Patent ID: 7636225

Claim:
An arc detector for monitoring an electrical system and allowing normal inrush currents to pass, while extinguishing arc currents, comprising: a voltage generator that generates a voltage that is proportional to a voltage across a load, the voltage generator having a current sensing resistor; an integrator, that integrates said voltage with respect to time and generates an output signal corresponding to an integration, wherein the integrator includes a second resistor, a diode, and a capacitor and wherein a time constant for said integration can be adjusted by changing the resistance of said second resistor and the capacitance of said capacitor; a discharge controller, including a third resistor and said diode, that controls the discharge rate of the capacitor and ensures that said current flows through said integrator in only one direction; an amplifier that receives said output signal from said integrator and puts out an amplified signal; and a comparator that compares said amplified output signal to a reference voltage and generates a signal indicating a detected arc event based on said comparison, wherein said detector is capable of breaking current flow within 5 milliseconds when an arc fault is detected.