US Navy and Surge Suppression

Special Note:
It should be noted that military electrical systems are much more robust than civilian systems. The benefit received from surge suppression in civilian installations will be much greater

Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors Prove a Good Return on Investment

     Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors (TVSS) significantly reduce life-cycle maintenance costs for sensitive electrical and electronics equipment in the surface Fleet.

     In FY 95-96, TVSS was introduced to surface Navy electrical power distribution systems as part of a technology demonstration onboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and USS Constellation (CV 64). Benefiting from the initial technology demonstration were the electronics for the Nato Sea Sparrow Missile System (NSSMS) and the URT24 communication system.

     The 3-M-based metrics reports continue to show a significant return on investment (ROI) after TVSS alterations have been accomplished across all surface ship classes. The average ROI ratio has been approximately 26:1 with a payback period of 1.09 years and estimated annual cost avoidance of over 2.5 million dollars.

     Why such a dramatic reduction in life cycle maintenance costs of electronics?

The answer lies somewhere between MIL-STD-1399 Section 300A (Interface Standard for Shipboard Systems, Section 300A, Electric Power, Alternating Current) and the increased usage of solid state electronics and switch mode power supplies onboard ship. Often times the new electronics gear onboard ship has been designed to tolerate the electric power environment allowable via the 1399 standard; however, the allowable transient levels (2500V for 450V systems and 1000V for 120V; for up to two microseconds) are not always applied to the electronics as part of first article testing. The TVSS devices are designed to withstand thousands of voltage spikes, and by installing the TVSS in parallel to the power distribution panel, both equipment level and system level spike activity is mitigated by the clamping action of the TVSS protective device.

Based on the positive ROI reports on the initial TVSS technology demonstrations, NAVSEA 05N had the forethought to apply TVSS as a tool towards achieving the goals of the Engineering for Reduced Maintenance (ERM) Process.


PHONE: (678) 546-6780 FAX: (678) 546-6782
Technical Support tech@tvss.net		Stedi-Power, Inc. 5044 B U Bowman Drive, Suite 102 Buford GA 30518

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Stedi-Power, Inc
5044 B U Bowman Drive #102
Buford, Georgia 30518
PHONE: (678) 546-6780