Both overvoltage protectors and zinc oxide surge arresters are designed to prevent potential damage caused by overvoltage to electrical equipment. However, they exhibit significant differences in several key aspects:

1.Application Voltage Range:

Overvoltage Protectors: These are mainly used in low-voltage circuits, such as household appliances, communication devices, and computer systems. Their operating voltage typically ranges from hundreds of volts to several thousand volts.

Zinc Oxide Surge Arresters: These are designed for high-voltage power systems, widely used in high-voltage substations, power transmission and distribution systems, and lightning protection. Their operating voltage can reach tens of thousands of volts or more, indicating a broader application scope.

2.Deployment Environment:

Overvoltage Protectors: These are typically deployed at the input side of low-voltage electrical devices or inside the power circuits of sensitive electronic equipment to protect them from voltage fluctuations.

Zinc Oxide Surge Arresters: These are installed at critical points in high-voltage power systems, such as substations, power plants, and long-distance transmission lines, to address more severe overvoltage challenges.

3.Construction Materials and Design:

Overvoltage Protectors: These devices use a variety of construction materials, such as varistors, gas discharge tubes, and semiconductor components. The design is flexible to suit different application scenarios.

Zinc Oxide Surge Arresters: These rely on zinc oxide (ZnO) as the core nonlinear resistive material. Their structure is relatively standardized, consisting of zinc oxide valve plates, leads, and outer casings.

4.Working Principle:

Overvoltage Protectors: These work through built-in varistor or gas discharge mechanisms. When an overvoltage is detected, the device quickly conducts, effectively absorbing or diverting the overvoltage energy.

Zinc Oxide Surge Arresters: These take advantage of the nonlinear resistive characteristics of zinc oxide. Under overvoltage conditions, the resistance dramatically drops, efficiently guiding the overvoltage current and providing reliable protection.

5.Endurance and Applicable Scenarios:

Overvoltage Protectors: Designed to handle lower voltage and current levels, these primarily protect against transient surges and pulse-type overvoltages.

Zinc Oxide Surge Arresters: These are capable of withstanding high-energy surge currents, particularly useful for protection needs in extreme high-voltage conditions like lightning strikes.

6.Response Speed:

Both devices offer quick response capabilities. Overvoltage protectors can activate protection within microseconds, swiftly reacting to voltage changes.

Zinc oxide surge arresters also possess very fast response times, but their design is more focused on handling high-voltage, high-current scenarios, showcasing excellent performance under extreme conditions.

Conclusion: 

While overvoltage protectors and zinc oxide surge arresters overlap in functionality, both aim to protect electrical equipment from overvoltage damage, they differ significantly in terms of application voltage range, deployment environments, construction design, working principles, endurance, and response speeds. Understanding these differences helps in selecting the most appropriate overvoltage protection solution for specific power system requirements, ensuring safe and stable operation of equipment.