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seminar report 2015-16

fault circuit interrupter

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ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER

Submitted by
DEEPA V P
EEE S5
REG NO:13030462

Srgptc Thriprayar
Department of EEE

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to acknowledge my
sincere and heartfelt thanks to Mr.ABDUL NAZAR A.A our respected principal .
At this juncture, I would like to record my most sincere gratitude to the head of
department Mr. P. BABU for his generous approach in arranging facilities and
guidance to complete this seminar.
I express my sincere thanks to Mr. ANILKUMAR G.S lecturer in electrical
department for his co-ordination and guidance for preparing and presenting the
seminar. I am also thankful to all teachers and non teaching staffs of department.
Last out but not least wish to express my heartfelt thanks to all my friends for their
support and encouragement.

Deepa V P

Srgptc Thriprayar
Department of EEE

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CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter
4. AFCI clear picture
5. Differrent types of AFCI
6. AFCI protection
7. Depend of frequency trip
8. Cutler Hammer
9. Advantages
10. Disadvantages
11. Future Applications
12.Conclusion

ABSTRACT
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The objective of this paper is to increase inspector-awareness of arc-fault

circuit interrupters. The significance of AFCIs is discussed in the
introduction, and this is followed by a description of recent changes
associated with the standard, with the National Electrical Code, and with
the availability and application of the technology. Here there is a general
discussion of AFCI availability, followed by a detailed description of the
Cutler-Hammer line of residential miniature circuit breakers that
incorporate branch/feeder AFCIs and a brief description of the
technology involved. The operating experience has been excellent,
relative to both fire protection and immunity from unwanted tripping. It
is concluded that arc-fault circuit interrupters provide a significant firesafety improvement for dwelling unit electrical distribution systems.
They are the residential electrical safety technology of the future.

INTRODUCTION
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All 120-volt, single phase, 15 and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying

outlets installed in dwelling unit family rooms, dining rooms, living
rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms,
closets, hallways, or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by a listed
arc-fault circuit interrupter, combination-type, installed to provide
protection of the branch circuit.

What is afci

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Department of EEE

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An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) is a type of duplex

receptacle or circuit breaker that breaks the circuit when it detects a
dangerous electrical arc, in order to prevent electrical fires. An AFCI
distinguishes between a harmless arc that occurs incidental to normal
operation of switches, plugs and brushed motors and an undesirable arc
that can occur.

And which prevent fires by detecting a non-working (i.e., nonintended/non-useful) electrical arc and disconnect power before the arc
starts a fire. An AFCI should, but does not always, distinguish between a
working arc that may occur in the brushes of a vacuum cleaner, light
switch, or other household devices and a non-working arc that can occur,
for instance, in a lamp cord that has a broken conductor in the cord from
overuse. Arc faults in a home are one of the leading causes for
household fires.

AFCIs resemble
a
GFCI/RCD
(GroundFault
Circuit
Interrupt/Residual-Current Device) in that they both have a test button,
although it is important to distinguish between the two. GFCIs are
designed to protect against electrical shock, while AFCIs are primarily
designed to protect against arcing and/or fire.

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Picture of AFCI

DIFFERENT TYPES OF AFCI

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1. Branch/Feeder Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter

A device intended to be installed at the origin of a branch circuit or
feeder, such as at a panel board. It is intended to provide protection of
the branch-circuit wiring, feeder wiring, or both, against unwanted
effects of arcing.

2. Outlet Circuit Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter

A device intended to be installed at a branch-circuit outlet, such as at an
outlet box. It is intended to provide protection of cord-sets and powersupply cords connected to it (when provided with receptacle outlets)
against the unwanted effects of arcing.

3. Combination Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter

An AFCI which complies with the requirements for both branch feeder
and outlet circuit AFCIs. . It is intended to protect downstream branchcircuit wiring and cord-sets and power-supply cords.

AFCI PROTECTION
The AFCI is intended to prevent fire from arcs. AFCI circuit breakers are
designed to meet one of two standards as specified by UL 1699:
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"branch" type or "combination" type (note: the Canadian Electrical Code

uses different terminology but similar technical requirements). Abranch
type AFCI trips on 75 amperes of arcing current from the line wire to
either the neutral or ground wire. A combination type adds series arcing
detection to branch type performance. Combination type AFCIs trip on 5
amperes of series arcing. Advanced electronics inside an AFCI breaker
detect sudden bursts of electric current in milliseconds, long before a
standard circuit breaker or fuse would trip. A "combination AFCI
breaker" will provide protection against
1. Parallel arcing (line to neutral).
2. Series arcing (a loose, broken, or otherwise high resistance segment
in a single line)
3. Ground arcing (from line, or neutral, to ground)
4. Overload protection (for resistance loads such as heaters. inductive
loads such as motors
may require additional overload protection)
5. Short circuit protection

ARCING.

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DURING ARC..

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DEPEND OF FREQUENCY
1. One time trip
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Reset the AFCI

Test the breaker
if it doesnt trip, the AFCI is defective and must be replaced
If it does trip, check contacts between the AFCI and the panel
If everything checks out, most likely a one-time arc, overload, or false
trip occurred
Loads relying on arcing motors can trip the breaker.
Ex. Printers, vacuums, furnaces
If AFCI continues to trip due to a single load, and nothing appears to be
damaged, try replacing the AFCI with one from a different manufacturer.

2. Habitual trips (over longer intervals)

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Replace the AFCI with a GFCI

If it trips, cause is most likely an overload
Check the loads to ensure the breaker isnt being overloaded
If the GFCI doesnt trip, cause is most likely an arc fault
Check the wiring between the panel and the outlet for deterioration
Check the internal wiring of the loads for deterioration

3. Immediate re-trips (within 5 seconds)

Replace the AFCI with a GFCI
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If it trips, a ground fault has occurred

If the GFCI doesnt trip, a short circuit may have occurred.
Check the wiring between the panel and outlet for deterioration
Check for incorrect wiring

Arc Fault vs. Ground Fault

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The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protects people from

potentially lethal electric shock when the GFCI detects even minute, but
potentially dangerous ground faults or leaks of electrical current from
a circuit. A GFCI opens the circuit when the leakage to ground exceeds
6mA. And a GFCI is a good detector of phase-to-ground arcing faults,
but is unable to detect series or line to neutral arcing faults. An AFCI is
designed to detect series faults, line to neutral faults and line to ground
faults. The AFCI does not replace the GFCI but instead complements it.
Some manufacturers will combine the two in the same unit. The
technology in the AFCI is quite different and is substantially more
sophisticated than the GFCI.

CUTLER-HAMMER
Cutler Hammer AFCI is of the branch/feeder type and consequently
addresses series and parallel faults in the installed wiring;
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3

Srgptc Thriprayar
Department of EEE

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Srgptc Thriprayar
Department of EEE

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The cutler hammer AFCI is of the branch/feeder type and consequently

addresses series and parallel faults in the installed wiring; Zone 1 of
Figure 2. This is the origin of about 35% of residential fires associated
with the electrical distribution system. In addition, the branch/feeder
AFCI detects parallel faults in Zone 2, which represents the appliance
cords and loads beyond the outlet, and the parallel faults in Zone 3. It
also responds to all arcs to ground in Zone 1, 2 and 3.

OPERATION OF CUTLER HAMMER AFCI

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Department of EEE

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The load current sensor output is fed to an arc signature filter whose
output is responsive to the magnitude of the arcing currents. Normal
non-arc related current components are filtered out. The signal is then
amplified and fed to a logic block that distinguishes between dangerous
arcing events and normal circuit transients, including the waveforms
associated with incandescent-lamp-burnout. In the event of a dangerous
arc, the logic block provides an output that will trip the breaker. This
logic block has a second input from a ground-current-sensor-amplifier. If
this logic input exceeds a preset 30 milliamp trip threshold, a trip signal
is provided. This AFCI is also available in combination with groundfault-circuit protection. In this embodiment, the ground-fault sensor is
set at 5 milliamps for both the AFCI and GFCI functions.

ADVANTAGES
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Department of EEE

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1. Combination type AFCI circuit breakers are required on all branch

circuits supplying outlets or
devices installed in dwelling unit
kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms etc.
2. The AFCI is intended to prevent fire from arcs
3. A branch type AFCI trips on 75 amperes of arcing current from the
line wire to either the neutral or ground wire. A combination type adds
series arcing detection to branch type performance. Combination type
AFCIs trip on 5 amperes of series arcing.
4. The advanced electronics inside an AFCI breaker detect sudden bursts
of electric current in milliseconds; long before a standard circuit
breaker or fuse would trip.
5. A "combination AFCI breaker" will provide protection against parallel
arcing (line to neutral), series arcing (a loose, broken, or otherwise high
resistance segment in a single line), ground arcing (from line, or neutral,
to ground), overload protection and short circuit protection.
6. AFCI can be triggered to quickly react and de-power a circuit if
dangerous arcing is detected.

DISADVANTAGES

Srgptc Thriprayar
Department of EEE

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1. For instance, lightning strikes provide voltage and current profiles

that resemble arc faults. This nuisance tripping reduces the overall
effectiveness of AFCIs

2. AFCIs provide no specific protection against "glowing" connections,

excess current, high line voltages or low line voltages. AFCI circuit
breakers for use in a panel board include a standard inverse-time circuit
breaker. Glowing connections occur when relatively high electric
current exists in a relatively large resistance object. Heat comes from
power dissipation. This energy, when dissipated in a small junction area,
can generate temperatures above 1000 C (1832 F) and can ignite most
flammable materials.

3. Bad wiring junctions can occur in utilization equipment, cords or insitu wiring and especially in a defective switch, socket, plug, wiring
connection and even at the circuit breaker or fuse panels. Terminal
screws loosened by vibration, improper tightening or other causes offer
increased resistance to the current, with consequent heating and potential
thermal creep, which will cause the termination to loosen further and
exacerbate the heating effect. Power Fault Circuit Interrupters (PFCI)
located in receptacles are designed to prevent fires caused by glowing
connections in premise wiring or panels.

4. An AFCI does not detect high line voltage due to an open neutral in
a multiwire branch circuit. A multiwire branch circuit has both
energized wires of a 120-240V split phase service. If the neutral is
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broken, devices connected from a 120 V leg to the neutral may

experience excess voltage, up to twice normal.

5. AFCIs do not detect low line voltage. Low line voltage can
cause electro-mechanical relays to repeatedly turn off (relay opens) and
on (relay closes again). If current is flowing through the load contacts it
will cause arcing across the contacts when they open. The arcing can
oxidize, pit and melt the contacts. This process can increase the contact
resistance, superheat the relay and lead to fires. Power fault circuit
interrupters are designed to prevent fires from low voltage across loads.

Srgptc Thriprayar
Department of EEE

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FUTURE APPLICATIONS

1. AFCIs will provide protection to 120-volt dwelling unit bedroom

circuits.
2. The AFCI function can also be expected to extend to the higher
voltages (e.g. 240 volt, 277 volt and 480 volt) associated with
commercial and industrial electrical distribution systems.
3. It is also noted that the aerospace industry12 is interested in AFCI
technology relative to the protection of onboard electrical wiring.

CONCLUSION
Srgptc Thriprayar
Department of EEE

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Arc-fault circuit interrupters represent the application of new technology

to an old problem; namely, the need to improve fire safety in residential
electrical distribution systems. Standards have been developed for the
requirements of these devices, and branch/feeder AFCIs are available
from many manufacturers. National, Canadian and state electrical code
issues are being addressed, and the field experience with branch/feeder
AFCIs has been excellent. AFCIs are the technology of the future with a
fundamental focus on safety.

REFERENCE

1. Courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc-fault_circuit_interrupter

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2. Arc-fault Circuit Interrupters for Aerospace

Brooks
3. 120224afcibreakers- slide share.
4. The Truth about AFCIs - Part II

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Applications John