Method and device for electric arc detection by ultrasound

• Grant number: 15/15825-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2016
• End date: January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Electrical, Magnetic and Electronic Measurements, Instrumentation
• Principal Investigator: André Luiz Casimiro
• Grantee: André Luiz Casimiro
• Company: Brax Indústria e Comércio de Máquinas e Equipamentos Eletrônicos Ltda
• City: Rio Claro
• Pesquisadores principais: Adriano Casimiro
• Associated research grant(s): 17/10707-5 - Electrical station monitoring, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/00806-3 - Method and device for electric arc detection by ultrasound, BP.PIPE; 16/00800-5 - Method and device for electric arc detection by ultrasound, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Protection against electrical arc is required in industrial panels of high voltage, high power and electrical substations. In the market, there are some protection systems against electrical arcs for electrical panels developed by mayor world's leading brands manufacturers of industrial electronic equipment. Protection system for use in substations that are outdoors are not manufactured by difficulty found in featuring in electric arc outdoors. The systems manufactured for installation in electrical panels detect the arc shortly after its occurrence and turn off the electrical system so that there is no greater damage to professional and electrical installations. With protection systems acting quickly to turn off the electrical system, some damages are inevitable, therefore, the system starts operating when the arc has already occurred and an exposed equipment into an electrical arc by a split second is enough for a degradation of it, likewise, a person exposed to an electrical arc for a very short time can be fatal. As previously mentioned in an outdoor exposed electrical substations there is no monitoring and electrical protection systems, thus, some companies use the method of periodic analysis of partial discharges and the facilities are monitored only a few hours in periods of at least six months, so, it runs out of monitoring practically all the time, this method is considered to be defective and unreliable. Thus it is necessary to seek strategies to prevent the occurrence of the arc. Electric arcs are usually preceded by the issuance of ultrasound waves. The uptake of these waves in a range of lower intensity can be used for the development of a security system. Therefore, this research project cites the study and the feasibility of developing a protection system able to detect electrical arc before it occurs. Prior to electric arc occurring phenomena have partial discharge, and with the monitoring of these phenomena, it is possible to act on the system aimed at correcting problems that probably would cause the arc. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the uptake of irradiated ultrasound signals and partial arc discharges using sensors that operate based on the piezoelectric phenomenon. One of the aims of this project is to develop sensors that are immune enough to interference and noise for industrial, motive for the processing of the signals picked up by the sensor is digital. Able to detect an electrical arc before it occurs is an innovative method in the market since existing systems detect the arc just after it occurs. In anticipation of the occurrence of the arc will have more security professionals exposed to electrical installations and minor damage electrical installations. (AU)