ARC flash mitigation for 1500 substations: A corporate approach

Locations with excessive arc flash incident energy are discovered after conducting arc flash hazard assessment studies for equipment rated 38 kV and below for very large Oil & Gas company. After conducting many studies of power distribution systems for various plants (e.g. refineries, gas plants, gas oil separation plants, natural gas liquid plants, etc.), it was realized that dangerous locations (greater than 40 calories per square centimeter-cal/cm2) are somewhat consistent among various plant types. Consequently, planning and budgeting for implementing arc flash mitigation becomes predictable from a corporate perspective. Furthermore, specific arc flash mitigation techniques can be imbedded in the specifications of new projects as well as company material standards to avoid unnecessary retrofit activities after installation. More importantly, maintenance personnel can be effectively trained on arc flash mitigation and safe work practices when not too many solutions are utilized. This paper demonstrates a systematic approach to address dangerous arc flash locations for corporate planning purposes and provides practical mitigation solutions that can be applied at many company facilities.