Low cost apparatus for detecting arcing faults and circuit breaker

Abstract

A low cost analog arcing detector and a circuit breaker incorporating such a detector provide a variable response time to arcing faults based upon the amplitude of the arcing current. A filter generates pulses having an amplitude proportional to the amplitude of the step increase in current generated by the striking of the arc. The pulses are rectified and the amount by which the single polarity pulses exceed a threshold value, selected to eliminate nuisance trips on current step increases characteristic of some common loads, is integrated by a capacitor connected to a resistor which continually adjusts the capacitor voltage in a sense opposite to that of the pulses. The capacitor and resistor are selected to generate a trip signal as a function of the accumulated, time attenuated magnitude of the step increases in current associated with each striking of the arc current. Preferably, the pulses are squared before the reference current is subtracted to provide faster response for large amplitude arc currents, while avoiding false trips caused by known loads. Preferably, the arcing detector is used with a ground current detector which provides further protection by tripping on ground currents flowing through carbon tracks deposited by arcing currents below the threshold of the arcing fault detector.