Metallurgical Characteristics of Perforations due to Arc Damage

Electrical arcing is known to lead to localized damage and perforations of hydrocarbon carrying metal components, such as natural gas tubing and transmission pipelines, which can result in fire and explosion accidents. While the degree of damage resulting from an arc discharge event depends on the amount of energy transferred, the resulting metallurgical features are similar. This presentation details the mechanisms and metallurgical features associated with arcing damage, the energy required for material damage, and case studies of arcing damage at different energy scales.