Arc Flash Hazard Calculator

ArcCalc calculates the incident energy and arc flash boundary for any point in a power system.

Minimum and maximum arcing short circuit currents are calculated using broad tolerances to provide conservative results with estimated system data. ArcCalc saves time by automatically determining trip times from the protective device settings. Incident energy, arc flash boundaries and PPE are calculated following the NFPA 70E and IEEE 1584

ArcCalc software is part of the Power*Tools for Windows (PTW) software suite to take advantage of the new IEEE 1584 2018 standard along with powerful software features including dynamic oneline drawings, datablocks, reporting, libraries, and other features to increase your productivity.  This PTW version will be activated with a standalone software key with 3 buses and 8 components.

Benefits:

  • Calculator-style interface makes complex calculations easy to understand.
  • Provide a safer working environment by specifying the proper level of PPE. Wearing inadequate clothing is dangerous for obvious reasons,but wearing too much clothing is dangerous due to limited mobility and visibility.
  • Design safer power systems while insuring compliance with NEC 110.16, OSHA, NFPA 70E and IEEE 1584 standards.
  • Evaluate alternatives quickly and easily to understand the possible hazard.
  • Improve safety margins with user-definable arcing fault tolerances.
  • Improve safety margins with user-definable fault source and impedance tolerances.
  • Save time by automatically generating arc flash labels and work permits.
  • Avoid potential fines, lost productivity, and increased insurance and litigation costs.

Interface Options:

  • Simple calculator-style interface.
  • Network one-line includes user-definable fault source, cable, transformer and motor.
  • Protection can be located anywhere on the one-line relative to the equipment bus.
  • Intelligent default data for fault sources, transformers, cables and motors.
  • Intelligent default data for arcing fault variables including bus gap and working distance.
  • Comprehensive library with thousands of validated protective device trip characteristics.
  • One-line display annotated with input data, short circuit values, trip times and flash hazard.
  • Bus and branch arcing fault values are calculated, and trip times are automatically determined from the protective device settings.
  • Arc Flash labels are automatically produced to comply with NEC 110.16 labeling requirements and can be printed in any size.
  • Create custom labels in any size with user-defined logos, text, comments, field placement, and local language support.

Study Options:

  • Option to follow the NFPA 70E or IEEE 1584 standards.
  • Option to report in English or Metric units.
  • Option to adjust arcing fault tolerance.
  • Allows representation of differential, zone-interlocking, photo-sensing and other special instantaneous protection schemes.
  • Induction motors can be included for a user-defined time.
  • Maximum arc duration may be specified for situations with long trip times.

ArcCalc vs. PTW Arc Flash

ArcCalc calculates the incident energy and arc flash boundary and selects the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for a single point in a simplified power system. Minimum and maximum arcing short circuit currents are calculated using broad tolerances to provide conservative results with estimated system data.

PTW Arc Flash allows you to build a system model for your entire power system. Once the system model is built, the Arc Flash module calculates the incident energy and flash boundary at every location in the power system.

Common Features of ArcCalc and PTW Arc Flash:

  • Calculate incident energy and flash boundary values and selects PPE.
  • Produce standard and custom labels.
  • Produce Energized Work Permits.
  • Calculate arcing fault current values.
  • Automatically determine the trip times from the protective device settings.
  • Contain an extensive library consisting of thousands of protective devices validated by electrical engineers.
  • Follow the calculation methods outlined in the latest release of IEEE 1584 and NFPA 70E

ArcCalc Advantages:

  • Evaluate a single fault location in a simplified network through a simple calculator-style interface.
  • Quickly assess dangerous conditions by determining incident energy and flash boundary values in the field.
  • Low cost ($995 for ArcCalc versus $4495 for smallest PTW combination with Arc Flash).
  • Intelligent default data for arcing fault variables including bus gap and working distance.
  • Automatically applies tolerances to determine min/max arcing fault currents to provide more conservative results with estimated data.

PTW Arc Flash Advantages:

  • PTW Arc Flash Advantages
  • Analyze every bus using a fully interactive model of an electrical power system.
  • Evaluate multiple levels of protective device settings including mis-coordination.
  • Accumulate energy from multiple parallel fault sources automatically.
  • Integrated with protective coordination drawings to help evaluate alternative designs.
  • Store and compare multiple project scenarios in a single table.
  • Calculate and reports bus,line-side and load-side fault conditions automatically.

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