Abstract: Surge arrester is widely used as a protective device to reduce possibility of flashover during transient
overvoltage event. The device needs to withstand high energy discharged by the overvoltage which may increase the
degradation rate of its characteristics. In this study, a set of transmission line surge arresters with different dimensions
and ratings was simulated to investigate their discharge energy capabilities during fast-front surge events using the
finite element analysis method. To validate the accuracy of the method, the arrester models were also simulated by the
use of PSCAD/EMTDC and EMTP-RV software and compared with the specifications provided by the manufacturer. In
spite of distinctive representations of the arrester models in COMSOL Multiphysics, EMTP-RV and PSCAD, the
comparison made between the simulation results indicates a satisfactory agreement. The manufacturers’ data were
used to validate that the proposed simulation model is acceptable. It was found that the simulation results were
comparable with the manufacturer’s test data of the discharge voltages and energy withstand capability, thus proving
that all studied cases were adequately modelled. Parametric analyses were also conducted using finite element method
to study the effects of varying the design geometry of the ZnO blocks and the arrester’s housing on the energy
absorption, which cannot be evaluated using PSCAD and EMTP-RV software.