Transient & Surge Analysis
Investigation of fast overvoltage events — switching transients, capacitor energisation, lightning-induced surges and fault clearance restrikes — that damage insulation and destroy electronics without leaving the evidence a sustained fault would.
What this study establishes.
High-speed transient capture at the affected boards, with waveform records rather than summary statistics.
Event classification by origin — switching, capacitor energisation, lightning, or load-side.
Assessment against equipment impulse withstand category per IEC 60664-1.
Review of existing surge protection coordination across the installation's protection stages.
SPD specification where protection is absent or wrongly coordinated.
Recommendations on switching practice where transients are self-inflicted.
What the work covers.
Investigation of fast overvoltage events — switching transients, capacitor energisation, lightning-induced surges and fault clearance restrikes — that damage insulation and destroy electronics without leaving the evidence a sustained fault would.
Surge protection works as a coordinated cascade — a Type 1 device at the origin, Type 2 at distribution, Type 3 at the equipment — and the stages need correct separation to share energy properly. A single device at the main board does not protect sensitive load several boards downstream.
What lands in your inbox.
High-speed transient capture at the affected boards,
High-speed transient capture at the affected boards, with waveform records rather than summary statistics.
Event classification by origin
Event classification by origin — switching, capacitor energisation, lightning, or load-side.
Assessment against equipment impulse withstand category per
Assessment against equipment impulse withstand category per IEC 60664-1.
Review of existing surge protection coordination across
Review of existing surge protection coordination across the installation's protection stages.
SPD specification where protection is absent or
SPD specification where protection is absent or wrongly coordinated.
Recommendations on switching practice where transients are
Recommendations on switching practice where transients are self-inflicted.
How we run it.
Scope & data capture
We confirm the question the study must answer, agree the measurement or modelling points, and collect what the work depends on: symptom log with timing, to correlate against switching events; switching schedule for capacitor banks, large motors and bus transfers; existing spd inventory with type, location and status indication.
Measurement & modelling
Engineers carry out the measurement and modelling on site and in software, under operating conditions representative of the problem rather than a single convenient snapshot.
Analysis against standard
Results are assessed against IEC 61000-4-5, IEC 62305-4, IEC 61643-11 and IEC 61643-12, with the assessment basis and any measurement uncertainty stated rather than implied.
Report & recommendations
You receive a signed engineering report with findings ranked by consequence, the reasoning behind each conclusion, and mitigation options costed so they can be acted on or deferred deliberately.
Assessed against the published limits.
Common questions.
Typically in one of these situations: repeated electronic equipment failures with no overload or fault found; failures cluster around capacitor bank switching or generator transfers; lightning-prone location with sensitive installed equipment. If none of these apply, the study is unlikely to be the right next step and we will say so.
To scope and run the work we need symptom log with timing, to correlate against switching events; switching schedule for capacitor banks, large motors and bus transfers; existing spd inventory with type, location and status indication. Where any of it is missing we can establish it on site, which changes the scope rather than blocking the work.
Primarily IEC 61000-4-5, IEC 62305-4, IEC 61643-11 and IEC 61643-12, IEC 60664-1. The applicable framework depends on your connection agreement and jurisdiction, so we confirm which applies before measurement rather than after.
Ready to start the engagement?
Tell us about your site and the problem you are seeing. We come back with a fixed scope, a fixed fee, and a named lead engineer.