Vaisala WSP150 Surge Protector for Vaisala Ultrasonic Wind Sensors

The Vaisala WSP150 Surge Protector is a compact transient overvoltage suppressor designed for outdoor use. It can be used with all Vaisala wind and weather instruments.

Features

• Can be used with all Vaisala wind and weather instruments
• Superior three-stage, transient surge protection
• Tolerates up to 10 kA surge currents

The Vaisala WSP150 Surge Protector is a compact transient overvoltage suppressor designed for outdoor use. It can be used with all Vaisala wind and weather instruments.

A lightning strike nearby may induce a high voltage surge, which the integral transient suppressor of the instrument may not tolerate. Therefore, additional protection is needed, especially where frequent and severe thunderstorms are common and where long cables of more than 30m are used. The WSP150 offers three-stage protection against surge currents up to 10 kA entering through the power and signal cables.

The Vaisala WSP150 Surge Protector has four channels, two of which are dedicated to power lines and two for data lines. Each channel uses a three-stage protection scheme as follows: first there are discharge tubes, then voltage dependent resistors (VDR), and finally transient zener diodes. Between each stage, there are either series inductors or resistors. Both differential and common mode protection is provided for each channel: across the wire pairs, against the operating voltage ground, and against the earth. The WSP150 also includes noise filtering against HF and RF interference.

Vaisala recommends using the WSP150 when wind and weather instruments are installed on top of high buildings or masts and in open grounds, that is, anywhere with an elevated risk of lightning. Also use the WSP150 if your cable length exceeds 30m or you have unshielded, open-wire lines.