Electric arc explosions—A review

Publication date: April 2017
Source:Fire Safety Journal, Volume 89
Author(s): Vytenis Babrauskas
When an electric arc is created, a pressure event occurs. There can be two aspects to this: the shock and sound waves propagated from the expanding arc channel, and the bulk pressurization of the enclosure, if arcing is taking place within a closed volume. The present paper is the first systematic review of the research on both these pressure phenomena. Quantitative studies on electrical arc explosion pressures date back to the 1920s, although arc pressures generated by lightning, which is a type of electric arc discharge, have been studied since the 1700s, but understanding of the phenomena is still not complete or exhaustive. Experimental data are compared to theoretical predictions. It is shown that in an enclosed volume some extremely high pressures can be generated, if the arc current is sufficient. Such pressures can destroy buildings and mechanical equipment and cause injuries or death to nearby individuals. Even without enclosures, the shock waves produced from high energy arcs can cause injuries, although arc flash injury may be of greater concern. Injury potential generally requires that high currents be available, and serious damages or injuries are not associated with low-energy arcing occurrences.



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