DC Arc Flash Modeling and Analysis of Photovoltaic Arrays Using Magnetohydrodynamic Framework

Renewable energy systems remain one of the energy industry’s fastest-expanding sectors. Considering the recent global expansion of solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays and their corresponding dc installations, the risk of dc arc flashes on PV systems has raised safety concerns. It is necessary to develop realistic and precise criteria to evaluate arc flash levels in dc equipment, combining several solar PV circuits with considerable available fault currents. In contrast to the arc flash of ac systems, few research studies and industry standards have quantified the risks associated with PV systems, particularly with dc installations. This work is an attempt to contribute to standardized model development. The physical aspects of arc flash in PV systems are modeled, and then magnetohydrodynamics (MHDs) are utilized to perform the simulation. The MHD simulation was performed through ANSYS software, ANSYS Fluent, for fluid mechanic equations in conjunction with ANSYS Maxwell for electromagnetic equations. The empirical model developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for incident energy calculation on PV arrays and their published test results are compared to the resultant MHD simulation results and to certain other available industry models.