Potential arc fault detection and suppression

A photovoltaic combiner for combining currents from a number of photovoltaic source circuits each comprising a corresponding string of solar panels and for delivering the combined current to a photovoltaic output circuit, the combiner including:

• At least one positive terminal and at least one negative terminal for the connection of corresponding power conductors to each of said photovoltaic source circuits and to said photovoltaic output circuit;
• at least one additional terminal for the connection of at least one conductor additional to said power conductors;
• at least one wiring fault detector connected to any of said power conductors for detecting wiring faults that could potentially lead to arcing and to at least one of said at least one conductors additional to said power conductors and for providing electrical signals on said at least one of said at least one conductors additional to said power conductors indicative of detected faults;
• a controlled circuit interruption device connected in each of said photovoltaic source circuits, the interruption device being controlled by said electrical signals indicative of faults to interrupt the current in the associated photovoltaic source circuit, and
• a fault indicator for providing a fault alert to a human operator.

A photovoltaic combiner for combining currents from a number of photovoltaic source circuits each comprising at least one string of solar panels and delivering the combined current to a photovoltaic output circuit, the combiner including:

• At least one positive and at least one negative terminal for connecting corresponding power conductors to said photovoltaic source circuits and to said photovoltaic output circuit;
• for each of said photovoltaic source circuits and said photovoltaic output circuit, at least one terminal additional to the corresponding ones of said positive and negative terminals for the connection of a corresponding at least one conductor additional to the corresponding ones of said power conductors;
• a controlled circuit interruption device connected in each of said photovoltaic source circuits for interrupting the current in the associated photovoltaic source circuit;
• an electrical circuit arrangement for controlling said controlled circuit interruption devices to interrupt or to pass current from said photovoltaic source circuits, said electrical circuit arrangement comprising at least one wiring fault detector connected to said power conductors and said corresponding additional conductors for detecting faults in said power conductors that could potentially lead to arcing and for providing corresponding fault indications, said electrical circuit arrangement being configured to select the photovoltaic source circuits to be interrupted based on said fault indications.