In the evolution of industrial surge arresters, when did Misao Kobayashi’s team at Meidensha introduce the first high-voltage MOV-type arrester?
1975
The industrial sector saw a major technological shift in surge protection in 1975 when Misao Kobayashi and his team at Meidensha introduced the first high-voltage Metal-Oxide Varistor (MOV)-type arrester. This innovation was significant because it represented gapless technology that successfully replaced older Silicon Carbide (SiC) designs that were common in utility-grade protection previously. The MOV was superior for handling intense, high-energy surges, such as those caused by lightning strikes on transmission lines, due to its inherent capability to act as a high-speed switch. This allowed it to divert massive currents rapidly, which was critical for clamping utility-level spikes effectively and improving protective capabilities beyond what older technologies could manage.
