16 Products and technology

Products and technology

As fast as lightning
A new testing solution for
arc protection systems
Arcing faults can generate a powerful destructive force
within a fraction of a second. This force represents a
major potential hazard for people and equipment.
Special protective systems for detecting and isolating
these faults have been in use since the early 1990s.
Awareness of the hazards associated with arcing faults
has increased over the last 20 years and although many
protective systems have since been installed, it is
alarming how little attention has been paid to their
functional testing. The new ARC 256 device simplifies
the reliable testing of arc protection systems.

Arcing faults can destroy equipment

and systems within seconds.

OMICRON Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 1 2012


Due to current safety standards, arcing faults in low and medium
voltage switchgear are now a fairly rare occurrence. Yet, if they
do occur, they can result in severe damage to substation equip-
ment, costly downtime and hazards to personnel if the necessary
provisions are not in place. Arcing faults can be caused by many
different things, but in most cases they can be traced back to
human error during service or installation work. Other common
causes include overvoltage or inadequately dimensioned system
components. Short circuits in the electrical system caused by soil-
ing; humidity or foreign bodies, such as animals or tools, are just
as dangerous.
Danger
An electrical arc can produce a current of several thousand amps
and reach temperatures in excess of 10 000 C within just a few
milliseconds. The air within a radius of several meters becomes
ionized, while liquefied and vaporized metal components can
escape from sealed systems with explosive force. All of this can
lead to widespread destruction within seconds. Theres also a risk
of severe injury or even death for anyone located in the direct
Products and technology 17
vicinity of an arcing fault. In addition to the risk of electrical
shock, serious health consequences such as eye injuries, burns
and damage to the lungs can also occur.
Fast tripping is crucial
In order to minimize potential hazards for people and systems, it
is vital that arc detection and circuit breakers react as quickly as
possible. Conventional safety protection systems are not suitable
for such applications due to their comparatively slow reaction
times. On the other hand, relays in special arcing protection sys-
tems only require around 6 to 7 ms before sending a command
to the associated circuit breaker. If IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar
Transistors) are used in place of conventional contacts, the time
can be further reduced to about 2 to 2.5 ms.
To ensure the reliable detection of electrical arcs while also
preventing incorrect operation, the tripping criterion that is
used consists of the overcurrent and the extremely intense light
produced by the arc. Point sensors or fiber optic light sensors are
available for this purpose (see Figures 1 and 2).
A current of several
thousand amps and a
temperature in excess
of 10 000 C
Testing an electrical arc protection system using the
State Sequencer software module:
In this example, the load current increases to a value of
2 A at the instant the fault occurs, while at the same
time, the ARC 256 receives the start trigger via the CMC.
The protection relay being employed transmits the trip
command to the circuit breaker after 9.6 ms (binary trace
zone 1) via its conventional output contacts.
OMICRON Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 1 2012
18 Products and technology
Reliable testing
To date, little attention has been given to
functional checks of electrical arc protec-
tion systems. When you consider all the
potential hazards and effects produced
by an electrical arc, this is very unsettling.
One reason for this might be that practi-
cal and easy methods or tools for testing
these systems have never been available.
However, with a CMC test set and the new
ARC 256 trigger device from OMICRON,
electrical arc protection systems can now
be tested both easily and reliably. The
ARC 256 has a very powerful LED, which
is triggered via the transistor outputs
Figure 1: Point sensor for detecting arcing faults.
OMICRON Magazine | Volume 3 Issue 1 2012
To date, little attention has been given
to functional checks on electrical arc
protection systems despite the enormous
potential hazards.
of the CMC with a maximum delay of
150 s. The trigger device is positioned as
close as possible to the arc sensor and it
is attached using either a suction cup or
an adhesive. The device transmits a light
beam of 120 lm, covering a spectrum
of 420 nm to 700 nm, within the first
100 ms. Since arc sensors are most sensi-
tive to wavelengths ranging from 200 nm
to 600 nm, this guarantees excellent
coverage. The State Sequencer module of
OMICRONs Test Universe software con-
trols the automatic trigger of the LED and
measures the time that elapses before the
protective system reacts.
Figure 2: Strip-style fiber-optic sensor
for monitoring entire system sections.
Saving lives and money
Regular testing of arc protective systems
reduces potential hazards for personnel
and equipment. In view of the potentially
serious effects on personnel and the high
costs associated with system repairs,
downtimes and potential production
losses, the time and money involved in
performing regular tests on electrical arc
protection systems is more than justi-
fied. Using the ARC 256 trigger device in
conjunction with a CMC test set satisfies
this need by allowing these systems to be
tested quickly and easily.
www.omicron.at/arc256
The ARC 256 trigger device with a high perfor-
mance LED for easy testing of arc protection systems.