Effect of Power transients on Electronic components / Devices

A flow of electrical power or charge is characterized as electricity. It is an essential aspect of our lives. It is also true that our lives are completely reliant on it. At night, electricity illuminates our homes and streetlights. It keeps our home cool in the summer with fans and a cooler and warm in the winter with a heater. There is a great deal of equipment that meets our everyday demands and makes our lives easier and more comfortable. The introduction of the computer, which has drastically revolutionized our lives, is the most significant revolution in the field of electricals and electronics.

Discovery and Naming of Electricity 

The discovery and development of electricity can be traced back to a curious occurrence discovered in the sixteenth century. When amber (a hard transparent yellow-brown substance used to make jewellery or decorative objects) was rubbed against a piece of flannel (a soft woven fabric), it developed a charge that attracted light objects such as dry grass, leaves, and straw, among other things. The Greek word for amber is elektron, and the charge was given the name electricity as a result of this finding. It was evident from this finding that: 

• When two objects are rubbed against each other, they are both acquired, unlike charges. 

• Charges are always produced in pairs.
  

• It is important to note that metallic objects do not get charged upon rubbing while non-metallic ones get charged up.

• Electric charges are of two general types: positive and negative.

• Like charges repel while unlike charges attract each other.

What are Power transients?

When the electrical power supplied to a circuit fluctuates for a short period of time. Power transients happen due to over-voltage, Low Voltage, and Electrostatic discharge.

Types of Power transients

1) Spikes & Surges (Due to Over Voltage)

2) Brownouts & Blackouts (Due to Under Voltage)

3) Electrostatic Discharge (Static Energy) 

Overvoltage generates Spikes and Surges 

Spike: A spike occurs when a short burst of electricity exceeds 100% of the normal voltage for microseconds only. A power spike can cause damage to any electrical component, including a computer.

Surge: A surge occurs when power exceeds 110% of the normal voltages for more than a few seconds. A voltage increase that lasts at least three nanoseconds is considered a surge. If the increase is only present for one or two nanoseconds, that's called a power spike.

A power surge is a transient wave of voltage, current, or power in an electrical circuit.

Surges are produced by various events such as equipment faults, lightning discharges, capacitor bank building, and load switching. The ability of the equipment to withstand the transients greatly impacts its reliability.

Large appliances like air conditioners, furnaces, washers and dryers, and power tools are responsible for the majority of large power fluctuations. The main source of outside power surges is lightning strikes and power grid changes.

Because no surge protection system can protect your home from a direct lightning strike, it's a good practice to unplug electronics when an electrical storm is in the area.

There are different types of power surges based on the sources and voltages involved. A surge can range from five to ten volts or several thousand volts when lightning strikes a transformer.

Under Voltage generates Brownouts and Blackouts

Brownout: A brownout or sag is a partial loss of power. It occurs when the voltage drops below 110 volts for a few seconds due to a sudden increase in usage. Brownout can cause a frozen keyboard and unexpected system crashes. This could result in corrupt disks and data loss. It also reduces the life and efficiency of the Computer.

Blackout: A blackout is a total loss of power. A blackout occurs due to blown fuses, transformers, and downed power lines. It does not lead to hardware damage but it leads to data and memory loss.

Prevention from Power Transient

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply): 

When the power source fails, an instantaneous power supply named UPS keeps the computer working for at least a short time. Power surges are also prevented by using UPS. 

There are two types of “UPS” – Standby or Online.

Standby: Provides power back during a blackout.

Online: Provide protection against surges and brownouts by conditioning the power sent to the Computer.

Suppressors: 

A Suppressor provides voltage within the specified range. It does not provide power backup but it protects the computer from surges and spikes.

Electrostatic Discharge and Lightning 

Electrostatic or Static Charge

An imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material, or between materials, is referred to as static electricity. It is called "static" because the charges on an object do not move or "flow" to another place."

In other words, the accumulation of an electrical charge on an object's surface is referred to as static electricity. Static Electricity produces by electron transfer. It is a temporary transfer of electrons.

• A charge is formed when a neutral object loses or gains electrons.
  

• Protons have a positive charge while electrons have a negative charge.

• In a charged object only electrons move. 

• Electrons move from the most negative to the least one.

Electrostatic discharge, or ESD, is one of the few things that can harm or destroy your computer or its components. When repairing or upgrading your computer electrostatic discharge (ESD) might be occurred resulting in component damage.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage your computer's electronic components. ESD can build up on your body or an object and then discharge into another object, such as your computer, under certain conditions. The heat from the charge can melt the internal components of an electrical gadget, causing it to fail. A device may be damaged by an ESD incident, yet it will still work. This is referred to as a latent flaw, which is difficult to identify and reduces the device's lifespan.

To prevent ESD damage, you should discharge static electricity from your body before you interact with any of your computer’s internal electronic components, such as a memory module.

Lightning 

Lightning is a massive electrical discharge that occurs in the atmosphere between clouds, the air, or the earth. Lightning is a type of static discharge that builds up in the atmosphere. Lightning strikes can destroy life and property. Earthing (the process of transfer of charge to the earth) is used to minimise or avoid the loss of life and property.

Advantages of Static Electricity 

• Nitrogen is converted to its oxide by lightning, which is dissolved in water and rains down. This aids plants in obtaining the nitrogenous compounds they require.

• The creation of ozone from oxygen can also occur as a result of lightning. Ozone shields humans from the sun's dangerous UV rays.

• Cars are painted with static electricity. Special powder paints that have been positively charged spread out to make an extremely even paint layer on an earthed metal car body.

• It is used in Laser Printers and Photocopier machines to ensure that toner or ink is distributed correctly.

• Static electricity is also utilised to clean smoke chimneys of contaminants. Electrostatic plates are used in factory chimneys to attract all of the contaminated particles.

Disadvantages of Static Electricity

• Static electricity can cause combustible gases to ignite, such as the vapours produced by gasoline (gasoline) when you fill up your car at the gas station.

• Lightning is also static electricity formed in the clouds, and it can harm people and damage buildings.

• Static electricity can harm electrical components that are sensitive, such as those found within computers.

• Charged items attract dust and bacteria, thus it's critical to make sure that medical equipment and workers are effectively earthed, allowing electrons to travel to and from the ground.