US Patent 7366622 Arc fault identification using model reference estimation

An apparatus and method for the identification of arcing phenomena in a faulted electrical network. By continually updating a model for the load on an electrical branch, an estimate of the behavior of that load may be calculated. Since electrical arcing faults result in a chaotic behavior that is difficult to describe, when arcing occurs, the model will be unable to adequately describe the arcing behavior and this inability indicates a fault condition, in response to which, power may be removed in full or in part from the faulted electrical network. In some embodiments, a current shunt is used to distinguish between source side and load side arcing. Some embodiments utilize a solid state switch as both current shunt and interruption means.