Voltage and current detectors for series arc in low voltage switchboard

Most of the arc fault that occur in the low voltage switchboard starts at the joint. This paper presents a fundamental concept of using an alternative and simple approach to detect the series arc that occurs in the low voltage switchboard. The voltage detector is designed based on the voltage drop at the joint when the series arc occurs. Since non-linear loads produce harmonics and the harmonic content at the point of coupling varies from time to time, thus it is difficult to detect the arc in frequency domain. Therefore, the current detector is designed based on the shoulder and asymmetry properties of the arc fault current in time domain. Various arc models are investigated and the suitable models are implemented. The simulation result reveals that the circuit breaker is able to isolate the main supply from the load when all the relays from the detectors are energized in order to avoid the possibility of arc flash.