Arc Detection for High Voltage Aircraft Distribution Systems

At current technology levels, aircraft electric distribution is limited to 230 Vac and 270 Vdc to ensure safe operation, free of sustained high energy release arc, which can cause catastrophic failure, and partial discharge, which can severely degrade component life. Current design practices, developed mainly through testing experience, limit operating voltage to these levels, as the initiation voltages for PD and arc are severely reduced at the operating altitudes of commercial aircraft. Operating at 230 Vac 270 Vdc while distributing the MW level power envisioned for hybrid electric propulsion system electric drive trains, will result in unacceptably high system weight. Likely wise, in order to operate at high voltage with current insulation systems and component separation design guidelines, unacceptably high system weight will also result. In addition arc detection and rapid fault clearing technology needed for safe operation at high voltage is not reliable and there are no good methods for high impedance (low current) arc detection. An auto-correlation method for detecting high impedance arcs in a motor drive circuit has been developed, a detector parameter optimization framework has been created and method feasibility has been demonstrated with a numerical simulation.