Selective arc-flash protection

Arc-flash faults in MV and LV switchgear are severe incidents causing safety hazard to personnel and damage to equipment. Substantial additional costs are often inevitable due to interruption of the distribution process. For these reasons, effective methods to reduce the impact of arc-flash incidents are needed. This paper shortly evaluates different arc-flash mitigation methods and motivates the use of technology based on detection of light. The benefits of this technology are discussed, and practical application alternatives and examples are given.