Arc containment IEC 61641

[hw123]

I have to design a switchgear panel that can be tested according to the specifications in IEC61641.

basicly the explosive force of the Arc should go somewhere where no people are, and the arc should stop on its own.

I have two questions:
Does there exits any standard that defines the power of an arc and what airgap is needed to stop the arc??

Is it possible to simulate the explosive force of an arc with gunpowder/explosive, so that the mechanical construction can be tested??

 

[Zogzog]

IEEE 1584

 

[dpc]

All of the testing that I am aware of in the US and Canada involves actually initiating an arcing fault at required current level. This has to be done in a high current test lab.

IEEE-1584 is not really going to help you much. It provides a method for calculating the expected arc-energy exposure to a worker in cal/cm2.

In reality, you probably will need to build a prototype, test it, pick up the pieces and then test it again a few more times. The blast pressure is created from the vaporized materials expanding from solid or liquid to gas phase. In theory, it is similar to an chemical explosion, so maybe you could simulate in a simlar manner. But I'd guess the final acceptance testing would have to be done with actual arcing fault.

There may be IEC standards or test methods on this that I'm not aware of.

 

[hw123]

I know that a final test in a test lab is needed, we have done it before in the company where I work.

But the price for a test is high.

It is cheaper to do some test at home, and have a 95% chance of succes, than no test at all and then only have a 50% chance of succes.

Last time we did the test we had some mechanical failure

 

[jghrist]

By coincidence, the Mike Holt newsletter today has the following link to a paper Pressures Developed by Arcs by Ralph H. Lee of Lee Electrical Engineering, Inc.

http://avoeeservices.com/common/documents/avoservices/pressures_developed_by_arcs.pdf