Surge Protection for Amusement Park Alarm Systems


Amusement Park

Today's increased reliance on very sensitive electronics makes surge protection an important topic for Amusement Park alarm systems. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety study found that $26 billion dollars was lost due to non-lightning power surges. In addition, there are about 25 million lightning strikes in the US each year that cause between $650M to $1B in losses according to the Insurance Information Institute, State Farm©.

NEC-2020 The latest release of NEC/NFPA 70 edition 2020 (NEC 2020) has placed a greater emphasis on increasing personnel safety by mandating the use of Surge Protective Devices (SPDs).

From 2014 to 2020, the number articles now requiring SPDs has increased significantly for applications ranging from Modular Data Centers, Fire Pumps, Elevators, Critical Power Systems, Dwellings (Dormitories, Homes, Hospitals, Hotels), etc. This article will focus on Critical Power Systems and how they are defined by NFPA 70 Article 708.

What are Critical Operations Power Systems (COPS)

As stated by Article 708, Critical Operations Power Systems can be classed by municipal, state, federal, or other codes by any governmental agency having jurisdiction or by facility engineering documentation establishing the necessity for such a system. These systems include but are not limited to power systems, HVAC, fire alarm, security, communications, and signaling for designated critical operations areas.

Article 708.2 further defines how the end user can identify if the system is a COPS.

Category	Article 708.2 Definitions
Critical Operations Power Systems (COPS)	"Power systems for facilities or parts of facilities that require continuous operation for the reasons of public safety, emergency management, national security, or business continuity.”
Designated Critical Operations Areas (DCOA)	"Areas within a facility or site designated as requiring critical operations power."
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)	"An electronic system that provides monitoring and controls for the operation of the critical operations power system. This can include the fire alarm system, security system, control of the HVAC, the start/stop/monitoring of the power supplies and electrical distribution system, annunciation and communications equipment to emergency personnel, facility occupants, and remote operators."

Recommended SPDs for Amusement Park Alarm Systems

Equipment	System	Surge Protector Model #	Link
AC Incoming Power	120Vac	DS240S-120/G
Battery Backup	24Vdc	DS220S-24DC
Instrumentation	I/O 4-20mA	DLA-24D3
	POE Camera	MJ8-POE-A
PLC	Ethernet Ports	MJ8-C6A
PLC	RS-485	DLA-12D3
Radio	RF Coaxial	${ITEM_LINK#1314}<-No Item, #1314 P8AX09-N/FF	${ITEM_LINK#1314}<-No Item, #1314

References

#	Title
1	NFPA 70 edition 2020, Article 670 Industrial Machinery, 670.6 Surge Protection
2	NFPA 70 edition 2014, “Data Assessment for Electrical Surge Protective Devices”
3	NFPA 79 edition 2018
4	NFPA 79 edition 2018, Annex C, Examples of Industrial Machines Covered by NFPA 79
5	ANSI C62.41, Low-Voltage AC Power Circuits
6	ANSI C136.2, Roadway and Area Lighting Equipment - Dielectric Withstand and Electrical Transient
7	UL8801, Outline of Investigation for Photovoltaic (PV) Luminaire Systems
8	UL1598, Luminaires
9	UL924, Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment
10	UL1449 5th Edition, Surge Protective Devices
11	UL497B, Surge Protectors for Data Lines and Fire-Alarm Circuits
12	UL497E, Antenna Lead-in Conductors
13	UL508, Industrial Control Equipment
14	IEC 61643-11, Low-Voltage Surge Protective Devices - Part 11: Surge Protective Devices Connected To Low-Voltage Power Systems - Requirements And Test Methods
15	IEC 61643-21, Low Voltage Surge Protective Devices - Part 21: Surge Protective Devices Connected To Telecommunications And Signalling Networks - Performance Requirements And Testing Methods
16	IEC 61000-45, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) - Part 4-5: Testing And Measurement Techniques - Surge Immunity Test
17	CSA 107.1, General Use Power Supplies
18	CSA 141, Emergency Lighting Equipment
19	CSA 250, Luminaires
20	NOM-001-SCFI, Standard for Electronic Equipment
21	NOM-003-SCFI, Electrical Products - Safety Requirements
22	UL 121201, UL Standard for Safety Nonincendive Electrical Equipment for Use in Class I and II, Division 2 and Class III, Divisions 1 and 2 Hazardous (Classified) Locations