초록
The major causes of electrical fire are classified to short circuit fault, overload fault, electric leakage and electric contact failure. The occurrence factor of the fire is electric arc or spark accompanied with such electric faults, specially short circuit faults. Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELB) and Molded_case Circuit Breaker (MCCB), that is, Residual Current Protective Devices (RCDs) used on low voltage distribution lines cut off earth leakage and overload, but the RCD can not cut off electric arc or spark to be a major factor of electrical fire. As the RCDs which are applied in low voltage distribution panel are prescribed to rated breaking time about 30ms(KS C 4613), the RCDs can't perceive to the periodic electric arc or spark of more short wavelength level. To improve such problem, this paper proposes a prevention apparatus using the line voltage drop of neutral wire and some semiconductor switching devices. Some experimental tests of the proposed apparatus confirm the validity of the analytical results.