TERMITRAB Complete
Benchmark Surge Protection for the Process Industry
The protection of signal lines is often forgotten
about concept with many industrial sectors,
not so with the process Oil and Gas and
Petrochemical industries. Installations such
as refineries, oil and gas pipelines, gas
processing facilities, Oil or Gas storage
facilities are all massively important
infrastructure assets that rely heavily on the
reliable operation of electrical and electronic
equipment including safety and emergency
shutdown systems, and anything that
threatens the smooth operation of these
systems is mitigated against.
One such eventuality is the risk of lightning
strike and the potential for direct or indirect
damage that lightning strikes pose. Oil & Gas
Installations are particularly susceptible given
their large surface area, location, design and
the use of multiple field mounted modern
measuring and control equipment.
The cost involved in planning, designing and
installing surge protection measures are out
of all proportion when compared with the
maintenance costs that result from damage
to sensitive control systems, not to mention
potential revenue loss due to operational
downtime.
Earlier this year Phoenix Contact unveiled a
completely new family of Surge Protection
Devices, TERMITRAB COMPLETE (TTC).
This is the world’s narrowest range of surge
protective devices for Measurement, Control
and Regulation, or in other words surge
protection devices for signal lines.
So what are the main requirements for the
process sector?
One of the main trends is for a higher
packing density in the control cabinet and it is
not uncommon for several thousand signals
terminating in high-density marshalling
cabinets with the consequence that ever
narrower components are required. With
the TERMITRAB Complete the narrowest
devices are just 3.5 mm wide, by far the
slimmest on the market. The devices are
equipped with six terminal points to which two
signal lines each and a common reference
potential can be connected. This allows
protection against surge voltages of 572
signal conductors in just one metre of cabinet
space. The use of decoupling resistors has
also had the effect of significantly reducing
power dissipation, another key requirement
of high density signal packing.
Having the relevant approvals are of vital
importance to the Oil and Gas industry and
process industry in general and hazardous
area approvals especially so. TERMITRAB
complete also offers the ideal solution for
protecting signals in intrinsically safe circuits
with Ex i type of protection. The properties of
the intrinsically safe circuit are not affected
by the installation of the surge protection
module, and devices can be installed in Ex
Zone 1, Ex Zone 2 or in the non-Ex area
and the signals can be forwarded through
to Ex Zone 0. The products are approved
according to ATEX and IECEx
Where Phoenix Contact is leading the way
is by providing surge protection devices that
offer more than just surge protection. The
TERMITRAB Complete range offer more
than just surge protection, they can also be
used as fully fledged terminal blocks in cable
distribution cabinets and marshalling cabinets
thus reducing the number of required
components to connect field instruments to
the control system.
The TERMITRAB Complete has been
designed with “operability” in mind, and
includes versions with additional functions
to provide support during maintenance and
scheduled shut downs. Integrated knife
disconnection allows separation of signals
from the controller side and field side which
allows loop resistance testing directly on the
terminals of the SPD.
The lightning protection standards
recommend regular inspection of protective
devices. This is only possible through visual
To know in detail how the TERMITRAB range can give you
the best surge protection, email
[email protected] or visit the webiste.
www.phoenixcontact.co.uk/TERMITRAB
examination and this family of products has
built in overload detection and feature a
mechanical status indicator that displays an
overload of the surge protection directly on
the device. Since it is purely mechanical, no
additional power is needed for this indication.
With the pluggable options, where the surge
protection components are housed within
a detachable plug, there is also the ability
to remove the plug and test its integrity.
Removal of the plug has no effect on the
system availability while it is being tested,
and testing is straightforward using the
Phoenix Contact Checkmaster II.
There is also the possibility to monitor the
status of up to 40 surge arresters using
the remote signalling modules which can
be installed at each end of a row of SPD’s.
Any resulting error status can be forwarded
to subsequent systems via a floating
contact — consequently monitoring can be
easily integrated into a control system.
So in summary, the TERMITRAB Complete
range has the following features.
Narrow overall width with versions
starting from 3.5mm
Tailored portfolio –there is a version for
almost any MCR application whether it is
protection current loops, analog, digital
or temperature signals
Easy testing, thanks to pluggable version
of surge protective devices
Built in overload detection and Status
indicator
Optional remote signalling set enabling
communication up to higher level
system.
Worldwide use in potentially explosive
areas, thanks to ATEX and IECEx
approvals