We are considering to buy ArcPro can anyone help me with the following:
*Based on the manual you can choose between stainless steel or copper as electrode. Very common is is aluminum. Has this factor a big impact on results? Isn’t aluminum common in U.S/Canada? Why is it not in the software?
*We have a 50Hz system. Is it just to adapt the time to cycles in 60Hz?
*Most of the high voltage distribution grids here in Norway are suppression coil grounded. Except the highest voltage(300kV). Then I guess 3-phase/phase-phase short circuit is what we should be addressing. Can the software deal with 3phase short circuit current? Or just phase-ground?
*Does the software distinguish between arc in a box and open arc. Cannot see this in the input menu?

Electrodes - the help manual states that if the desired material is not available as an option, to choose the most similar material. The model does not take into account the shortening of electrodes and thereby gap widening. I think use of aluminum for testing and thereby modeling would have introduced a variable that would difficult to account for in the final model. I usually use stainless.

It is a 60hz system model and the input for arc duration is cycles based on 60hz. Perhaps the equivalent 50hz cycles can be used.

The software now contains a drop down box where one can choose: Single Phase AC Open, Single Phase AC Enclosed, Three Phase AC Open, Three Phase AC Enclosed, and DC Open.

To develop ArcPro, ArcWear (my textile testing company) donated all our data from the test lab to validate the model.

We had substantial data for copper (early electrodes used in arc testing and in many experiments) and stainless used for the arc testing since the late 1990's.

We had a small study to evaluate Aluminum as an electrode but its limitations in burn back, smoke and variation of energy (due to re-absorption or IR from the smoke) caused us to abandon AL. The data we provided was presented to ASTM. Kinectrics chose Stainless and Copper since that was most of the data AND in the 50 or so tests we did with AL, we received as low of a level IE as copper and as high as stainless per unit arc energy.

Choose Stainless for AL are you will be conservative.

AL does product molten droplets so it is MORE likely to ignite clothing from molten metal but no one reasonable uses non-AR garments anymore.

Thanks,

Hugh Hoagland
hugh@e-hazard.com

What kind of voltage is used in arcpro?
Is the line-line voltage for 3phase faults and line-ground for single phase?

Can not find this in the manual?
If answer do you have a reference?

The voltage used is the L-G voltage and is only used to verify the voltage is high enough to sustain an arc. See Page 16 of the User Manual.

To determine a 3 phase fault IE value, a multiplier is used and can be selected from the drop down box in the input window.