AFDD+ Complete electrical safety

While growing, we have all heard an elder tell us, “If you play with fire, you will get burnt”. However, even if you don’t play with fire, there are always chances of you getting burnt or your property getting damaged due to fire outbreaks. According to an India Risk Survey (IRS) report, more than 700 cases of fire outbreaks were registered in 2019, out of which more than 80 per cent of the cases were due to electric short circuits. Such incidents create a fire hazard and pose a risk for people and property and can be harmful for the business flow and operation. However, the good thing is that such a risk can be easily mitigated and even prevented.

Prevention is better than cure

In many cases the electrical short-circuit can be prevented, or at the very least, the right installation can give adequate protection against fire. Now, let’s first understand what happens in an electrical circuit. When there is an opening of current carrying contacts in a circuit breaker the medium which falls between the opening contacts becomes highly ionized. Due to this, the current that is interrupting is offered a very low resistive path and thus, it continues to flow through this path even though the contacts have become physically separated. When this happens, i.e., the flowing of current from one contact to another, the path becomes heated because of which it starts glowing. This is called ARC. An ARC can cause changes in voltage and current patterns and also develop hot spots. Generally, an ARC is generated in the initial phase of a fire outbreak. This usually goes unnoticed because the protection devices installed/available are not designed to capture the generation of these ARCs.

Eaton’s ARC Fault Detection Device (AFDD+) can effectively detect the ARCs and prevent major electric failure, leading to fire, especially in the single-stage application. An AFDD+ offers a comprehensive protective solution against fires that are triggered by ARC faults, thereby helping you mitigate your safety concerns related to electrical fires in your home and office.

How does AFDD+ work?

The ARC that is formed is always persistent and can induce changes in voltage pattern, current pattern, and cause thermal effect in the wire / cable. The occurrence of an ARC can easily be identified as it usually leads to either high-frequency disturbances within the fault current or to a breakdown of the fault current, close to the zero-crossing of the driving voltage. What the AFDD+ plus does is that it detects ARC faults and automatically trips to help prevent electrical fires through continuous electronic cable monitoring. It applies an algorithm that is embedded in its integrated electronic circuit and uses the observed or captured changes in electrical characteristics to proactively detect ARC fault current and ensure the avoidance of unnecessary tripping. The Eaton AFDD+ can also help to avoid ARC fault masking. Often, power line communication can cause intense signals that mask the disturbances generated by ARC faults. The EATON AFDD+ has been developed to ensure this does not interfere with its detection capability. AFDD+ is also tested with the Cross Talk Test which is conducted according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62606:2013. This test is performed by a disturbance caused by electromagnetic interference, along with a circuit or a cable pair. A telecommunication signal disrupts a signal in an adjacent circuit and can cause the indications to become confused and cross over each other. Therefore, only the right AFDD will trip (not the neighbouring devices).

Eaton’s AFDD+ is the industry’s first protection device that provides a combination of three levels of protection, i.e., (MCB+RCD+AFDD) without compromising basic protections. Its main advantages include:

• Three-in-one protection
• The broadest range for selection
• Clear identification of all faults
• Provides the last fault history
• Avoid Irritant tripping
• Cross talk test
• Clear differentiation between ARC and spark

Electrical short-circuits can prove to be hazardous for home and business place. However, the good thing is that the right product, like AFDD+ can provide complete protection against electrical hazards and ensure the continuity of the system while maintaining absolute safety.