Novel Series Arc Fault Detector Using High-Frequency Coupling Analysis and Multi-Indicator Algorithm

In the field of arc fault detection, it is universally acknowledged that it is very hard to judge whether there is an arc fault through signals of the main line when a masking load (such as air compressors, lamps with dimmers, and so on) is in parallel with a resistive load, which always tends to be a fire hazard. Meanwhile, it is annoying that the normal currents of some appliances are very similar to the arcing ones. In this paper, we have found the principles of a novel detection method called high-frequency coupling, putting the neutral line (N) and the live line (L) through the current transformer (CT), which results in asymmetrical distribution of magnetic flux in the core and the only high-frequency components left in the secondary output of the CT. So it is possible for series arc fault detectors to be free from the masking loads and distinguish between the arcing and the nonarcing clearly. Thanks to this convenient method, an arc fault detector based on the microcontroller unit (MCU) has been proposed to detect arc faults effectively by means of simple multi-indicators. The experimental results show the accuracy of arc fault recognition, in all the masking tests, can reach a high level and the detector can detect an arc fault within a short time.