Masters of Science student Ms. Fatima Al-Janahi, and Ph.D. student Ms. Sawsan Shukri were selected as final contestants in the14th Annual Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) Competition. They presented their invited research poster entitled “Characterizing DC Arcs for Photovoltaic Arc Fault Detection” on October 18, 2022.
Their project developed a computer-controlled mechatronics arc generation test bed using the pull-apart method described in UL1699B. The test bed enabled to team to study the electrical characteristics of direct-current arcs using various parameter combinations including electrode material and geometry, electrical current and voltage, and the electrode separation gap profile. The analysis of the results can be help researchers to identify key distinguishing features of the arc that can be used to design a reliable arc detector. The methods developed in this project have been adopted and are in use by industry.
This project was made possible by QNRF grant # UREP24-023-2-010 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.