Simulation and Experimental Research on Arc-Induced Fires in Photovoltaic Systems

DC fault arcs comprise one of the most serious safety hazards in photovoltaic systems, and their danger far exceeds that of AC arcs. DC arcs lack a natural zero-crossing point, and their burning time can last from several seconds to several minutes, which is sufficient to ignite cable lines and surrounding combustibles, causing fires. To explore the characteristics and mechanism of the ignition of external combustibles by DC fault arcs, this paper, based on the theory of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), constructed a three-dimensional numerical simulation model of a DC fault arc considering the coupling of electromagnetic, thermal, and flow fields. A DC fault arc experimental platform that can simulate the actual working conditions of photovoltaic systems was built to verify the accuracy of the model. Based on this, by integrating the complex pyrolysis model and the combustion reaction model, and selecting cotton fibers as the typical combustible indicator substances, as stipulated in the UL 1699 standard, a coupled simulation model for the ignition of solid combustibles by direct current fault arcs was established. The numerical simulation of the entire ignition process of the arc was realized, and the coupling mechanism of heat transfer, mass transfer, and chemical reactions during the ignition process was revealed. The research results of this paper fill a research gap in the numerical simulation of arc ignition caused by DC faults in photovoltaic systems, clarify the fire ignition risk patterns of DC fault arcs under different working conditions, and provide important theoretical support and technical references for the formulation of arc fire prevention strategies and the optimized design of fault arc protection devices for photovoltaic systems and other DC power systems.