Preemptive Arc Fault Detection Techniques in Switchgear and Controlgear

Earlier and continuous detection of potential failure points within electrical control equipment can facilitate a more proactive and complete arc fault prevention system. When these new sensor systems are interconnected to predictive protection systems communicating with supervisory control and data acquisition or programmable logic controller systems, online predictive monitoring is now a very real option available to increase the safety and reliability of switchgear and controlgear (motor control centers). A number of different new sensor technologies, for preemptive continuous monitoring, are evaluated based on extensive studies and actual user experiences. The most significant new technologies are examined more thoroughly. In these tests, equipment has been subjected to some common causes of arc fault events. Analytical results are provided for associated prearc conditions to establish conclusions for applying any of these new sensor technologies.