Technical Feature Electrical Fire By Jules S. Alcantara, Professional Electrical Engineer Electrica fires claim the lives of many and destroy hundreds of millions of pesos worth of properties annually. Electrical fires usually start with an Insulation failure causing a short circuit and ends with fire. The root cause is usually a defect or deficiency Introduced at some stage either in manufacture, installation and/or maintenance of electrical equipment, wires or devices. Another common root cause of fire, which is outside the responsibility of electrical engineers, is the misuse of and carelessness in the use of electrical equipment and appliances, Cases of misuse of appliances causing accidental electrical fires include: + An electrical iron left ON and pressed on the ironing board; + Anelectric kettle used for making coffee in an office with paper files is filled with water, switched ‘ON and then forgotten; + Anelectric hairdryer kept ON and placed on the bed; + An electric fan ceased to turn due to blockage or jamming of its blade by a material such as window curtains or has defective cords due to rubbing off of its insulation. The most significant factor in fire incidents due to electric fans is the location of the fan. Placing the fan near window curtains or on top of combustible materials such as paper_or clothing are major causes of fire incidents involving fans. A fan placed in a location such that its cord may be damaged by passing persons or by objects on top of the cord may result in insulation failure; ‘+ Repeated blowing of fuse due to overloading which was “solved” by the user using a higher- rated fuse or even replacing the fuse with copper strands. Such practice eliminates the protection of the electrical system. To prevent fires, all wires and cables must be protected by 2 protection system of fuses or circuit breakers of appropriate rating determined by a licensed electrical practitioner. Improper replacement of fuses or circuit breakers is inviting a fire accident tohappen; + Misuse of ordinary extension cords by overloading it with multiple devices and appliances and using it for extended periods of time. Extension cords are designed for temporary use only and its continued use and overloading is a fire hazard. Loose connections create heat and arcing which ignites nearby combustible materials. Heavy reliance on extension cords means there are too few outlets and circuits forthe user's electrical energy needs and thus the electrical system needs to be upgraded by a licensed electrical practitioner. Fires that are the foremost concern of electrical engineers are those involving design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of electrical equipment. There are four groups of causes of electrical fires: LOverloads 2.Insulation Failures 3.Contact Failures 4.Conductor Fractures ‘OVERLOADS Overloading of electrical equipment and devices are usually due to defects in installation, unauthorized expansion of electrical installation and electrical loads or inappropriate rating of wires, cables, motors and transformers. Overloading results in excessive currents that develop heat which is proportional to the square of the current (PR). With a protection system of the right fuses or circuit breakers, overloaded circuits are easily isolated for safety. If not, the heat generated damages ‘the insulation materials and their Insulating properties. This failure of insulation leads to short circuits and the development of sparks or arcs. The operation of the protection system should quickly isolate, in a fraction of a second, the short circuit before surrounding combustible materials are ignited. INSULATION FAILURE Fallure of insulation may result from deterioration due to normal aging process, thermal degradation, moisture, voltage stress, abrasion due to improper mechanical protection, mechanical vibration, environmental effects, rodent attack, some defect in manufacture, installation, utilization and maintenance of the components of the electrical installation. It results in short circuits and continuous arcing, followed by ignition of the insulating materials and the surrounding combustible materials Many incidents of insulation failures have occurred in large installations but it does not necessarily result in fire. The fire is prevented if the arc is extinguished within a fraction of a second by the desired operation of the protection system. Short circuit incidents are to be expected but fires are not. 2nd QUARTER 2011, THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER | 33During maintenance or for new installations, insulation is measured and evaluated by an insulation tester for its ohmic value and its capacitive condition through Polarization Index. Other more sophisticated tests used by electric utilities and industrial installations are Dissipation Factor and Power Factor testing lt must be noted that many fires are described in the press as caused by “faulty electrical wiring” or “electrical short circuit”, In actuality, they may refer to overloading or to failure of insulation, coupled with a protection system that does not work. CONTACT FAILURE If the connection between various components of the installation is not mechanically tight according to what is specified by the manufacturer, the contact resistance would be high. High resistance would mean heat is generated. The contact and the surrounding insulating material then starts to deteriorate and progress into failure. Deterioration and failure ‘may take months or years to develop before it causes the problem of localized heating called hot spots. In time, as a result of progressive formation of metal oxide layers at the junction, the hot spot temperature ‘would continue to increase and could even glow and ignite nearby combustible materials. Hot spots in the early stages are very dificult to notice and cannot be detected by the protection system. It can however be identified by heat scanners or infrared cameras. In the absence of a heat scanner, the maintenance crew should periodically tighten the contacts and look for tell-tale signs of overheating such as charring and iscoloration during maintenance work In the case of transformers, contact problems in connectors. and terminals inside the tank would Femain undetected by heat scanners. Dissolved Gas Analysis of oil samples ‘may be able to detect high levels of specific dissolved gases in oil formed during heating thus giving indications to maintenance personnel of heating problems inside the tank and the need to frequently monitor the transformer. CONDUCTOR FRACTURE Fracture of current conducting components are due to stresses from excessive vibration, — flexing of wires and connectors, thermal stresses due to alternate heating and cooling, sharp bends, stress due to defective crimps and sub-standard or unsuitable materials used. The failure starts with metal fatigue, crack formation, crack propagation and finally fracture. It then results in local arcing at the point of fracture which ‘may last for some time. Combustible ‘materials nearby can then be ignited. The protection system of fuses and Circuit breakers will not be able to provide protection for this type of problem. PROTECTION SYSTEM Safety is the primary concern of ‘the protection system. It consists of devices such as fuses, circuit breakers and, in systems of higher voltages, protective relays and its associated instrument transformers. Fuses and circuit breakers should desirably isolate a circuit if there is ‘an abnormally high current such as ‘an over-current during short circuits ‘or the differential protection relay of a transformer should detect short at the National Transmission Corporation eed Oe ae i eee ea Seg ee) eee 34 | 2nd QUARTER 2011 THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER ct circuits and initiate tripping of circuit breakers when there is a difference in the IN/OUT currents due to a fault in the protected zone. Protection relays used in industrial plants include over-current relays, ground — overcurrent —_relays, differential protection, restricted earth fault and over-voltage relays. The protection system for commercial and industrial installations should be tested and calibrated regularly so that it will work correctly when its function is called for. ELECTRICAL CODE Electrical codes in various countries ‘and states such as the Philippine Electrical Code (PEC) provide a basis for wiring rules. Article 1 of the PEC states that the purpose of the code is the practical safeguarding of persons and property from hazards arising from the use of electricity. 1 contains provisions that are considered minimum requirements necessary for safety. Compliance and proper maintenance will result in an installation that is especially free from hazard. Sources: 1LElectrical Fires and Failures by A. Hattangadi, McGraw-Hill, 2000. 2.Final Report on Portable Electric Fans ~ Fires, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2002 3.Philippine Electrical Code Tea Seta tenance and Construction a Internal Affa trees pects of and feral He has a master Poteet nae esa te a ecto essed above are those of the author and do notFILIP! NO ENGINEER VER PANGONILO (https://pangonilo.com/) HOME (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/) | PROFILE (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/PROFILE) ARCHIVES (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/ARCHIVES) DOWNLOADS (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/DOWNLOAD) ANCESTRY (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/ANCESTRY) | LIFE (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/CATEGORY/LIFE) TUTORIALS (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/TUTORIALS) TECHNOLOGY (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/CATEGORY/LIFE/TECHNOLOGY) CONTACT (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/CONTACT) | FORUMS (HTTPS://EEAME.COM/FORUMS) Fire Prevention Month TOPICS: Safety (Https://Pangonilo.Com/Tag/Safety) POSTED BY: VER PANGONILO (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/AUTHOR/VER) MARCH 7, 2016was listening to an online Philippine radio station when the anchor man interviewed an official from the Fire Department. They were talking March as the Fire Prevention month. Again, the official mentioned that the primary cause of fire is Faulty Electrical Wiring {https://pangonilo.com/2012/06/faulty-electrical-wiring- again.html). As an Electrical Engineer, this kind of statement annoys me as it makes Electrical Practitioners incompetent. The truth is, this is not the case as the following questions need to be answered: = Was the installation designed by a licensed electrical practitioner? = Was the installation installed by a licensed electrical practitioner? = Was the installation inspected by a competent electrical inspector prior to power connection? # Was the establishment regularly inspected by a competent electrical inspector for compliance to statutory requirements? If any one of the questions above will be answered negatively, then a faulty electrical wiring is eminent. And do not blame the electrical engineer for it as most of the time, it is ory ‘requirements. But do not forget, the owner. Almost always, the budget for electrical system in any project is given the least. They also engage unlicensed electricians to install as they are cheap. These are the people damaging the reputation of competent, licensed electrical practitioners. A Quote of the Day license electrical practitioner will not put his or her integrity apr 29, 2019 at stake by cutting corners. An unlicensed does. Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech Government agencies and all registered electrical practitioners will be more vigilant in eradicating this practice of employing unqualified electrical practitioners to do Martin Fraquhar electrical jobs. a Tupper ‘ABOUT THE AUTHOR TAG CLOUD Ver Pangonilo (https://pangonilo.com/author/ver) Arc-Flash A Filipino E: r Registered eee wee (https://pangonilo.com/tag/a Professional Engineer of Queenslandurl ee NO ENGINEER VER PANGONILO (https://pangonilo.com/) HOME (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/) | PROFILE (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/PROFILE) ARCHIVES (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/ARCHIVES) DOWNLOADS (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/DOWNLOAD) ANCESTRY (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/ANCESTRY) | LIFE (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/CATEGORY/LIFE) TUTORIALS (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/TUTORIALS) TECHNOLOGY (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/CATEGORY/LIFE/TECHNOLOGY) CONTACT (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/CONTACT) | FORUMS (HTTPS://EEAME.COM/FORUMS) RA 7920 Practice of Electrical Engineering TOPICS: Design (Https://Pangonilo.com/Tag/Design) Engineering Design (Https://Pangonilo.Com/Tag/Engineering- Design) RA 7920 (Https://Pangonilo.Com/Tag/Ra-7920) POSTED BY: VER PANGONILO (HTTPS://PANGONILO.COM/AUTHOR/VER) SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 As always, | am an advocate for the upliftment of Electrical Engineering Practice in the Philippines. With my vast overseas experience in the oil & gas industry which spans from the Middle East to Asia and Australia, | could clearly see the difference of practicing locally and overseas. This makes me feel guilty of what is happening in the Electrical Engineering profession in the Philippines.In this article (https://pangonilo.com/2012/07/ra-7920- provision-on-signing-of-technical-documents-and- drawings.html), | discussed the legality of a PEE. (Professional Electrical Engineer) signing technical documents and drawings prepared by others not under his direct supervision. This is a practice that (JMHO.(In.my.humble opinion)) has been generally accepted, thus despite being illegal as per RA (Republic, Act) 7920, nobody really cares (https://pangonilo.com/2012/07/ra-7920-provision-on- signing-of-technical-documents-and- ORA Oxfor drawings.html#tcomments). Does compliance to Statutory Summer Sch Laws (https://pangonilo.com/2011/11/compliance-to- 2019 statutory-laws.html) not being observed anymore? If an incident of fire occurs, authorities are very quick to say that the cause of fire was faulty electrical wiring (https://pangonilo.com/2011/04/effects-of-temperature- on-cables-faulty-electrical-wiring.html).. Another provision of RA (Republic Act) 7920 that | want to point out is Section 2a - Practice of electrical engineering, in particular Sec 2a.1 and Sec 2a.5 to quote (a) "Practice of electrical engineering" a person is deemed to be in the practice of electrical engineering when he render s or offers to render professional elect rical engineering service in the form o f: Quote of the Day (1) Consultation, investigation, valuati April 21, 2019 on and management of services requiring Self-confidence is the first electrical engineering knowledge; requisite to great undertakings. (5) Supervision of the manufacture and r epair of electrical equipment including Samuel Johnson switchboards, transformers, generators, English author, critic, motors, apparatus and others; & lexicographer (1709 - 1784) Based on the above provisions, will a person managing a TAG CLOUD company which provides services as per Sec 2a.1 and manufacture of electrical equipment as per Sec 2a.5 who is not a registered electrical engineering practioner violates RA(Republic, Act) 7920? Are there any exemptions to this? As per Sec 14 - Exemption from Examination and Registration, there are no exemptions listed for above practice. RA (Republic Act) 7920 Section 32 states the prohibitions to quote Sec. 32. Prohibition in the Practice of Electrical Engineering. - No person sha ll: (a) Practice or offer to practice electr ical engineering in the Philippines with out having previously obtained a certifi cate of registration and a professional license from the Board of Electrical En gineering except as provided for in Sect ion 14 hereof; ‘Ifa person violates these provisions, who has the pow police them? In Queensland (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/flood- eer-john-ruffini-facing-criminal-charge-for-not-being- registered-during-2011-floods/story-fndo45r1- 1226465897897), a flood engineer is facing criminal charges, filed by the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland, for not being registered during his tour of duty. If found guilty, he faces a fine of up to $110,000 (PhP 450,000). (iMHO.(In.my.humble opinion)) | do not believe that this will ever happen in the Philippines. How could we uplift the Electrical Engineering profession in the Philippines if nobody cares even if non-registered — ‘persons are practicing electrical engineering in the Philippines. ‘ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ver Pangonilo (https://pangonilo.com/author/ver) ‘Arc-Flash (https://pangonilo.com/tag/a re-flash) corruption {https://eangonilo.comy/tag/corruption) Design (https://pangonil o.com/tag/desig 1) designer (tts://pangonilo.com/tag/designer) economic slowdown (https://pangonilo.com/tag/e conomic-slowdown) Economy (https://pangonilo .com/tag/econom Y) Engineer (https://pangonilo.com/tag/engine er) Engineering Design (https://pangonilo.co m/tag/engineering- design) touts (https://pangonilo.com/tag/faults) fire hard (to forgone com/aatee- rare) GFC (https://pangonilo.com/tag Jac) cots warming (hps)pargonto com/tag/lbal-warming) own eoney (hton/rangniocematleeen ener) Hacks hte: frangoocomfag/haks) harmonics (https://pangonilo.com/tag/ harmonics) Hazards (https://pangonilo.com/tag/ha(https://pango nilo.com/auth or/ver) A Filipino Engineer, Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) - Australia and Professional Electrical Engineer (PEE) - Philippines with extensive experience in concept select, front-end engineering, HV & LV detail design, construction and ‘commissioning of Hazardous and Non- Hazardous Area electrical installations in water and waste water pipeline and pumping facilities, offshore platforms, hydrocarbon process plants and pipelines including related facilities. 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