The evolution of arc fault circuit interrupters

Traditionally, circuit breakers and fuses have provided overcurrent and short circuit protection in electrical distribution applications. Despite this protection, approximately 70,000 residential fires with more than 500 deaths and /spl Aring/ in property damage occur each year in the U.S. that are attributed to electrical initiation. When investigated it was found that in some cases the circuit breaker had not tripped. Arc fault circuit interrupters can recognize the unique signatures of arcing faults and initiate a trip condition to isolate and de-energize the arcing fault. This paper identifies the conditions that can lead to fire hazards. These include arcs to ground, wiring failure modes, earth leakage conditions and high resistance faults such as glowing contacts, and in-line low current arcs (sometimes referred to as series arcs).