Study of electric arc ignition behavior and extinction in aeronautical environment in presence of FOD

—Current development of more electrical aircraft and future all electrical aircraft leads increased power densities and power on board. The increase in power densities take the form of increased voltage (230/400 Vac, ± 270 Vdc) and/or decreased distances between conductors. The addition of these evolutions leads to higher probability of electric arc, which might be potentially more destructive. In this paper electric arcs ignited by a Foreign Object Debris (FOD) that shorts out two busbars, are characterized. The electrical parameters meet the aeronautical standards, i.e. 230/400 Vac at 400 Hz. A statistical study of the impact of the FOD geometry on the arc size is carried out with the aim to give guidelines for the development of passive protections. The results show that there is no direct correlation between the arc dimensions and the FOD diameter or mass, although the object behavior was different. In a second part the electric arc was characterized in terms of dimensions over time and electrical signature to state on the time in which active protection should trip and to try to find a signature of the arc to detect. The results tend to prove that the dV/dt might be a relevant marker of the arc