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@article{199077,
        author = {Pratik Dilip Uttarekar and Raj Mahadev Inagavle and Sanket Rajaram Yadav and Tushar Tukaram Gunake and Prof. Dhamyakumar Adagonda Patil},
        title = {Microcontroller-Based Arc Fault Detection and Protection System},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {11},
        pages = {10811-10816},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=199077},
        abstract = {Conventional protective devices Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) and Residual Current Devices (RCDs)  fail to detect hazardous arc faults, which are a primary cause of electrical fires. This paper presents the design and implementation of a low-cost, microcontroller-based Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) prototype capable of detecting series arc faults through the analysis of DC bias and harmonic content in the load current waveform. The system employs an Arduino Uno microcontroller, an ACS712 Hall-effect current sensor, and a ZMPT101B voltage sensor to continuously monitor the AC circuit. Upon detection of anomalous waveform characteristics specifically an elevated DC bias component or increased harmonic distortion indicative of arcing — the system instantly actuates an electromagnetic relay to isolate the load. Real-time status and fault information are provided via a 16×2 LCD display. Experimental results demonstrate three operational modes: metering-only mode, active protection mode with fault latch, and trip-and-alarm action upon threshold exceedance. The prototype validates the hardware architecture and the sense-process-act framework, while identifying the need for full FFT-based harmonic analysis in future iterations.},
        keywords = {- Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI), arc fault detection, DC bias, harmonic analysis, ACS712, Arduino Uno, electrical safety, relay protection.},
        month = {April},
        }