Description

The GE IS200AEPAH1AFD (part number 336A4875G001) is a specialized arc-flash protection relay module designed for integration into GE’s Mark VIe and Mark VIeS turbine control and safety systems. It provides ultra-fast detection of dangerous electrical arcs inside generator breakers, switchgear, excitation panels, and auxiliary power cabinets—triggering a trip command in less than 4 milliseconds to limit incident energy and protect personnel and equipment.

Unlike standalone arc relays, the IS200AEPAH1AFD operates as a native I/O module within the Mark VIe architecture, enabling direct coordination with turbine shutdown sequences, breaker interlocks, and plant-wide safety logic—without external relays or communication delays.

Application Scenarios

At a 1.200 MW coal-fired power station in the Midwest, a catastrophic arc flash occurred in the unit auxiliary transformer (UAT) switchgear during a routine motor start. The existing overcurrent protection took 120 ms to operate—resulting in severe equipment damage and a 3-week outage. Post-incident analysis mandated arc-flash mitigation per NFPA 70E. Engineers installed GE IS200AEPAH1AFD modules with fiber-optic arc sensors routed through all critical compartments of the UAT and generator breaker cubicles. During a subsequent ground fault simulation, the IS200AEPAH1AFD detected intense light within 1.8 ms and issued a trip to the Mark VIe, which simultaneously de-energized the turbine and opened upstream breakers. “It didn’t just react—it prevented disaster,” said the plant’s electrical engineer. This case demonstrates how the IS200AEPAH1AFD transforms arc-flash from a hazard into a controlled event.

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Technical Principles and Innovative Values

Innovation Point 1: Sub-Cycle Arc Detection Inside Mark VIe Architecture

By embedding arc logic directly into the turbine control system, the IS200AEPAH1AFD eliminates external relay-to-controller latency—enabling coordinated tripping faster than mechanical breakers can respond.

Innovation Point 2: Immune to EMI with Fiber-Optic Sensing

Plastic optical fiber (POF) sensors detect broadband light (300–700 nm) without electrical conductors—making them immune to RF noise, ground loops, or high-voltage transients.

Innovation Point 3: Fail-Safe Hardware Design

The module defaults to “trip” state on loss of power, fiber break, or internal fault—ensuring safety even during partial system failures.

Innovation Point 4: Seamless Safety System Integration

Arc events appear as named alarms in ToolboxST, can trigger turbine coast-down sequences, and log time-stamped waveforms for forensic analysis.

Application Cases and Industry Value

In a Middle Eastern LNG facility, an arc flash in the gas compressor motor control center (MCC) caused a site-wide blackout. Investigation revealed that dust accumulation and loose connections created a flashover path undetectable by conventional protection. The facility retrofitted all MCCs and excitation panels with GE IS200AEPAH1AFD modules and perimeter fiber loops. Six months later, a phase-to-phase fault in a 4.16 kV bucket was contained within 3.2 ms—limiting damage to a single contactor. Personnel were unharmed, and production resumed in under 2 hours. “The IS200AEPAH1AFD paid for itself in one event,” noted the site safety director.

Related Product Combination Solutions

GE Mark VIe Controller: Host safety system—receives trip signal and executes shutdown logic

GE IS200TREGH1B: Turbine Emergency Gate module—can be triggered by IS200AEPAH1AFD for fuel cutoff

GE ToolboxST: Engineering software—configures sensor zones, enables test mode, logs events

ABB REF615: Protection relay—can receive arc trip signal as external binary input for breaker tripping

Siemens Siprotec 7UT85: Alternative—but requires separate arc relay and gateway for Mark VIe integration

Littelfuse AF0500: Standalone arc-flash relay—lacks native turbine coordination and SIL3 certification

GE IS200EPSMG1A: Excitation power supply—common location for IS200AEPAH1AFD fiber routing

Phoenix Contact FL SWITCH: Managed Ethernet switch—for secure remote diagnostics of arc events