Duke Power Heat Flux Calculator
The Duke Power Heat Flux Calculator is a free software program. It will calculate the incident energy received at a surface at a specified distance from an electric arc.
We have created an automated installation program that makes installing this software easy. You may download the file by clicking the link below.
Download Duke Power Heat Flux Calculator (310k)
The software and documentation will automatically be installed in the folder "C:\Program Files\Labeling\Duke Heat Flux Calculator." An icon for starting the software will be placed on your desktop. Two icons--one for the documentation and another for running the software--will be placed in a folder named "Labeling Utilities" in your START menu.
Please note: The Duke Power Heat Flux software is public domain. However, the automated installer is not public domain. The installation file from this page may be freely downloaded and used within your company or organization without restriction, but it may not be posted on any other web site.
The following is the documentation for using the heat flux calculator. A copy of this documentation is included as a PDF file as a part of the installation package.
Free 130 Page Arc Flash Handbook
Real-world advice and insight into preventing arc flash accidents.
Duke Power Heat Flux Calculator Documentation
The Duke Power Heat Flux Calculator is a freeware software product created by Alan Privette of Duke Power. Graphic Products, Inc. is providing a free download of this software on this web site. Graphic Product, Inc. is a manufacturer and dealer of industrial-quality labeling machines that are used to make labels and signs, including arc flash labels. We are not an electrical safety consultant.
Disclaimer: Graphic Products, Inc. is making this software available for free download as a service to visitors to our web site. Use of this software is the sole responsibility of the user. Graphic Products, Inc. provides no warranty nor accepts any responsibility for any inappropriate use, damage or injury that may result from its use.
Keep in mind that every application is unique. If you are not sure about a particular application, please contact your electrical safety manager, or use the services of an electrical safety consultant.
The Duke Power Heat Flux Calculator has a simple user interface. You will be prompted to enter five numbers. If you make a typo you can not go back and correct the entry. You'll need to start over. You can exit from the calculator by holding down the CTRL key and pushing the BREAK key on your keyboard.
The software does not include error checking. If you get an "overflow" error message, that means a calculation has resulted in infinity as the answer. Most likely zero was entered as one of the numbers. Push any key to close the software and start over.
The numbers you'll be asked to enter are:
The arc current in amps. This is the maximum amount of current that is available to create an arc.
The arc gap in inches. This is the distance the arc will flow through the air. This is typically the distance between bus bars, or the distance between a bus bar and ground.
The supply voltage in volts. Notice that the voltage must be entered in volts without using a comma. For example, 5000 would be correct. Do not enter 5,000 or 5kA.
The calculator will let you know if the voltage is sufficient to sustain an arc. If it is not, a smaller gap distance can be entered so that the calculation can proceed. You cannot go back and change the gap distance. You must exit from the software (CTRL-Break) and restart it.
After this number is entered the software will perform some calculations and display the results on the screen.
Distance from the arc to the receiving surface. The receiving surface is the person who is near the device when the arc flash occurs
Duration of the arc in number of cycles. The number will be based on the clearing time of the fuse or breaker in the circuit.
The software will now calculate the total calories per square centimeter at the receiving surface.
