Circuit Protection and

Distribution Board planning

 Overcurrent
• The term “overcurrent” refers to abnormal current flow higher than
the normal value of current flow in an electrical circuit. Uncorrected
“overcurrent” can cause serious safety hazards and costly damage to
electrical equipment and property.

Fuses and most circuit breakers are installed in electrical circuits to

open and stop the flow of “overcurrent”.

Fuses and typical circuit breakers respond and open for both low and
high values of overcurrent flow. “Limiters” and “magnetic only” circuit
breakers respond only to high values of overcurrent flow.
There are three basic types of current flow in an electrical
circuit:
1. Normal intended current flow to operate electrical
equipment.

2. Abnormal overcurrent flow with a value of up to 10 times

normal current flow. This is known as an “overload”.

3. Abnormal overcurrent flow with a value more than 10 times

the normal current flow is known as “short-circuit” or “fault”
current flow.
 FUSES
• The electrical fuse is a device used to protect load or source from
overcurrent. It is a simple, less resistive, self-sacrificial and cheapest
device used to interrupt a circuit under short circuit, excessive overload
or over-current conditions.

PLUG FUSES
REWIREABLE FUSES
 Time-Delay Fuses

The time-delay, or "slow blow", fuses were developed for

situations where acceptable momentary overloads are
encountered, such as starting a motor. As the name implies,
this type of fuse will carry an overload several times the normal
load for a short period of time without blowing.

Time-Delay Fuse has two elements. In addition to the "burn

out" link of the ordinary fuse, there is a short connector with a
spring attached. The connector is held in place by low melting
point solder. With momentary overloads of 100 to 200 percent
of the fuse rating, neither element is affected. But with a
continuous overload, heat builds up in the fuse to a point
where the solder melts, releasing the spring which opens the
contact. If there is a short circuit, the "burn out link" melts just
as in an ordinary fuse.
Fuses for standard circuits (not high-voltage appliance circuits)
are called plug fuses and have screw-in bases. There are two
different types of bases: the Edison base (found on Type T
fuses) and the rejection base (found on Type S fuses).

Rejection bases are also known as "tamper-proof," and they

were developed to prevent homeowners from using the wrong
type of fuse for a circuit. Each Type S fuse of a specific
amperage rating has a matching base adapter with a specific
size of thread that prevents mismatching the fuses. For
example, it stops a person from putting a 20-amp fuse in a 15-
amp circuit, a potentially serious mistake. This condition is
called "over-fusing" and can result in the fuse failing to blow
before the circuit wiring overheats and potentially catches fire.
Cartridge or Totally Enclosed Fuse Switch fuse
D- Link Fuse

High Rupturing Capacity (HRC)

Cartridge Type Hv HRC Fuse

CIRCUIT BREAKERS
 The Differences between Industrial Circuit Breakers
and Residential Circuit Breakers

Industrial circuit breakers can handle a much larger
electrical current over residential Circuit Breakers.
Factories, warehouses and other large industrial
locations will always have industrial circuit breakers as
part of their electrical system. If a large electrical
system did not have industrial circuit breakers installed,
electrical distribution would not be possible.
Industrial circuit breakers are used to break the
electrical circuit during an overload and are part of the
overall electrical safety system. Electrical industrial
circuit breakers are automatically-operated switches to
protect the electrical circuit from damage or potential
fire.
The use of residential circuit breakers today is commonplace.
They guard household electrical systems from the dangers of
an electrical fault. Without circuit breakers, the chance of an
electrical fire in a home would greatly increase.
Before residential circuit breakers were commonplace, fuses
were used to protect common household wiring. When too
much electrical current would flow through a fuse, the metal or
wire strip within the fuse would melt, thus interrupting the
electrical current. While fuses are less expensive, they need to
be replaced each time it needs to interrupt the electrical
current. Replacement of a fuse can be very dangerous,
especially if the interruption is due to a short circuit. A circuit
breaker simply needs to be reactivated in order to revive the
electrical current. There is also less chance the electrical fault
can be ignored when the circuit breaker “trips”.
Residential Circuit Breakers
•Main Circuit Breakers. 100 to 225A. ...
•Feeder Plug-in Circuit Breakers. 15 to 200A. ...
•Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) Branch/Feeder AFCI,
15 to 20 amp,
•Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter with Self-Test (GFCI) ...
•Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) ...
•Dual Function Circuit Interrupter (DFCI)
Industrial Circuit Breakers
Low Voltage Industrial circuit breakers
Low voltage Circuit Breakers are common in domestic,
commercial, and industrial applications. A few examples
of these include: 1) Miniature circuit breaker (MCB) with
a rated current not more than 100A and 2) Molded case
circuit breaker (MCCB) with a rated current up to
2500A.
Magnetic Industrial Circuit Breakers
Thermal Magnetic Industrial Circuit Breakers
Medium-Voltage Industrial Circuit Breakers
High-Voltage Industrial Circuit Breakers
Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) High-Voltage Industrial Circuit
Breakers
 Sizing a Circuit Breaker
NEC sizing rules. Secs. 210-22(c), 220-3(a), 220-10(b), and 384-16(c) all relate to the sizing rules for
overcurrent protective devices (OCPDs). The first three all specify the same requirement:

OCPD size = 100% of noncontinuous load + 125% of

continuous load.
Example 1: 50A continuous load and 125A noncontinuous load.
OCPD = 100% noncontinuous load + 125% continuous load = (1.00 x 125A) + (1.25 x 50A) = 187.5A
Therefore, a 200A OCPD is needed. If a 100%-rated CB is chosen, a 175A rating (125A + 50A) is acceptable.
Example 2: 200A continuous load.
OCPD = 100% noncontinuous load + 125% continuous load = (1.00 x 0A) + (1.25 x 200A) = 250A
Therefore, a 250A device is needed. If a 100%-rated CB is selected, a 200A rating is permitted.

Continuous Load
More than 3 hrs. of continuous usage e.g. lighting, air condition
Non-continuous Load:
Less than 3 hrs. of continuous usage e.g. electric oven, microwave
When not sure, add 25% more
 Branch and Feeder Circuits

Circuits to all the devices in All of the circuits in a home that run from either the main
your home that require entrance panel or from other smaller panels to the various
electrical power start from the points of use are branch circuits
fuses or circuit breakers. There
are two types of circuits: feeder
and branch. Feeder circuits use
thicker cables that travel from
the main entrance panel to
smaller distribution panels
called subpanels, or load
centers. These auxiliary panels
are located in remote parts of a
house or in outbuildings, and
they are used for redistribution
of power, such as in a garage.
Feeder circuits aren't found in
all houses