EMI/RFI Sweep
Parallel Connected

Figure 5.
Active Tracking Filter
Performance

Figure 7.
EMI/RFI Sweep
Series Connected

Application Note CCC-00-002

Conclusion:
After reading this paper the following
questions regarding transient protection should be
able to be answered.
1. How are series and parallel devices
connected within a facility?
2. What types of components are used in a
parallel TVSS?
3. What type of components are used in a
series filter?
4. What protection does a TVSS provide?
5. What protection does a ATF provide?
6. What is the major difference in protection
between a TVSS and ATF?
During the procurement process the decision will
need to be made between purchasing a series filter
or parallel SPD. Answering this final question should
make this decision easier.
Are you trying to protect against the distruction of
equipment, the disruption of machines or both?
If protection of equipment against destructive highenergy transients is required, then a parallel
connected device is likely to be the most logical
solution. On the other hand, if sensitive equipment is
being disrupted by high frequency noise, then a
series connected filter may be the right choice.
Sometimes power quality equipment is installed
before any problems arise, and it is not known what
types of problems exist. In this case the staged
approach is suggested, where both parallel and
series connected devices are used within the facility.

References:
Cole, B. (May, 1994)
Theoretical Analysis of an L-C, Low-Pass
Filter.
Control Concepts Corporation, Binghamton,
NY
Control Concepts. (1999)
Industrial Strength Protection Catalog
Binghamton, NY :Author.

November 14, 2003