Test results for the 2.5-kVA ground fault protector

Divers using electrical equipment are exposed to shock hazards. The Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory tested commercially available ground fault protection devices designed for terrestrial use and found that none of them met Navy BUMED criteria for protection against electrical shock. NCEL then developed a prototype model ground fault protection system that could meet the BUMED criteria. This prototype incorporated the most desirable features of the commercial systems. The prototype was capable of detecting low-level (less than 5 mA) currents and shutting down in 10 msec or less.