Comparative study of arc modeling and arc flash incident energy exposures

Despite the growing awareness and increased understanding of the hazards associated with arcing faults, incidents of this type continue to occur and individuals exposed to the hazards may be severely injured or killed as a result. Accurately estimating the available thermal energy is a critical aspect of assessing the severity of the arc flash. Over the past few years, a number of researchers have worked to quantify the thermal energy present during an arc flash exposure. This paper will address the three categories of incident energy models that have been developed: theory based, statistically developed, and semi-empirically derived. Because of the limitations and discrepancies observed using the different techniques, no standard approach has been agreed upon by the engineering community. This work includes an analysis of published arc energy and incident energy data from the past to the present and serves as a critique of available incident energy equations. The insight gained from this evaluation may shape the direction of future arc testing and model development. The authors hope that this paper will help to close the gap between the experimental results, scientific based theory and industrial applications.