Performance study of arc characterization for linear and non-linear loads in an electrical distribution system

Abstract

Arc fault is part of faults due to electrical sources that can cause fire hazard, malfunction or damage of equipment and even loss of life and properties. Many studies revealed that conventional circuit breaker lack the ability to protect an arc fault, responding only to short circuits and overloads. Therefore the need to study the performance characteristic of an arc and its properties in order to ease future design of arc detectors. The objective of the study is to characterize and study the effect of an arc on voltage and current with different loads, simulate the effect of an arc and harmonic content with different load and compare the effect of linear and nonlinear load to arc in low voltage electrical distribution system. This project proposes a mathematical model which describes the behavior of the electric arc in power circuits. The arc is studied like a circuit component and simulation was done for a series arc only with the help of MATLAB software package. Results show that occurrence of an arc gives rise to the current and a drop in the voltage for both linear and nonlinear load, it lasts in ms for linear and in seconds for the latter. Effect of the arc with an increase in load for both linear and nonlinear load has led to a decrease in both current and voltage THD. With linear load, the current THD increases while the Voltage THD decreases in the case of nonlinear load.