Circuit breaker

Circuit breaker
A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical
switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage
caused by overload or short circuit .It's basic function is to
detect fault condition and interrupt current flow .
The circuit breaker contacts must carry the load current
without excessive heating and must also withstand the heat
of the arc produced when interrupting the circuit .Contacts
are made of copper or copper alloys or highly conductive
materials .High voltage circuit breakers have replaceable
contacts
When a current is interrupted ,an arc is generated .This arc
must be contained cooled and extinguished between the
contacts .Different circuit breakers use oil and gas to
extinguish the arc also different ways as
lengthening/deflection of the arc ,intensive cooling ,division
into partial arcs
 Classification of circuit breakers

FOR AC

These breakers use magnetic

and thermal magnetic circuit breakers
FOR DC
as magnetic use solenoid whose
pulling force increases with current.
Low voltage circuit breakers are
The circuit breaker contacts are held
made for direct current applications
closed by a latch some employ a
such as DC for subway lines it require
hydraulic time delay feature using
special breakers as arc is continuous
viscous fluid as thermal magnetic CB
unlike AC arc .It has blowout coils that
are the type found in most DB
rapidly stretches the arc. Small CB are
incorporate with the technique with
either installed directly in equipment or
Electro magnetic stantaneous
arranged in breaker panel
response and bimetallic strip is
employed. The thermal portion provides
an inverse time response feature.
Types of circuit breakers
MCB (Miniature circuit breakers)
MCCB (Molded case circuit breaker)
RCCB (Residual current circuit breaker)
Common trip breaker (Two and three pole
TPN)
ACB (Air circuit breaker)
VCB (Vacuum circuit breaker)
OCB (Oil circuit breaker)
SF6 CB( Sulphur hexafluoride circuit breaker )
Other (Earth leakage, auto close, poly switch )
MCB (Miniature circuit breakers)

The rated current of MCB is 6-125A.Trip

characteristics normally not adjustable.
Thermal or thermal-magnetic operation
The ambient air temperature is 30*C.
The commonly available preferred values for
the rated current are 6A,10A,13A,16A,20A,
25A,32A,40A,50A125A.The circuit breaker
is labeled with the rated current in amperes. The
ampere figure is preceded by a letter B,C,D,K,Z
That indicates the instantaneous
tripping current. That is the minimum
value of current that causes the circuit breaker to
trip without intentional time delay.
The Main types of MCB
are:
Trips between 3 to 5 times of full load
Type B
current

Trips between 5 to 10 times of full load

Type C
current

Trips between 10 to 20 times of full load

Type D
current

Trips between 8 to 12 times of full load

Type Z
current

Trips between 2 to 3 times of full load

Type K
current
MCCB (Molded case circuit breaker)

The rating of MCCB is rated current

up to 2500A.Thermal or thermal
magnetic operation. Trip current
may be adjustable in larger rating.
MCCB can also be termed as next
level of MCB as has high rating
then that and there is also reset
option.
RCCB (Residual current circuit breaker)
The RCCB detects the
current imbalance, but
does not provide over
current protection. The
RCCB is also available
as RCBO(residual
current breaker with
over current protection)
as RCCB and MCB in
one package.
Common trip breaker
(Two
Whenand three apole
supplying TPN)
branch
circuit with more than one
live conductor, each live
conductor must be protected
by breaker pole. To ensure
that all live conductors are
interrupted when any pole
trips, a common trip breaker
must be used. These either
contain two or three tripping
mechanisms within one
case ,or for small breakers.
 ACB (Air circuit breaker)
The Rating of air circuit breaker
is upto 10,000A.Their
characteristics are fully
adjustable including
configurable trip thresholds and
delays. These CB use air alone
to extinguish the arc, have
metal plates to divide and cool
the arc .Magnet blowout coils or
permanent magnets deflect the
arc into the arc chute.
VCB (Vacuum circuit breaker)

Rated current is up to 3000A these

breakers interrupt the current by
creating and extinguishing arc in
vacuum container. These are generally
applied for voltages up to 35000V
which corresponds roughly to the
medium voltage range of power
systems have longer life than ACB.
 OCB (Oil circuit breaker)
In the oil circuit breaker the fixed and moving
contacts are immerged inside the insulating oil.
Whenever there is a separation of current carrying
contacts in the oil, the arc initialized at the
movement of separation of contacts, and due to this
arc the oil is vaporized and decomposed in mostly
hydrogen gas and ultimately creates a hydrogen
bubble around the arc it prevents re-striking of arc
after current reaches zero crossing of the cycle. The
rating of OCB is 6-220KV,and maximum rated
current is 3.2KA.
SF6 CB
(Sulfur
Sulphur hexafluoride
Hexafluoride circuitgaseous
(SF6) is an excellent breaker)
dielectric for high voltage power applications. It has
been used extensively in high voltage circuit breakers
and other switchgears employed by the power
industry. Applications for SF6 include gas insulated
transmission lines and 'gas insulated power
distributions. Rated voltage for SF6 CB is 7.2KV-
36KV,Rated current value is 630A-2500A. Some of the
outstanding properties of SF6 making it desirable to
use in power applications are:
High dielectric strength
Unique arc-quenching ability
Excellent thermal stability
Good thermal conductivity
Thanks & Regards
Avrial Ojha