ABB, a Swiss multinational engineering company, has filed a patent with the China National Intellectual Property Administration for a method and system used to compensate for ambient light in electrical equipment arc flash detection systems. The application, published under number CN121039504A, was filed in May 2023.

The patent describes an improved approach designed to enhance the accuracy and stability of arc flash detection in environments where varying ambient light conditions may interfere with optical sensing performance.

According to the abstract, the arc flash detection system includes a first optical sensor configured to detect arc flash events. The proposed method involves initiating a recording mode in which the system continuously captures and stores output signals from the optical sensor.

During this recording phase, a set of multiple values is collected, where each value represents the ambient light level within or around the electrical equipment. After a predefined recording period, the system terminates the recording mode.

The collected data is then processed to determine a representative parameter characterizing ambient light conditions. Based on this calculated parameter, the arc flash detection system is configured to dynamically compensate for ambient light influence.

By integrating this adaptive ambient light compensation mechanism, the technology aims to reduce false alarms and missed detections, thereby improving the reliability of arc flash monitoring in industrial power systems and enhancing overall operational safety.