Test of Arc Fault Detection Devices for Operation from Spark Gaps and Arc Fault in an Electric Circuit of 0.4 kV

The most common cause of ignition of electrical equipment is arc flashover. Often this phenomenon entails great economic damage, human injury, and in some cases human death. There are several reasons why an arc fault may occur: a broken cable when it is bent at a turn, loosely pressed connectors, damage to the cable with a retainer, violation of the insulating layer, exposure and pinching of the wire, loose contact, damage by rodents, furniture. The insulation may be damaged due to high humidity in the room or prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation. To prevent breakdowns in the form of an arc fault detection devices, has been developed and successfully used, which, when a breakdown is detected, turns off the damaged circuit. International Standard IEC 62606:2013 “General requirements for arc fault detection devices” establishes the required list of test requirements for certification of arc fault detection devices. Testing requires equipment that provokes emergency situations, which ultimately leads to thermal arc flashover and fire in sections of a particular power system. The paper presents the developed device for checking the arc fault detection devices and tests for the conditions of operation for specific network parameters, the correctness of the arc fault detection devices operation is verified. The results obtained make it possible to judge the effectiveness of operation of various models of arc fault detection devices under various operating conditions.