Chapter 5

Circuit breakers
 Self-Actuated Circuit Breaker
Thermal
• Sense circuit current through the
production of heat
• Generally uses some type of heating
element in series with the load
• The heater is located close to
a bimetallic strip
• The bimetallic strip is mechanically
connected to the moveable contacts
• There is a time delay before the
circuit opens
• The time delay depends on the
amount of over current
 Magnetic
• It also known as Instantaneous trip circuit breaker
• Senses circuit current by connecting a coil in series with the load
• When current flows thought the circuit, a magnetic field is
established around the coil
• The magnetic field attracts the metal arm of a solenoid
• When the magnetic field becomes intense enough the metal arm
mechanically opens the contacts
• There is very little time delay in opening the contacts when an
abnormal condition occurs
 Thermo-magnetic circuit breaker
• Employs both thermal and magnetic current sensors
• More efficient and disconnect within millisecond
 Magnetic-hydraulic
• A magnetic-hydraulic circuit breaker uses a solenoid coil to
provide operating force to open the contacts.
• Magnetic-hydraulic breakers incorporate a hydraulic time
delay feature using a viscous fluid.
• A spring restrains the core until the current exceeds the
breaker rating. During an overload, the speed of the solenoid
motion is restricted by the fluid.
• The delay permits brief current surges beyond normal running
current for motor starting, energizing equipment, etc.
• Short-circuit currents provide sufficient solenoid force to
release the latch regardless of core position thus bypassing the
delay feature.
• Ambient temperature affects the time delay but does not affect
the current rating of a magnetic breaker.
 Classification and Types of Low
Voltage Circuit Breaker

• Miniature circuit
breakers
• Molded case circuit
breakers
 Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB)
• Normally work with currents below 100 amperes.
• They are the type of low voltage circuit breaker that is
typically found in the fuse box of a residential or commercial
building.
• Miniature circuit breakers are designed to be installed in a
shared fuse box, from which several electric circuits are
protected.
• The current ratings of a miniature circuit breaker normally
have fixed values that are established during production and
can’t me modified by the user
 Single Poles MCB

• Single-pole circuit breakers are typically used for electric

circuits with low power requirements that only use one live
conductor, such as those providing power for lamps or general
purpose electric outlets.
 Double-pole MCB

• A Double-Pole low voltage circuit breaker occupies two

spaces in a fuse box, and is used for devices that operate with
two live conductors, such as most residential Air Conditioner
models. When a double-pole circuit breaker is tripped, both
lines are disconnected even if only one of them was
involved in the electrical fault.
 Triple-pole MCB

• A Triple-Pole low voltage circuit breaker occupies the spaces

in a fuse box and is used to protect electric equipment that
works with three-phase power. The electric motors of elevators
and large central Air Conditioning units typically work with
three-phase power and are protected with triple pole low
voltage circuit breakers.
 Molded Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB)

• Higher current ratings when compared to miniature circuit

breakers.
• But due to their size they can’t be installed in a traditional
fuse box. Instead.
• Molded case circuit breakers are typically installed in
individual metallic boxes or in industrial switchboards which
have larger slots to accommodate them.
• Some fuse boxes that are designed for miniature circuit
breakers may include one slot for a molded case circuit
breaker that is used as the main breaker
 Overheated Circuit breaker Application

• Overload Heater Its basically used to protect motor from

overheating .Its Thermal model of heating and cooling is match
with model of Model
 Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB)
An earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) is a safety device used in
electrical installations with high earth impedance to prevent shock. It
detects small stray voltages on the metal enclosures of electrical
equipment, and interrupts the circuit if a dangerous voltage is detected.
Once widely used, more recent installations instead use residual current
.circuit breakers which instead detect leakage current directly
 Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB)
Its trip when sense earth fault current •
Check the phase (line) current and neutral •
(return) current
Trip if fault remain up to 30mSec •
Its extremely effective in shock •
protection
30mA and 100mA tripping are •
widely use
 Difference between ELCB and RCCB
Their working principle is same but the operation and connectivity
and different

ELCB RCCB
It is old technology • Its New technology •
It is connected to • It is connected to•
Phase, Neutral as only Phase and
well as earth line Neutral line
It is not • It is also known as•
recommended over Current-operated
RCCB ELCB
 Single line diagram illustrating the
sequence in which CBs are employed
 Standard current ratings
International Standards, IEC 60898-1 and European Standard EN
60898-1, define the rated current In of a circuit breaker for low
voltage distribution applications as the maximum current that the
breaker is designed to carry continuously (at an ambient air
temperature of 30 °C). The commonly available preferred values
for the rated current are 1A, 2A, 4A, 6 A, 10 A, 13 A, 16 A, 20 A,
25 A, 32 A, 40 A, 50 A, 63 A, 80 A, 100 A, and 125 A .The circuit
breaker is labeled with the rated current in amperes, but excluding
the unit symbol, A. Instead, the ampere figure is preceded by a
letter, B, C, or D, which indicates the instantaneous tripping
current — that is, the minimum value of current that causes the
circuit breaker to trip without intentional time delay (i.e., in less
.than 100 ms), expressed in terms of In
 Medium-voltage
Medium-voltage circuit breakers rated between 1 and 72 kV may
be assembled into metal-enclosed switchgear line ups for indoor
use, or may be individual components installed outdoors in
a substation. The characteristics of MV breakers are given by
international standards such as IEC 62271. Medium-voltage
circuit breakers nearly always use separate current sensors and
protective relays, instead of relying on built-in thermal or
magnetic
.overcurrent sensors circuit breakers can be classified by the
Medium-voltage
:medium used to extinguish the arc

Vacuum circuit breakers : With rated current up to 6,300 A, and -1

higher for generator circuit breakers application ( up to 16,000 A &
 .140 kA)
Air circuit breakers : Rated current up to 6,300 A and higher -2
for generator circuit breakers. Trip characteristics are often fully
adjustable including configurable trip thresholds and delays.
Usually electronically controlled, though some models
 .are microprocessor controlled via an integral electronic trip unit

SF6 circuit breakers extinguish the arc in a chamber filled -3

.with sulfur hexafluoride gas
 High-voltage
Electrical power transmission networks are protected and controlled
by high-voltage breakers. The definition of high voltage varies but in
power transmission work is usually thought to be 72.5 kV or higher,
according to a recent definition by the International Electro technical
Commission (IEC). High-voltage breakers are nearly
always solenoid-operated, with current sensing protective relays
operated through current transformers. In substations the protective
relay scheme can be complex, protecting equipment and buses from
.various types of overload or ground/earth fault
High-voltage breakers are broadly classified by the medium used to
:extinguish the arc
Bulk oil, Minimum oil ,Air blast, Vacuum, SF6, CO2