Arc Suppression Technologies Introduces a Universal NOsparc Arc Suppressor

The new universal 3P-GGXAC arc suppressor

Arc Suppression Technologies, Inc., a Minneapolis-based high-technology firm, announced today that it has introduced a universal NOsparc® arc suppressor capable of protecting a broad range of motors from single phasing – a destructive phenomena that costs users billions of dollars in replacement contactors and motors. Single phasing often occurs in an electric motor when one pair of points on its power contactor fails because of the destructive arcing that takes place each time these points open or close. Once single phasing occurs, the motor will often run continuously, overheat, and fail. The new, universal NOsparc GGXAC arc suppressor is designed for AC power applications that operate between 110V and 480V and have a maximum allowable current of 235A(rms). There are millions of such motors operating in the world today, including semi-hermetic compressors for refrigeration, scroll compressors for air conditioning, water pumps, heaters, fans, dehumidifiers, automatic doors, CNC and injection molding machines used in manufacturing, and even lift gate motors at rail crossings.

Decades ago, Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla each recognized that power switches and contactors produce powerful electrical arcs that are destructive to the switches themselves, but the technology at the time would not enable them to address this problem. In development for more than seven years at Arc Suppression Technologies, the patented NOsparc GGXAC arc suppressor solves this problem by sensing the precise moment of arc ignition and shunting 99.9% of the arc energy through the arc suppressor. By removing the arc energy, the arc suppressor extends the life of the contactor by at least 10 times, saving the user the cost of nine replacement contactors and many hours of unplanned maintenance.

“We believe that the economic value of NOsparc GGXAC arc suppressors is exceptionally strong in dozens of industries, including HVAC-R and manufacturing,” says Bob Thorbus, co-founder and CEO of Arc Suppression Technologies. “Contact arcing has been a problem for so long that commercial and industrial users have been conditioned to accept the enormous recurring costs of contactor and motor failure. Now they have a universal, low cost solution that can be used on just about any electrical system and will save them a great deal of money.”

About Contact Arcing
As a power contactor, relay or switch opens and closes, an electrical arc forms between the metal contacts. This arc is tremendously hot and destructive to the contact surfaces, eventually leading to the failure of the contactor itself. In addition, arcing is a source of electromagnetic interference (EMI), and also creates ozone and nitrous oxide pollutants. By removing 99.9% of the arc energy, NOsparc arc suppressors also reduce EMI and emitted pollutants by a comparable amount.