Method and apparatus for smart centralized arc fault detection in a system

A system for facilitating arc fault detection on an electrical system, comprising:

• a communication interface for conducting communications with a remote device(s);
• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor(s), in communication with the memory, which is configured to:
• provide high frequency features determined from high frequency signals, on a circuit monitored by a first sensor of the electrical system, which is measured or obtained by a first device configured to conduct communications with a first remote device(s), the first remote device(s) including a branch device(s) on a branch circuit(s) which is downstream of the monitored circuit;
• provide low frequency features determined from low frequency signals, on the branch circuit(s) monitored by a second sensor(s), which is measured or obtain by the branch device(s);
• and
• detect an occurrence of an arc fault on the branch circuit(s) based on the high frequency features and the low frequency features,
• wherein the system comprises the first device or the branch device(s).

A non-transitory computer medium storing computer executable code, which when executed by one or more processors of a first device or a branch device, implements a method of facilitating arc fault detection on an electrical system, the method comprising:

• providing high frequency features determined from high frequency signals, on a circuit monitored by a first sensor of the electrical system, which is measured or obtained by a first device configured to conduct communications with a first remote device(s), the first remote device(s) including a branch device(s) on a branch circuit(s) which is downstream of the monitored circuit;
• providing low frequency features determined from low frequency signals, on the branch circuit(s) monitored by a second sensor(s), which is measured or obtain by the branch device(s);
• and
• detecting an occurrence of an arc fault on the branch circuit(s) based on the high frequency features and the low frequency features.

A method of facilitating arc fault detection on an electrical system with a plurality of branch devices on different branch circuits, comprising:

• measuring or obtaining measurements of, at each of the plurality of branch devices, low frequency signals on a respective branch circuit monitored by a respective sensor on the electrical system, each of the plurality of branch devices including a memory, a processor(s) and a communication device for conducting communications with a remote device(s) including a first device;
• determine, at each of the plurality of branch devices, low frequency features from the measured low frequency signals on the respective branch circuit;
• and
• communicating energy measurements between each of the plurality of branch devices with the first device which is configured to determine common high frequency features from high frequency signals monitored on a circuit upstream of the branch circuits on the electrical system, the energy measurements including one of the low frequency features or the common high frequency features, the low frequency features for the respective branch circuit being used along with the common high frequency features to detect for an arc fault on the respective branch circuit.

A system for facilitating arc fault detection on an electrical system with a plurality of branch devices on different branch circuits, comprising:

• the plurality of branch devices each including a memory, a processor(s) and a communication device for conducting communications with a remote device(s) including a first device, the processor(s) being configured to:
• measure or obtain measurements of low frequency signals on a respective branch circuit monitored by a respective sensor on the electrical system;
• determine low frequency features from the measured low frequency signals on the respective branch circuit;
• and
• communicate energy measurements with the first device which determines common high frequency features from high frequency signals monitored on a circuit upstream of the branch circuits on the electrical system, the energy measurements including one of the low frequency features or the common high frequency features, the low frequency features for the respective branch circuit being used along with the common high frequency features to detect for an arc fault on the respective branch circuit.