Universal Detection Method for Arc Faults Using Dual-Winding Sensor

Arc faults are a major cause of electrical fires. Due to the diversity of load types, existing arc fault detection (AFD) methods struggle to cover all load types, making the development of a universal detection method a significant challenge. This article presents a specially designed dual-winding sensor (DWS) that can realize self-couple on the secondary side to address the issues that existed for self-couple on the primary side. The arc fault signal characteristics of both categories, as specified in IEC 62606 and GB 14287.4, are collected and analyzed. By suppressing the low-frequency signal and amplifying the high-frequency signal under resonant conditions, a universal AFD device is designed and experimentally validated. The device is unaffected by the position of the tested wire. Results indicate that the presented method demonstrates strong universality and reduces the likelihood of false positives when detecting arc faults.