System to Protect from Unsafe Conditions in an Electrical Power System

A system that provides protection from unsafe conditions, comprising:

• one or more sensors configured to measure light and generate a first light signal indicative of the measurement of light;
• the light sensor further configured to measure a second light from a second fusible translucent media and generate a second light signal indicative of the measurement of said second light;
• a controller in communication with one or more said sensors, the controller being configured to:
• determine an intensity of unsafe condition based on the first light signal, verify the said intensity of unsafe condition based on light from an induced event, the verification including an error signal that is generated if the induced unsafe condition event is determined to be an unsafe condition event based on the unsafe condition detection algorithm;
• and determine whether the second light signal is indicative of an unsafe condition based on the unsafe condition detection algorithm and generate an unsafe condition signal if the controller determines that the second signal is indicative of an unsafe condition event;
• and a circuit interruption device in communication with the controller;
• an interruption device configured to mitigate the unsafe condition in response an unsafe condition signal.

A method for adaptively identifying a precursor to an unsafe condition in an electrical system, the method comprising:

• operating the electrical system to generate a first light event triggered by an unsafe condition event;
• detecting the first light event with a sensor;
• generating a first light signal indicative of the detected first light event;
• processing, using a controller, the first light signal to determine criteria of a precursor to an unsafe condition;
• operating the electrical system to generate a second light event;
• detecting the second light event with the light sensor;
• generating a second light signal indicative of the second light event;
• processing the second light signal to determine a characteristic of the second light signal and comparing the characteristic to the precursor to an unsafe condition criteria to determine whether the second light signal is indicative of a precursor to an unsafe condition event.