Characterization of DC Arc-Plasmas Generated by High-Voltage Photovoltaic Power Systems

Field tests of air-copper arcs were completed at a high-voltage, photovoltaic power plant using a simplified, “arc-in-a-box” geometry to study dc arc-faults. Copper electrodes, 12.7 mm in diameter, were arranged in three configurations and an arc was initiated using <; 700 V
_DC
with applied energy varying from 40-3900 kJ. Constitutive modeling of the arc-discharge predicts arc temperatures much greater than 1000 K. Two diagnostic techniques were fielded to characterize the spectral and thermal emission. Optical emission spectroscopy determined the time-resolved and mean arc temperatures were approximately Tmean = 7500 with standard deviations of ± 600 K, and infrared (IR) imaging mapped the mean temperature field, Tmean=1500 K, of the arc-heated environment.