Arc fault detection apparatus, method and system for an underground electrical conductor

A method of detecting and annunciating an arc fault of an electrical conductor, said method comprising:

• employing an electric circuit including an opening;
• admitting said electrical conductor through the opening of said electric circuit;
• outputting from said electric circuit a first signal representative of current flowing in said electrical conductor and a second signal;
• detecting an arc fault of said electrical conductor from said first signal;
• annunciating said detected arc fault;
• powering at least one of said detecting and said annunciating from said second signal;
• employing outputting an audio signal as said annunciating;
• and
• modulating said audio signal to indicate amplitude of said arc fault of said electrical conductor or to indicate a count of at least one occurrence of said arc fault.

An arc fault detection system for an electrical conductor, said system comprising:

• an arc fault detection device comprising:
• an electric circuit having an opening for receiving said electrical conductor therethrough, said electric circuit including at least one transducer adapted to output a first signal representative of current flowing in said electrical conductor and a second signal,
• an arc fault detection circuit cooperating with said electric circuit to output a third signal from said first signal, said third signal being representative of an arc fault of said electrical conductor,
• a first wireless communication device cooperating with said arc fault detection circuit to wirelessly communicate said third signal, and
• a power supply cooperating with said electric circuit, said power supply being adapted to power at least one of said arc fault detection circuit and said first wireless communication device from said second signal;
• and
• an arc fault annunciator device comprising:
• a second wireless communication device cooperating with said first wireless communication device to wirelessly receive said third signal, and
• an annunciator cooperating with said second wireless communication device to annunciate said received third signal,
• wherein said electrical conductor is an underground electrical power conductor, and
• wherein said arc fault detection device is adapted to be mounted underground with said underground electrical power conductor.