Voltage Differential Protection for Series Arc Fault Detection in Low-Voltage DC Systems

Series arc faults are challenging to detect in low-voltage dc (LVDC) distribution systems because, unlike other fault types, series arc faults result in only small changes in the current and voltage waveforms. Though there have been several approaches proposed to detect series arc faults, each appro...

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Main Authors: Sundaravaradan Navalpakkam Ananthan, Xianyong Feng, Charles Penney, Angelo Gattozzi, Robert Hebner, Surya Santoso
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-12-01
Series:Inventions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/6/1/5
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author Sundaravaradan Navalpakkam Ananthan
Xianyong Feng
Charles Penney
Angelo Gattozzi
Robert Hebner
Surya Santoso
author_facet Sundaravaradan Navalpakkam Ananthan
Xianyong Feng
Charles Penney
Angelo Gattozzi
Robert Hebner
Surya Santoso
author_sort Sundaravaradan Navalpakkam Ananthan
collection DOAJ
description Series arc faults are challenging to detect in low-voltage dc (LVDC) distribution systems because, unlike other fault types, series arc faults result in only small changes in the current and voltage waveforms. Though there have been several approaches proposed to detect series arc faults, each approach has its requirements and limitations. A step change in the current and voltage waveforms at the arc inception is one of the characteristic signatures of these faults that can be extracted without requiring one to sample the waveforms at a very high frequency. This characteristic feature is utilized to present a novel approach based on voltage differential protection to detect series arc faults in LVDC systems. The proposed method is demonstrated using an embedded controller and experimental data that emulate a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test environment. The successful detection of series arc faults on two sets of series arc fault experimental data validated the approach. The results presented also illustrate the computational feasibility in implementing the approach in a real-time environment using an embedded controller. In addition, the paper discusses the robustness of the approach to load changes and loss of time synchronization between measurements at the two terminals of the line.
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spelling doaj.art-32d2ca25c14a46bb928b6fada60511852023-11-21T07:26:03ZengMDPI AGInventions2411-51342020-12-0161510.3390/inventions6010005Voltage Differential Protection for Series Arc Fault Detection in Low-Voltage DC SystemsSundaravaradan Navalpakkam Ananthan0Xianyong Feng1Charles Penney2Angelo Gattozzi3Robert Hebner4Surya Santoso5Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USACenter for Electromechanics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USACenter for Electromechanics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USACenter for Electromechanics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USACenter for Electromechanics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USADepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USASeries arc faults are challenging to detect in low-voltage dc (LVDC) distribution systems because, unlike other fault types, series arc faults result in only small changes in the current and voltage waveforms. Though there have been several approaches proposed to detect series arc faults, each approach has its requirements and limitations. A step change in the current and voltage waveforms at the arc inception is one of the characteristic signatures of these faults that can be extracted without requiring one to sample the waveforms at a very high frequency. This characteristic feature is utilized to present a novel approach based on voltage differential protection to detect series arc faults in LVDC systems. The proposed method is demonstrated using an embedded controller and experimental data that emulate a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test environment. The successful detection of series arc faults on two sets of series arc fault experimental data validated the approach. The results presented also illustrate the computational feasibility in implementing the approach in a real-time environment using an embedded controller. In addition, the paper discusses the robustness of the approach to load changes and loss of time synchronization between measurements at the two terminals of the line.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/6/1/5series arcfaultdifferentialprotectionlow-voltage dc
spellingShingle Sundaravaradan Navalpakkam Ananthan
Xianyong Feng
Charles Penney
Angelo Gattozzi
Robert Hebner
Surya Santoso
Voltage Differential Protection for Series Arc Fault Detection in Low-Voltage DC Systems
Inventions
series arc
fault
differential
protection
low-voltage dc
title Voltage Differential Protection for Series Arc Fault Detection in Low-Voltage DC Systems
title_full Voltage Differential Protection for Series Arc Fault Detection in Low-Voltage DC Systems
title_fullStr Voltage Differential Protection for Series Arc Fault Detection in Low-Voltage DC Systems
title_full_unstemmed Voltage Differential Protection for Series Arc Fault Detection in Low-Voltage DC Systems
title_short Voltage Differential Protection for Series Arc Fault Detection in Low-Voltage DC Systems
title_sort voltage differential protection for series arc fault detection in low voltage dc systems
topic series arc
fault
differential
protection
low-voltage dc
url https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/6/1/5
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AT charlespenney voltagedifferentialprotectionforseriesarcfaultdetectioninlowvoltagedcsystems
AT angelogattozzi voltagedifferentialprotectionforseriesarcfaultdetectioninlowvoltagedcsystems
AT roberthebner voltagedifferentialprotectionforseriesarcfaultdetectioninlowvoltagedcsystems
AT suryasantoso voltagedifferentialprotectionforseriesarcfaultdetectioninlowvoltagedcsystems