Patent ID: 7865321

Claim:
A method for detecting electrical arcing on an electrical power system, comprising the steps of: a) obtaining first data indicative of the temporal behavior of a signal which is indicative of a first periodic property of the electrical power system, the first periodic property being current, wherein the signal includes a steady-state load component as well at least one burst having a magnitude substantially greater than any steady-state load present in the electrical power system, and providing the first data to an electronic computing device; b) using the electronic computing device, removing the steady-state load component from the first data; and c) using the electronic computing device, observing the first data and determining that an arcing event is present on the electrical power system when the at least one burst within the first data presents a generally sinusoidal shape which includes generally flat regions which are present where the generally sinusoidal shape crosses over a zero-magnitude line.