Method and device for detecting accidental arcs

US6873161B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Ellenberger & Poensgen GmbH

Inventors

• Peter Meckler · Hersbruck, DE
• Peter Steffen · Erlangen, DE
• Stefan Köhler · Frankfurt, DE
• Ho Wilson · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 20, 2000
• Grant date: Mar 29, 2005
• Expiry date: May 20, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/1272
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting accidental arcs (arc tracking) on a cable (1), especially on a cable of an aircraft electrical system. According to said method, an alternating current signal (I(t)) that has been detected is sampled time-discretely and a trigonometric function (I(k)) imitating the alternating current characteristic is determined by interpolation of a number of sampling values (y(k)). The current alternating frequency (ω) is then derived from this trigonometric function. The result of a comparison of the current alternating current frequency (ω) and a set or reference frequency (ω′) is used to determine the presence of an accidental arc (ISA,IGA) and a warning signal (Sarc) is optionally generated. A device which functions according to this method is advantageously integrated into a circuit-breaker (7) for the aircraft electrical system, so that the latter is equipped to detect and deactivate accidental arcs that occur on the electrical system cable (1).