10 LABINAL POWER SYSTEMS TF300-1E
ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPT
The Aging Aircraft
Dilemma
Today, in the Unites States
there are more than 22,000
civil and military aircraft in
operation. Many are over 20
years old. To maintain airwor-
thiness, many have been ret-
rofitted with new engines,
new avionics, improved
hydraulic systems and even
new interiors. However, one
element in older aircraft that
will not change is the miles
and miles of electrical wiring
buried within the aging air-
frame. Over time these wire
bundles and their protective
insulation can deteriorate, pro-
viding the perfect environment
for an electrical short and a
potential fire hazard.
Until recently, aircraft circuit
breakers were considered the
first line of defense against
electrical hazards. However,
research has shown that arc
faults, with temperatures as
high as 6000°C, can go com-
pletely undetected by circuit
breakers developed over 30
years ago. The unfortunate roll
call of recent aircraft accidents
blamed on explosions or fires
suspected to have been trig-
gered by electrical wire arcing
is familiar. And the potential
for additional incidents may be
even more sobering. Safety
reports show numerous, non-
fatal incidents of smoke in the
cockpit and electrical faults
attributed to wire arcing.
Navy Statistics show 64 in-
flight electrical fires between
July 1995 and December 1997.
On the civil side, Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA)
data from 1989 through July
1998 show 622 reports of
smoke in the cockpit or cabin.
"No-Fault Design" By Rick
DeMeis, Design News
Sept 4, 2000.
Why Don't Aircraft
Circuit Breakers Provide
Protection from Arcing
Faults?
Aerospace circuit breakers are
designed to protect wiring
from thermal damage that
occurs during an over-current
situation. They are able to do
this by deploying a bi-metallic
element that mimics that ther-
mal effect of current on a
wire's insulation.
The reason circuit breakers do
not provide protection from
arcing events is that they are
not designed to. The character-
istics of an arcing event
include fault currents that are
sporadic or sputtering, have
values several times the
breakers rating, and the arc
event is of such a short dura-
tion that the circuit breaker
has little time to react.
Labinal Power Systems'
Arc-Fault Circuit
Interrupt (AFCI)
Technology - The Next
Generation of Circuit
Protection
"Present commercial airplane
circuit breakers do not detect
and react to arcing faults asso-
ciated with the chafing and
subsequent intermittent arcing
when bare wires contact
metal airplane structure or
other bare conductors…"
FAA Aging Transport Non-
Structural Systems Plan, July
1998, page 17 Incorporating
AFCI Into Thermal Protection
Devices
Labinal Power Systems' AFCI
protective device recognizes
the unique signatures of arc-
ing faults and acts to interrupt
the circuit. Labinal Power
Systems' Arc-Fault Circuit
Interrupt technology utilizes
microelectronics to monitor
and analyze a circuit's current
waveform. This logic circuit uti-
lizes algorithms developed
over the last 10 years. These
algorithms "look" directly for
the randomness in the 400Hz
current signal to determine if
an arcing event has occurred.
If the logic circuit determines
an arc fault exists, a signal is
sent to the circuit protection
device, which will safely shut
down the circuit in question.
Recognizing An
“Acceptable Arc” From
An “Unacceptable Arc" -
Elimination of the
"Nuisance" Trip
Labinal Power Systems'
unique AFCI technology moni-
tors the reaction of the current
waveform to an arcing incident
to ensure that the AFCI circuit-
ry can discriminate between
an unacceptable arc and an
acceptable arc. An unaccept-
able arc would be any situa-
tion such as two wires or a
wire to ground electrical arc
due to exposed conductors.
An acceptable arc could be
the power surge in the start-
ing of a hydraulic pump or
another electrically driven, pri-
mary or auxiliary support com-
ponent.
In order to distinguish an
acceptable arc from an unac-
ceptable arc, sophisticated arc
fault algorithms employ vari-
ous statistical methods that
are capable of identifying the
degree of chaos or random-
ness in the current signal. This
prevents the chance of nui-
sance tripping even in situa-
tions where the switching of
devices involves in-rush tran-
sients resulting from motor or
pump start-ups.
Integrating the AFCI circuitry
into the standard aerospace
circuit breaker required the
miniaturization of the present
mechanism to make room for
the necessary electronics and
to provide a way to power the
logic circuit. As a result of this
effort, Labinal Power Systems'
AFCI circuit breaker has many
added benefits:
• Offer same size as current
circuit breakers listed in
MS24571 and MS14105.
• Provides separate visible
indication of an arc fault vs.
over-current fault.
• Include independent
operation of the electro-
mechanical portion of
circuit breaker so that the
circuit breaker remains
operational even with an
AFCI electronics failure.
The AFCI technology can be
packaged into a form / fit line
replaceable unit (LRU) such as
a thermal circuit breaker.
Labinal Power Systems' AFCI
solution builds added safety
into the LRU without the need
to modify the existing electri-
cal architecture of the aircraft.
AFCI technology is easily
tailored t
o an application or
device. Labinal Power Systems'
product portfolio
of thermal
circuit breakers, relays,
and
Remote Control Circuit
Breakers
can provide the required
arc fault
protection to address every
platform electrical protection
requirement.