SEL Arc-Flash Solutions

Arc-Flash Protection at the Speed of Light

Protect personnel and equipment

• Detect arc-flash events and send a trip signal in as little as 2 ms
to enhance safety and minimize equipment damage.
• Reduce arc-flash incident energy levels by as much as 88 percent
to lower the potential for injury.
• Detect arc flashes securely by using a combination of light-sensing
technology and overcurrent detection.
• Install into new systems or retrofit into existing equipment for all
application needs.
Arc-Flash Overview
Personnel safety is paramount for utilities and industries, by numerous factors, such as the shorting of two phases,
including oil/gas, water/wastewater, and metals and which creates a phase-to-phase fault. Common examples
mining. According to the National Fire Protection that cause phase-to-phase faults include dropped tools,
Association (NFPA) 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety accidental contact by maintenance personnel, the buildup
in the Workplace, an arc flash “is a dangerous condition of corrosion or conductive dust on conductors, and the
associated with the release of energy caused by an presence of pests, like mice, rats, or snakes, that come in
electrical arc.” contact with energized conductors.
The energy produced by an arc-flash event is proportional
to the voltage, current, and duration of the event (V • I • t). Dangers of Arc Flashes
It is measured in terms of arc-flash incident energy (AFIE),
Arc-flash events can cause dangerous and potentially fatal
calibrated in cal/cm2, and in turn used to determine the
levels of heat, ultraviolet radiation, blast pressure, flying
level of personal protective equipment (PPE) required to
shrapnel, and deafening sound waves.
protect personnel from injury during an arc-flash event.
PPE is designed to protect workers from serious workplace
injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with electrical Arc-Flash Mitigation
or other workplace hazards.
Design engineers have a few options to reduce system
voltage or fault currents, including grounding practices
Causes of Arc Flashes and the application of current-limiting fuses. However, the
best and most direct way to reduce arc-flash hazards is to
Arc flashes occur when the insulation or over-air isolation
reduce fault-clearing times, thereby reducing the overall
between energized components within an electrical
incident energy, or to eliminate the need for personnel to
circuit is compromised. Arc-flash events can be caused
be in harm’s way by using remote operation.
 Limited Space Restricted Exposed,
(The area in which it is Space Energized
not safe for unqualified (open side Conductor or
personnel to enter.) of enclosure) Circuit Part

Arc-Flash Limited Approach Restricted Approach Zero

Boundary Boundary Boundary Distance

Arc-Flash Standards
NFPA 70E is the primary North American safety standard Arc-Flash Boundary
for working with electrical equipment. It provides guidance If an arc flash occurred, this boundary is where an
on implementing appropriate work practices that are employee would be exposed to a curable second degree
required to safeguard workers from injury while working burn (1.2 cal/cm2). The intense heat generated from a flash
on or near exposed electrical circuits that could become may result in severe burns and the ignition of clothing.
energized.
Limited Approach
Arc-Flash Risk Analysis
The Limited Approach Boundary is a distance from an
Arc-flash risk analysis determines the amount of incident exposed energized part where a shock hazard exists and
energy a worker may be subject to and defines the should only be crossed by qualified personnel.
procedures to limit the damage of arc-flash events on
personnel and equipment. It also defines the associated Restricted Approach
risk areas and determines the relevant level of PPE. The Restricted Approach Boundary is a distance from
The NFPA has developed specific approach boundaries an exposed energized part where there is an increased
designed to protect employees while they are working on likelihood of electric shock.
or near energized equipment.
Benefits of SEL Arc-Flash Protection
High-Speed Tripping
16
SEL relays reduce arc-flash hazards by significantly
reducing the total fault-clearing time. 14
14.8 cal/cm2

Incident Energy (cal/cm2)

Incident Energy Reduction 12

The faster the extinction of the arc-flash event, the smaller 10

770 ms* Clearing Time

the incident energy. SEL relays detect arc-flash hazards With Traditional Overcurrent

83 ms* Clearing Time

Protection
and send a trip signal to the breaker in as little as 2 ms. 8
With Overcurrent and Light-
Sensing Arc-Flash Detection
6
Improved Safety
4
SEL arc-flash detection (AFD) decreases the fault-clearing
time, which reduces arc-flash hazards, improves safety, 2
and lowers PPE requirements. To validate the arc-flash 1.7 cal/cm2
protection performance, a series of tests were performed 0
at a high-current laboratory. In these tests, arc-flash Arc-Flash in Medium-Voltage Switchgear
incident energy levels were reduced by 88 percent using
SEL technology. *Assuming breaker fault-clearing time of 80 ms

Reduced Damage to Switchgear Simplify Procedures

With arc-flash hazard protection, equipment damage is AFD is always enabled. An operator or technician doesn’t
minimized during an arc-flash event, returning affected have to modify protective settings before and after
equipment to service faster and with less expense. In performing live work to be protected from arc-flash events.
addition, power system availability is maximized. Reduced potential arc-flash energy also simplifies PPE
requirements, limiting the requirement of bulky “moon”
suits and other movement-restricting PPE.
Maintain Selective Coordination
Arc-flash events trigger an immediate response, while Stay Outside the Danger Zone
coordination is maintained with downstream protection
for external faults. Remain a safe distance away by remotely obtaining
metering, event, and maintenance information from the
relay with Ethernet or serial communications. Optional
delayed breaker tripping or closing via pushbuttons allows
personnel to move to a safe distance.

Above is a switchgear contactor after a 5 kV arc-flash event Shown here (before any cleanup) is the interior of switchgear
during which traditional overcurrent protection was applied. The that was protected by SEL light-sensing and overcurrent
damage required replacement of the contactor, fuse clips, copper protection during a 6.6 kV arc-flash event. Damage was limited
bus, cable, control wiring, disconnect mechanism, and hardware. to arcing on the cable termination bolts.
SEL Arc-Flash Solutions
Sensor-Based AFD Motor Bucket

SEL AFD technology significantly decreases the time it Arc Sensor

takes a relay to trip in response to an arc fault, which Motor Bus CB
Fuse Contactor
reduces hazardous arc-flash incident energy. SEL
M
combines light-sensing technology with fast overcurrent SEL-849

protection to provide secure high-speed AFD. Combining

Arc Flash
these technologies allows high-speed tripping during
arc-flash events without overtripping for external faults. SEL-751 Ethernet
Feeder
How It Works Relay
GOOSE relay-to-relay Send arc-flash light
Just after a fault current begins, the arc flash produces communications state to feeder relay
a very bright flash of light. The relay uses point sensors
and/or bare-fiber sensors to detect the intense light. The SEL AFD combines light-sensing technology with fast
overcurrent protection makes sure the relay does not trip overcurrent protection.
for other sources of light, while the light sensors ensure
the relay does not trip for an external fault.

Bare-fiber sensors
detect light from the
arc flash over the SEL-751
entire length of the
fiber loop. This type
of sensor is used for
large areas, such as
busbars.

Easily mounted point

sensors detect light
from the arc flash.
This type of sensor
SEL-751 SEL-751
is used for confined
Feeder Relay
areas, such as breaker
compartments.

SEL Family of Sensor-Based AFD Products

SEL-851 SEL-751 SEL-751A SEL-710-5 SEL-849

Feeder Protection Feeder Protection Feeder Protection Motor Protection Motor Management
Relay Relay Relay Relay Relay
Arc-Flash Protection Using Bus Differential Relays
Bus differential protection is based on Kirchhoff’s current law, which states that the sum of currents entering a node is zero. A
bus or a protection zone is treated as a node, and current measurements are taken from all terminals connected to the bus/
protection zone. Under normal conditions or for an external fault outside of the protection zone, the currents sum to zero.
During an internal fault condition, such as when an arc flash occurs within the protection zone, the currents do not sum to
zero. Bus differential relays can be used to detect an internal arc-flash condition. The most common bus differential relays use
either high-impedance or low-impedance differential elements.

High-Impedance Bus Differential Relays

High-impedance bus differential relays are applied to
the paralleled output of all CTs connected to a common
bus. Any current difference is forced through the high
impedance of the bus differential relay, causing a voltage
drop across the relay. The high-impedance relay, which
is calibrated and set to trip based on the voltage across
the relay, provides sensitive and secure detection of
an internal arc-flash condition. High-impedance bus
differential relays require dedicated CTs that have the
same ratio and proper polarity connection. Out 1 86
87Z
Out 2 Trip Alarm

Paralleled CTs connected to a high-impedance bus differential relay.

SEL-587Z
High-Impedance Differential Relay

Low-Impedance Bus Differential Relays

Low-impedance bus differential relays do not require IOP IOP = │I1 + I2 + I3 + I4 + • • • + In│
dedicated CTs and can share the CTs with other relays, IRT = │I1 │+ │I2│ + │I3│ + │I4│ + • • • + │In│
transducers, etc. The low-impedance differential relay
vectorially sums the normalized currents from all CT inputs
to create the operate current, IOP. The relay also arithmetically Slope 1

sums up the current magnitudes to create a restraint current, Operate

Region
IRT. The relay operates when IOP exceeds a minimum threshold
and a percentage of IRT, defined by a slope setting. Advanced Restraint
low-impedance bus differential relays operate in less than Region
a cycle for internal faults and have built-in logic to remain Threshold
secure for external faults even with CT saturation. IRT
Operate point prior to fault
Operate point for internal bus fault

Percentage current differential characteristic of a low-impedance

bus differential relay with and without an internal bus fault.

SEL-487B
Bus Differential and Breaker Failure Relay
SEL Arc-Flash Risk Assessment Services
SEL conducts flexible, customized arc-flash risk assessment services to mitigate arc-flash hazard risk, improve employee
safety, and address OSHA regulations (29 CFR 1910.269), IEEE 1584b-2011, NFPA-70E-2015, NESC-2012, and CSA Z462-
2015. SEL applies proven methods to create site-specific arc-flash protection and PPE requirements, among many other
services for providing a complete, cost-effective arc-flash solution for your facility.
Customer benefits include:
• Protect employees and improve safety.
• Protect equipment.
• Comply with current regulations.
• Identify potential hazards.

Power System Modeling

SEL creates a three-phase computer model of your power Arc-Flash Hazard Warning Plan
system in an electrical one-line format and enters facility-
SEL provides customized arc-flash and shock-hazard
specific equipment and electrical data for all portions of
warning and danger labels, detailing boundary distances,
the modeled system.
arc-flash energy levels, PPE classification levels, and
other data.
Short-Circuit Study
Computerized electrical short-circuit studies determine
fault-current levels at all electrical buses to as low as
208 volts for multiple operating configurations.
WARNING
Arc Flash and Shock Hazard
Appropriate PPE Required
Protective Device Coordination Study PPE Level 0' - 4" Arc Flash Boundary

#2
0.1 cal/cm2 Incident Energy at 18 Inches
SEL enters existing fuse, relay, and circuit breaker Failure to comply could result in
INJURY or DEATH
protective-device settings into the power system model 480 VAC Shock Hazard when cover is removed
to provide data for determining short-circuit clearing 3' - 6" Limited Approach Boundary
times. Graphical coordination curves can be created to 1' - 0" Restricted Approach Boundary

prove selectivity with other protective devices. Equipment Name: AC-1_HV (Fed by: FA 8-10-12 AC1) (Date: October 2015)

Arc-Flash Analysis Study Arc-Flash Engineering Report

SEL calculates arcing fault currents, determines SEL compiles the results of each study into an
protective-device trip times, and reports incident energy, engineering report, which includes the power system
flash boundaries, and PPE categories. Arc-flash software model for your facility.
computes incident energy levels based on 100 and 85
percent of calculated arcing currents and reports the
worst case. SEL provides arc-flash analysis studies for Field Survey
both ac and dc systems to support a broad range of SEL assists in surveying your facility:
electrification environments.
• Verify/obtain electrical equipment nameplate data.
• Record equipment nominal and short-circuit ratings.
Arc-Flash Mitigation Study
• Note cable type, size, length, and insulation.
For areas with unacceptably high incident energy levels,
SEL investigates methods to reduce these levels by • Document electrical system topography.
modeling current-limiting solutions, reducing protective- • Record circuit breaker settings and relay settings.
device clearing times, implementing differential relaying
schemes, and other economical solutions.
Detailed Engineering Study
If the ratings of existing equipment are inadequate, SEL
can help by studying and evaluating alternatives. This
study typically examines ways to redesign the existing
electrical system to correct the deficiencies and provide
a safer, more economical solution.
Service and Support
Ten-Year Worldwide Warranty
The SEL ten-year worldwide product warranty is proof of
our confidence in the high-quality products we design,
manufacture, sell, and support. This stated warranty and
our track record for never charging a customer to replace
or repair a defective product are the best substantiation
of true quality and durability.

Regional Technical Support

Worldwide SEL support teams provide our customers
with local sales and technical service. Our commitment
to quality extends through a product’s installation and
life as part of our customers’ critical infrastructure.
Application and integration engineers, customer service
representatives, and sales managers truly understand the
importance of local support. SEL provides personalized,
regional technical support to our customers from more
than 85 offices.

Making Electric Power Safer, More Reliable, and More Economical

+1.509.332.1890 | info@selinc.com | selinc.com
© 2021 by Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
PF00544 · 20210430