Work performed within the AFB requires adequate PPE based on NFPA 70E requirements. This boundary is typically calculated as the distance where the incident energy falls off to 1.2 cal/cm 2. The Arc Flash Boundary (AFB) known as Flash Hazard Boundary in IEEE 1584, is defined as an approach limit at a distance from exposed live parts within which a person could receive a second degree burn if an electrical arc flash were to occur. The clearing time is normally determined from the upstream protective device’s time current curve using the estimated arcing current. The second equation is used to adjust the normalized data to specific conditions. The first equation is used to determine the incident energy based on a normalized working distance of 24 inches and a clearing time of 0.2 seconds. The distance from the source is referred to as working distance. Incident energy is defined as the amount of energy impressed on a surface at a certain distance from the source. The next step is to calculate the incident energy in calories/cm 2 (cal/cm 2). I bf = bolted short-circuit current (kA)įactors for Equipment and Voltage Classes.k = – 0.153 for open air and – 0.097 for arcs in a box.

The formula or equation for estimating arcing short-circuits based on IEEE 1584-2002 is as follows: Equipment enclosures of commonly available sizes with various conductor configurations, or open air.įor cases where voltage is over 15 kV or gap is outside the range of the model, the theoretically derived Lee method can be applied.Bolted fault current in the range of 700–106,000 A.Voltages in the range of 208–15,000 V, three-phase.The IEEE 1584 is an international standard that empirically derived model accurately accounts for a wide variety of setup parameters including: IEEE Std 1584-2018, Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations, is a standard of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers that provides a method of calculating the incident energy of arc flash event.Īrc Flash Hazard calculations are currently implemented in most of the industry plants due to Safety regulations. IEEE 1584 – Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations This article will discuss in more detail the standards and methods of calculation or how to calculate the value of the arc flash hazards or incident energy and boundary with a mathematical calculating formula developed by IEEE 1584. In the previous article we have discussed the definition, hazards, level of risk (read: Arc Flash: Definition, Hazards and Risks) and the causes of arc flash (read: Arc Flash Causes Analysis).

Arc flash boundary distance calculator