Schneider Electric A9L40401 Acti9 iPRD40r Surge Arrester

A9L40401 iPRD40r surge arrester, four-pole (4P)

The A9L40401 is Schneider Electric’s iPRD40r from the Acti9 line: a Type 2 surge arrester with a pluggable cartridge, rated 15 kA nominal and 40 kA maximum discharge current. It is a 4P device for 230/400 V AC (± 10 %) at 50/60 Hz networks, with a remote-signalling contact, and it is built for the TN-C-S earthing arrangement named in its datasheet. Seven Star LLC supplies the A9L40401 in Oman and the GCC as an independent supplier based in Muscat.

This page reads the official datasheet of the A9L40401 and turns it into selection notes: what the ratings mean for a distribution board, which upstream protection the maker pairs with it, how it differs from the neighbouring models in the range, and what to send us when you ask for a quotation. It is a fixed-ratings component, so every number on this page is taken from the datasheet and nothing is inferred beyond it.

A9L40401 technical specifications

A9L40401 against the other models in the range

The table compares this unit with related Acti9 surge arresters, using the figures printed in each datasheet. Pole count, remote contact and maximum discharge current are the three differences that drive most selections.

What the A9L40401 ratings mean in practice

This unit is rated 15 kA nominal (In) and 40 kA maximum (Imax) per mode, with the exact breakdown given as Common mode: 15 kA (L/PE); Common mode: 15 kA (N/PE) for nominal and Common mode: 40 kA L/PE; Common mode: 40 kA N/PE for maximum current. Its protection level Up is Common mode 1.4 kV type 2 L/PE; Common mode 1.4 kV type 2 N/PE; the lower the Up, the lower the surge voltage that reaches the connected equipment.

Continuous operating voltage Uc is Common mode: 350 V L/PE; Common mode: 350 V N/PE. Temporary overvoltage is stated as 337 V L/N 5 s withstand; 1200 V N/PE 200 ms safe failure mode. The datasheet also lists a ground residual current of 0.6 mA; 0.003 mA, which is the quiescent leakage to earth and matters when the board has residual-current protection upstream.

Selection checklist for the A9L40401

• Confirm the system: 230/400 V AC (± 10 %) at 50/60 Hz, earthing TN-C-S.
• Confirm pole count (4P) against the board: single-phase, three-phase with neutral, or four-pole.
• Decide whether a remote contact is needed (this version has one).
• Check the class: Type 2; match it to the position in the installation and to the lightning exposure.
• Check the voltage protection level (Common mode 1.4 kV type 2 L/PE; Common mode 1.4 kV type 2 N/PE) against the withstand level of the loads downstream.
• Choose the backup breaker or fuse from the list on this page and confirm it fits the board’s short-circuit level.

Backup protection paired with the A9L40401

A surge arrester needs short-circuit protection in series so that a failed cartridge or element is isolated from the network. The datasheet of this unit names the associated devices below. The ampere figure shown is the rating of that breaker or fuse, and Icu is the breaking capacity quoted for it.

• Associated circuit breaker iC60H 40 A curve C – Icu 15 kA
• Associated circuit breaker IC60N 40 A curve C – Icu 10 kA
• Associated circuit breaker NG125H 40 A curve C – Icu 36 kA
• Associated circuit breaker NG125L 40 A curve C – Icu 50 kA
• Associated circuit breaker NG125N 40 A curve C – Icu 25 kA
• Associated fuse gG 63 A – Icu 15 kA
• Associated fuse gG 80 A – Icu 50 kA

Poles, earthing and wiring of the A9L40401

This version has four equal poles rather than a neutral cartridge, and the datasheet lists it for a TN-C-S earthing system with MOV technology only. All four poles are protected against earth in common mode, with no differential-mode ratings quoted.

The earthing arrangement named on the datasheet is TN-C-S. Terminals are Tunnel type terminal (downside) 2.5–35 mm²; Tunnel type terminal (upside) 2.5–35 mm², tightened to 2.5 N.m. Keep the earth conductor between the arrester and the main earth bar as short and straight as the board layout allows, because inductance in the lead adds directly to the let-through voltage.

Where the A9L40401 is used in Oman and the GCC

Type 2 protection of this kind is used in main and sub-distribution boards of commercial buildings, camps, workshops and light industrial plants, including pumping stations and utility rooms for desalination and water networks. Lightning activity in the mountains, long overhead feeders to remote sites and hot, dusty switchrooms make surge protection and good board ventilation worth planning together. Check the ambient range on the datasheet against the real temperature inside the cabinet, not the room.

Installation and maintenance of the A9L40401

• Fit the arrester with its associated breaker or fuse on the same DIN rail (clip-on (din rail)), using the 8 module positions the unit occupies.
• Observe the operating window of -25–60 °C; a board in direct sun or with little ventilation can exceed it.
• Tighten to 2.5 N.m and re-torque after the first thermal cycles of commissioning.
• Wire the remote contact (1 SD (1 C/O), 0.25 A/250 V AC 50/60 Hz) to a PLC input or a building-management point so that a failed cartridge raises an alarm instead of waiting for an inspection.

After a major lightning event or a supply fault, inspect surge protection even when no alarm has been raised. Keep a spare cartridge or a complete spare A9L40401 for plants where downtime is expensive; send us the part number and we will confirm what can be supplied.

Documents and quotation

The official Schneider Electric datasheet of this unit is attached on this page for download, so the ratings above can be checked against the source.

To request a quotation, send us the part number A9L40401 with the quantity and delivery location through the RFQ form. Seven Star LLC replies with availability and lead time.