To significantly reduce the possibility of sparking and its impacts, appropriate engineering, alternate protection complexes, and live approaches are some options.
Arc flash analysis should be performed by a qualified engineering alumnus and according to the parameters of a power failure and a flash.
The purpose of analyzing the power supply system of an enterprise is to detect potentially dangerous places in the system in terms of:
- Electric injury;
- Reliability and selectivity of the power supply system;
- Sensitivity of protective devices to overload currents and short circuit currents.
The facility is encouraged to conduct a hazard and risk analysis.
Reasons for appearance
A flash is the sudden release of energy that occurs when between one phase conductor and another, the neutral conductor, or earth shorts out.
Typical causes and contributing factors for flashes are:
- Accidental contact with live parts;
- Not meeting the requirements of the short circuit standard;
- Wire connection errors;
- Contamination, such as dust on the surface of the insulation;
- Corrosion of equipment parts and contacts;
- Incorrect operating procedures.
An electric arc resulting from technical malfunctions can cause significant damage, but the likelihood that these types of accidents will result in injury is small compared to accidents related to work procedures.
Solutions to avoid the risk of arcing
Both the level of probability of occurrence and the level of impact can be acceptable, but it is very important to consider a combination of these indicators. If there is a risk of an electric arc, the main task is to prevent this. The next step is to reduce the impact if the required tools aren’t accessible to eliminate the danger. Employees, therefore, require some knowledge of the hazard.
The analysis of risk factors for the occurrence of an electric arc consists of the following steps:
- Short circuit calculation;
- Coordination study;
- Flash risk analysis.
The fault current, conductor distance, voltage, type of grounding, and design all affect the arc fault current.
Leaf Electrical Safety knows everything about electrical safety. Therefore, it will perform the necessary arc discharge research with high quality. If you need help with training, procedures, or arc research, our experts are available by phone at (800) 822 9532 or email: [email protected]
