Transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS)

摘要

Transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS) located conveniently between the conventional plug-in watt-hour meter and its socket at a customer's location. Over-voltage means, such as one or preferably more metal oxide varistors, are supported there, as in a cylindrical housing called a meter adapter. The varistors connect electrically between power leads and an external ground lead to clip voltage transients and to shunt resulting surge currents harmlessly to ground. Varistors may be inserted into suitable holders therein or may be prepackaged and be retained therein within such prepackaging. One terminal and preferably a face of each varistor is contiguous with an extensive laminar conductor within the adapter in the pathway to ground so as to accommodate extremely surge currents and to aid in dissipating resulting accumulation of thermal energy.