Series DC Arc Fault in More Electric Aircraft


Calikoglu A., TAMYÜREK B.

38th Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, APEC 2023, Florida, United States Of America, 19 - 23 March 2023, vol.2023-March, pp.3125-3132 identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • Volume: 2023-March
  • Doi Number: 10.1109/apec43580.2023.10131503
  • City: Florida
  • Country: United States Of America
  • Page Numbers: pp.3125-3132
  • Keywords: aircraft power distribution, arc faults, more electric aircraft, series dc arc failure
  • Gazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The increasing demand for high power in aircraft is paving the way for the More Electric Aircraft (MEA) concept in aviation industries. This development has also motivated migration from classical 28 V dc and 115 V ac electrical power system architecture to 270 V dc and 230 V ac systems. As the power density and voltage level rise, challenges in power distribution and protection systems increase accordingly. Among the challenges, the electrical arc faults are considered the most dangerous events for an aircraft. Most often, the occurrence of the arc faults is related to the insulation quality of the power cables. They occur when insulation is either aged, damaged, or worn. Arc failures are generally studied under two distinct groups, which are ac or dc arc groups and parallel or series arc groups. AC and parallel arcs are easily distinguishable due to zero crossing point in ac power and high-energy discharge in a parallel arc. This study presents arc failure types and proposes a new dc series arc model to understand the arcing behavior in electrical power system of new generation aircraft. The results are expected to aid in design and development of advanced solid-state power controllers in aviation applications.