Fault arc resistance of cable bundles for space applications

In the past, a new “arc tracking” test of cables and wires for space power applications has been developed based on a cooperation between ESA/ESTEC, Daimler-Benz Aerospace and the Technical University of Darmstadt, High Voltage Laboratory. This test should better be termed “fault arc resistance test”, since the interaction of an arc, initiated with the help of an ignition wire, and the wire insulation of a cable bundle is the main item of this test. In the meantime, a multitude of test results with variation of essential parameters such as the insulation material, the environmental conditions (vacuum, enriched oxygen and normal air) and the electrical conditions (voltage and current) are available. From this, based on pass-fail criteria, data for the fault arc resistance property of a wire´s insulation can be established. These findings enable a ranking of insulation materials and are a basis for considerations with respect to the power system design of spacecraft