Arc flash incidents cost American corporations hundreds of millions of dollars annually. These potentially catastrophic electrical short circuits can produce temperatures in excess of 35,000°F, causing explosions (“arc blasts”) which produce molten shrapnel carried by pressure waves measured in thousands of pounds of force. In addition to the damage to plant assets and lost production time, companies send more than 2,000 workers to burn centers for treatment each year as a result of an estimated 5 to 10 serious arc flash incidents occurring daily across North America alone.
Standards organizations such as IEC and IEEE have prescribed test procedures to certify certain types of electrical distribution equipment, such as metal clad switchgear, “for resistance to the effects of arcing due to an internal fault.” Switchgear passing such test with various accessories (such as infrared windows) in place are termed “Arc Resistant” by these standards, and are proven to contain the effects of arc blast, thereby minimizing additional destruction of plant assets and human life.
IRISS VPFR infrared windows were recently used as accessories in a 63 kA 15 kV 30 Cycle arc resistance test, and the windows, as part of the switchgear system, were shown to contain the effects of the blast. “This shows what we have been saying for years. The VPFR Series is by far the strongest IR window design on the market so it is no surprise that it passes these tests” said Martin Robinson, CEO.
“We are very excited to have this confirmation of our design” said Tammi Pickett, Marketing Director. “But people really need to understand what these tests actually mean: namely that our industrial-grade IR windows were shown to help contain an arc blast as part of this system - as with any window or component that passes similar (arc resistance) tests, it does NOT give a general or generic ‘arc rating’ to the component or for use in non-resistant gear. That being said, it is a great confirmation of our best-in-class design.”
For more information about arc ratings as they apply to infrared windows, please visit http://www.iriss.com/PDF/new_white_papers/IRISS_IR_Win_Arc_Ratings_Dec08_p.pdf .
About IRISS inc.
Established in 2007, IRISS, inc. is a privately held company whose mission is to enable companies to “save time, save money and save lives.” As manufacturer of the world’s first and only industrial-grade infrared windows, IRISS’s end-user-designed products are the culmination of more than 15 years experience using and designing infrared windows, and launching infrared window programs around the world. IRISS products are the heart of efficient and safe work processes for infrared electrical surveys and thereby provide the means with which companies can reduce and eliminate risk to plant assets and personnel.
By facilitating closed-panel inspections, use of IRISS infrared windows eliminate 99.9% of arc flash triggers during IR electrical surveys and help companies to comply with NFPA and OSHA mandates. To learn more about infrared inspection solutions from IRISS, visit www.iriss.com
