Utilisation of Electrical Energy: Circuit Protection For Distribution and Installation

Utilisation of
Electrical Energy
Circuit Protection for
Distribution and Installation.
Utilisation of Electrical Energy
Circuit Protection for Distribution and Installation.
CONTENTS
1.0 SUMMARY..............................................................................................................3
2.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................4
3.0 REPORT & ANALYSIS..........................................................................................5
4.0 CONCLUSION......................................................................................................19
5.0 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................20
6.0 APPENDICES......................................................................................................21
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1.0 SUMMARY
This report entails information about Circuit Protection for Distribution and Installation.
And my findings are:
Interrupting mediums used in voltage distribution switchgear today are air, oil, vacuum and
SF6 gas.
Time-limit fuses. The fuse itself is usually of alloy-tin wire or some other non-deteriorating
metal, and is accurately calibrated as regards rupturing current.
Cartridge fuses. Cartridge fuses are available for systems up to 660V in current ratings
from 2 to 1600A and breaking capacity ratings in excess of 50 kA.
Over-current protection interrupts the electrical circuit to the motor upon excessive current
demand on the supply system from either short circuits or ground faults.
Types of motor protection
 Standard (non-time delay) fuses.
 Time-Delay (dual element) fuses.
 Instantaneous Trip Circuit Breaker.
 Inverse Time Circuit Breaker.
Overload protection is installed in the motor circuit and/or motor to protect the motor from
damage from mechanical overload conditions when it is operating/running.
 Magnetic Overload Relays
 Thermal Overload Relays
 Melting-Alloy Thermal Overload Relays
 Bimetallic Thermal Overload Relays
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Most relays are adjustable over a range from 85% to 115% of their value.
Current-operated ELCBs are generally known today as RCDs (residual current device).

These also protect against earth leakage
The ELCB detects fault currents passing from live (hot) to the earth (ground) wire within the
installation it protects
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2.0 INTRODUCTION
This report is a study of Circuit Protection for Distribution and Installation.
With the following information:
Fuses and protection relays are specialised devices for ensuring the safety of personnel
working with electrical systems and for preventing damage to various types of faults.
Common applications include protection against over-currents, short circuits, over-voltage
and under-voltage.
The main hazard arising from sustained over-current is damage to conductors, equipment or
the source of supply by overheating, possibly leading to fire. In order to perform any form of
consultancy work, technical sales, product support, etc. In the power industry, you are
required to investigate and present the construction and the operation principles of over-
current protection devices, as well as earth fault protection devices.
To find:
1. (Describe the construction of over-current protection devices)

The main types of over current protection devices are fuses, over current relays and circuit
breakers, although circuit breakers partially fall into the category of switchgear. Focussing
upon these types describe in a report their construction. Ensure that your work establishes
clearly, giving examples, what applications match what protective device, e.g. fuses are
good for…., whereas circuit breakers are predominantly used for…, over current relays are
specifically used for…
And
2. (Explain the operating principles of circuit over-current protection devices)

Using the over current protection devices described in task 1, explain in much technical
detail (support you explanation with drawings, pictures, block diagrams, etc.) how these
devices work. Ensure your explanations are technical, e.g. typical time-current
characteristics for thermal releases from cold and from hot, etc.
Explain also how fuses and MCCB’s are tested. Some protective devices operate in a
dielectric gas atmosphere. Explain what gas is typically used and why and how these are
rated.
Explain how you would correctly protect a 2.2 KW three-phase induction motor from over-
current.
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Also
3. (Explain the operating principles of earth fault protection devices)

For electrical units and appliances with metal casings it is a requirement that the casing is
earthed. If the metal casing is unearthed, a fault inside the unit can cause the metal casing
to be connected to a live conductor, hence full potential.
As part of your investigation into protective devices, explain how earth fault protection
devices function. This should be done for single and three-phase systems. Consider two
types of conditions: safe and unsafe.
Explain, using text, diagrams, drawing, etc. the difference between voltage-operated ELCB’s
and current-operated ELCB’s and explain the meaning of direct trip and relay-operated trip.
Explain how you would correctly protect a 2.2 KW three-phase induction motor from earth
leakage.
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3.0 REPORT& ANALYSIS

3.1 TYPES OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS
The type of the Circuit Breaker is usually identified according to the medium of arc extinction.
The classification of the Circuit Breakers based on the medium of arc extinction is as follows
 Oil Circuit Breaker

 Air blast Circuit Breaker.
 Vacuum Circuit Breaker.
 Sulphur hexafluoride Circuit Breaker.

Type Medium Voltage, Breaking Capacity
Oil CB. Dielectric oil (3.6 - 145 )KV
Air Blast CB. Compressed Air 245 KV, 35000 MVA
(20 – 40 ) bar up to 1100 KV, 50000 MVA
12 KV, 1000 MVA
SF6 CB. SF6 Gas 36 KV , 2000 MVA
145 KV, 7500 MVA
245 KV , 10000 MVA
Vacuum CB. Vacuum 36 KV, 750 MVA
3.2 ARC QUENCHING

Interrupting mediums used in voltage distribution switchgear today are air, oil, vacuum and
SF6 gas.
The electric arc in a circuit breaker plays the key role in the interruption process and is
therefore often addressed as switching arc. The electric arc is a plasma channel between
the breakers contacts.
When current flows through a circuit breaker and the contacts of the breaker part, driven by
the mechanism, the magnetic energy stored in the inductances of the power system forces
the current to flow.
Just before contact separation, the breaker contacts touch each other at a very small surface
area and the resulting high current density makes the contact material to melt. The melting
contact material virtually explodes and this leads to a gas discharge in the surrounding
medium either air, oil, vacuums or SF6. (Lou van der Sluis: Transients in Power Systems
Page 59)
3.3 OIL CIRCUIT BREAKER
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There is no special arc control system other than increasing length caused by separation of
contacts. Arc quenching occurs when a critical gap is reached between the contacts.
The arcing chamber, filled with oil, fixes the arc and the increase in pressure inside the
arcing chamber improved the cooling effects on the arc considerably. Later, the design of the
arcing chamber was further improved by pumping mechanisms, creating a cross flow of oil,
giving extra cooling to the arc. (Lou van der Sluis: Transients in Power Systems Page 63)
It consists of fixed and moving contacts enclosed in a strong weather-tight earthed tank
containing oil up to a certain level and an air cushion above the oil level. The air cushion
collects arc gases without generation of unsafe pressure in the dome of circuit breaker. It
also absorbs mechanical shock of the upward oil movement.
Under normal operating conditions the fixed and moving contacts remain closed and the
circuit breaker carries the normal circuit current. When fault occurs, the moving contacts are
pulled down by protective system and an arc is struck which vaporises the oil mainly into
hydrogen gas.
The following processes facilitate arc quenching:
 The hydrogen bubble generated around the arc cools the arc and aids deionisation of
the medium between the contacts.
 The gas sets up turbulence in the oil and helps in eliminating the arcing products
from the arc path.
 As the arc lengthens due to the separating contacts, the dielectric strength of the
medium is increased.
All oil circuit breakers are fitted with gas vent pipes. These are intended to vent the hydrogen
produced during arc interruption, outside of the switchgear, or the substation, as there would
be a danger of an internal explosion if the gas was ignited by, for example, a small arc in the
circuit breaker auxiliary contacts. It is, therefore, very important that all gaskets and seals in
the gas vent system are maintained in good condition. (Stan Stewart: Distribution
Switchgear Page 11)
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3.4 VACUUM CIRCUIT BREAKER
The relationship between voltage withstand and electrode spacing is given by

Paschen’s Law. This suggests that the voltage withstand of a gap between electrodes is
proportional to both the electrode spacing and the gas pressure. It is fortunate that this law is
only true within finite limits; otherwise vacuum switchgear could not exist.
Starting at atmospheric pressure, as air pressure is reduced, the voltage withstand also
reduces
An arc cannot exist in a vacuum and requires metal vapour from the metal contacts to
sustain it self, ideally until a natural current zero is reached. At this point, the metal vapour
should condense back onto the contacts, denying conductivity so that current ceases to flow.
Therefore, the contact materials are all important to the interrupting process. In addition, the
materials used for the contacts must have the right characteristics for the conduction of
normal current and they must minimise the natural tendency of metals to cold weld when
pressed together under high-vacuum conditions.
Further, they must not release gas when interrupting current, as this would destroy the high-
vacuum necessary for the whole process to be repeated many times over, during the life of
the vacuum interrupter. It follows that, as a voltage will be impressed across an interrupter
following current interruption, insulating materials have to be included in the design of the
vacuum interrupter envelope.
These insulating materials must be protected from condensing metal vapour from the
contacts which would otherwise destroy their insulating properties. In practice, this is
achieved in several different ways.
When interrupting currents of less than about 10 kA peak, the arc that is drawn between the
contacts of a vacuum interrupter will be in the form of a number of parallel arcs. This is
known as a diffuse arc.
In reality, this form of arc consists of a large number of small parallel arcs that are kept
separated from each other by electromagnetic force. This is because each arc acts like a
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small magnet and the arc roots simulate the magnetic poles. (Stan Stewart: Distribution
Switchgear Page 16/17)
3.5 SF6 CIRCUIT BREAKER
SF6 gas is stable and inert up to about 500°C, it is incombustible, non-toxic, odourless and
colourless. SF6 gas possesses excellent insulating properties when pressurized in the range
2 to 6 bar and has a dielectric strength some 2.5 to 3 times that of air at the same pressure.
The gas is about 5 times heavier than air with a molecular weight of 146 and specific gravity
of 6.14 g/l.
It cools very rapidly (few s) and the sulphur and fluorine ions quickly recombine to form
stable insulating SF6. Such properties all assist in the removal of energy from the arc during
the circuit breaking process.
At voltage levels below 36 kV the equipment is often of a ‘sealed for life’ variety. Higher
voltage equipment may be opened for inspection and maintenance after several thousand
switching or tens of short circuit operations. SF6 leakage rates from high-voltage GIS should
be less than 0.5% per annum.
At voltages up to about 15 kV and for lower breaking currents both circuit breakers and
contactors can use the rotating arc principle. Instead of moving cold gas (air, SF6 or oil gas
bubble) into the arc, the arc is made to rotate under the action of a magnetic field produced
by the load or short circuit current.
This stretches and moves the arc in the gas to create cooling and eventual arc extinction.
Puffer type SF6 circuit breakers employ a piston attached to the moving contact to force cool
gas into the arc in order to cool and extinguish it.
Secondary dissociation products formed during the arcing process may remain in a gaseous
state Standard health and safety precautions (gloves, dust mask, goggles, well-ventilated
room, etc.) must therefore be executed when carrying out such maintenance procedures.
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SF6 gas has proven to be an excellent arc quenching medium. (Colin Bayliss and Brian
Hardy: Transmission and Distribution Electrical Engineering Page 464)
3.6 AIR-BLAST CIRCUIT BREAKER
For medium voltage applications up to 50 kV, the breakers are mainly of the magnetic air-
blast type in which the arc is blown into a segmented compartment by the magnetic field
generated by the fault current. In this way, the arc length, the arc voltage, and the surface of
the arc column are increased.
Air-blast breakers using compressed air can be of the axial-blast or the cross-blast type. The
cross-blast type air-blast breaker operates similar to the magnetic-type breaker: compressed
air blows the arc into a segmented arc-chute compartment. Because the arc voltage
increases with the arc length, this is also called high-resistance interruption;
In the axial-blast design, the arc is cooled in axial direction by the airflow. The current is
interrupted when the ionisation level is brought down around current zero. Because the arc
voltage hardly increases this is called low-resistance interruption. (Lou van der Sluis:
Transients in Power Systems Page 64)
The size of such units, which contain large arc chutes, makes them uneconomic as voltages
increase above 3.6kV. Their simplicity stems from the fact that they use ambient air as the
arc quenching medium. As the circuit breaker contacts open a blast of compressed air is
sent across the contacts to assist the interrupting process. The arc is stretched by the air
blast and heat removed by forced convection. It is important that the compressor supplies
sufficient air to ensure that the arc extinction is still eventually achieved even if not at the first
or second current zero.
They are reliable and reasonably maintenance free. However, they tend to be very noisy in
operation (not good for use in substation sites adjacent to built-up areas), require a reliable
compressed air plant and have high dynamic loads. This will increase the maintenance
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burden in comparison with other types of arc interrupting circuit breakers. (Colin Bayliss
and Brian Hardy: Transmission and Distribution Electrical Engineering Page 470)
(See page 24-25 of appendices)

3.7 FUSE SELECTION
When selecting suitable fuses for any particular situation the following factors should be
considered:
1. Short-circuit ratings of cartridge fuses. Cartridge fuses for l.v. industrial applications are
most commonly proved capable of interrupting fault currents up to 80 kA at 415 V, and some
designs will safely interrupt such fault currents at 660 V. They therefore have more than
adequate breaking capacities for the overwhelming majority of applications, but they must
not be used at voltages above their assigned rating.
2. Current rating of a fuse. This is the maximum current which the fuse can carry
continuously without deterioration. As already indicated the fuse current rating selected for
any circuit should have a current rating not less than the full load current of the circuit.
3. Overload protection. A general purpose type fuse (gG) to BS 88: Part 2 will protect an
associated PVC-insulated cable against overload if its current rating (IN) is equal to, or less
than, the current rating of the cable (IZ). See Regulation 433-02-01 of BS 7671.
4. Motor circuits. In a motor circuit, the starter overload relays protect the associated cable
against overload, and the fuses in circuit provide the required degree of short-circuit
protection. Manufacturers usually make recommendations regarding the fuse ratings needed
to cope with motor
3.8 TIME LIMIT FUSE.

When the over-current coils are transformer operated, it is possible to use a shunt fuse in
place of the mechanical retarder. These fuses are designed to short circuit the trip coils,
which, therefore, cannot operate until the fuse has blown.
The fuse itself is usually of alloy-tin wire or some other non-deteriorating metal, and is
accurately calibrated as regards rupturing current. When time-limit fuses are used, no
advantage is to be gained by making the release coils themselves adjustable and alternative
trip settings are obtained by varying the rupturing current of the fuses.
3.9 CARTRIDGE FUSE

Cartridge fuses are available for systems up to 660V in current ratings from 2 to 1600A and
breaking capacity ratings in excess of 50 kA. Some fuses can interrupt currents up to 200
kA. Higher kA ratings can be obtained but they are not standard.
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Discrimination.
The fuse nearest the fault will operate, thus ensuring that only the faulty circuit is isolated
and healthy circuits are unaffected. This discriminating property is inherent in cartridge-type
fuses, as a glance at the time/current curves for different sizes of fuses in the Figure below
will show. It will be seen that the speed of operation for any particular value of overloads or
fault current increases as the fuse gets smaller.
High speed of operation on short-circuits. This property enables fuses to be used for the
back-up protection of motor starters and low breaking capacity circuit-breakers. For such
purposes high breaking capacity in itself is not sufficient. The speed of operation of the fuses
used for back-up protection must be faster than the speed of operation of the motor starter
or circuit-breaker to be protected; otherwise the apparatus under protection would be
damaged or destroyed before the fuses had time to act. (E.A. Reeves, Martin J.
Heathcote: Newnes Electrical Pocket Book Page 348)
Din Type: Also known as knife blade type, it can be placed on a live circuit at no load with
insulated pullers.
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BS Type: Also known as bolted type, it has two conducting plates on either ends these are
bolted on the plates of the fuse base. (See page 26-27 of appendices)
3.10 MOTOR PROTECTION
Over-current protection interrupts the electrical circuit to the motor upon excessive current
demand on the supply system from either short circuits or ground faults.
 Over-current protection is required to protect personnel, the motor branch circuit

conductors, control equipment, and motor from these high currents.
 Over-current protection is usually provided in the form of fuses or circuit breakers.

These devices operate when a short circuit, ground fault or an extremely heavy
overload occurs. Most over-current sources produce extremely large currents very
quickly.
1) Standard (non-time delay) fuses. Standard fuses will hold 500% of their current rating
for approximately one fourth of a second.
In order for a standard fuse to used as motor overload protection, the motor would have to
start and reach its running speed in one-fourth of a second or less
2) Time-Delay (dual element) fuses. Time-delay fuses will hold 500% of their amp rating
for 10 seconds which will allow most motors to start without opening the circuit.
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Time delay fuses can also be used to provide some degree of overload protection which
standard fuses cannot.
3) Instantaneous Trip Circuit Breaker. Instantaneous trip circuit breakers respond to
immediate (almost instantaneous) values of current from a short circuit, ground fault, or
locked rotor current.
Some instantaneous trip circuit breakers have adjustable trip settings. The instantaneous trip
ratings of an instantaneous trip circuit breaker can be adjusted above the locked-rotor
current of a motor to allow the motor to start and come up to its running speed.
4) Inverse Time Circuit Breaker. Inverse time circuit breakers have both thermal and
instantaneous trip features and are preset to trip at standardized levels. This is the most
common type of circuit breaker used in the building trades for residential, commercial, and
heavy construction.
The thermal action of this circuit breaker responds to heat. If a motor’s ventilation inlets and
outlets are not adequate to dissipate heat from the windings of the motor, the heat will be
detected by the thermal action of the circuit breaker.
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If a short should occur, the magnetic action of the circuit breaker will detect the
instantaneous values of current and trip the circuit breaker. (http://www.bussmann.com)
3.11 OVERLOAD PROTECTION

Overload protection is installed in the motor circuit and/or motor to protect the motor from
damage from mechanical overload conditions when it is operating/running.
3.12 MAGNETIC & THERMAL RELAYS

Overload devices are usually located in the motor’s starter and connected in series with the
motors electrical supply circuit and can be operated by either magnetic or thermal action.
 The same amount of current passes through the overload relay and the motor.
 If the current or heat through the overload device is higher than the device’s rating, it
trips and shuts down the electric power to the motor.
 The effect of an overload is an excessive rise in temperature in the motor windings

due to current higher than full load current.
 Properly sized overload protection disconnects the motor from the power supply
when the heat generated in the motor circuit or windings approaches a damaging
level for any reason.
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The larger the overload, the more quickly the temperature will increase to a point that is
damaging to the insulation and lubrication of the motor.
 Unlike common instantaneous type fuses and breakers, overload devices are
designed to allow high currents to flow briefly in the motor to allow for:
 Typical motor starting currents of 6 to 8 times normal running current when starting.
 Short duration overloads such as a slug of product going through a system.
If the motor inlets and outlets are covered by a blanket of lint or if a bearing should begin to
lock, excessive heating of the motor windings will “overload” the motors insulation which
could damage the motor.
The over-current device will not react to this low level overload. The motor overload device
prevents this type of problem from severely damaging the motor and also provides
protection for the circuit conductors since it is rated for the same or less current as the
conductors.
Overload protection trips when an overload exists for more than a short time. The time it
takes for an overload to trip depends on the type of overload device, length of time the
overload exists, and the ambient temperature in which the overloads are located.
3.13 MAGNETIC OVERLAD RELAYS

A magnetic overload relay is an electro-mechanical relay operated by the current flow in a
circuit. When the level of current in the circuit reaches a preset value, the increased
magnetic field opens a set of contacts.
Electromagnetic overload relays operate on the magnetic action of the load current flowing
through a coil. When the load current becomes too high, a plunger is pulled up into the coil
interrupting the circuit. The tripping current is adjusted by altering the initial position of the
plunger with respect to the coil.
3.14 THERMAL OVERLAD RELAYS

A thermal overload relay is an electro-mechanical relay that is operated by heat developed in
the relay. When the level of current in a circuit reaches a preset value, the increased
temperature opens a set of contacts.
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The increased temperature opens the contacts through a bimetallic strip or by melting an
alloy that activates a mechanism that opens the contacts.
3.15 MELTING-ALLOY THERMAL OVERLAD RELAYS

These are probably the most popular type of overload protection. The motor current passes
through a small heater winding and under overload conditions, the heat causes a special
solder to melt allowing a ratchet wheel to spin thus opening the control circuit contacts.
3.16 BIMETTALIC THERMAL OVERLOAD RELAYS

This design uses a bimetal strip associated with a current-carrying heater coil. When an
overload occurs, the heat causes the bimetal to deflect and actuate a tripping mechanism
which opens a set of contacts in the control circuit interrupting power to the coil and opening
the power contacts.
They are available with ambient compensation. An ambient compensated devices’ trip point
is not affected by ambient temperature and performs consistently at the same value of
current.
3.17 ELCB’S VOLTAGE/CURRENT OPERATED

An ELCB is a specialised type of latching relay that has a building's incoming mains power
connected through its switching contacts so that the ELCB disconnects the power in an earth
leakage (unsafe) condition.
The ELCB detects fault currents from live (hot) to the earth (ground) wire within the
installation it protects. If sufficient voltage appears across the ELCB's sense coil, it will
switch off the power, and remain off until manually reset. An ELCB however, does not sense
fault currents from live to any other earthed body.
TR: Transformer
ZCT: Zero-phase Current Transformer
ST: Shunt Trip-coil
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TS: Test Switch
R: Resistor
M: Motor
la, lb, lc: Phase current
lg: Earth fault current/voltage
Current-operated ELCBs are generally known today as RCDs (residual current device).

These also protect against earth leakage, though the details and method of operation are
different. When the term ELCB is used it usually means a voltage-operated device. Similar
devices that are current operated are called residual-current devices.
(http://www.atcadvance.com)
An ELCB is a specialised type of latching relay that has a building's incoming mains power
connected through its switching contacts so that the ELCB disconnects the power in an earth
leakage (unsafe) condition. The ELCB detects fault currents passing from live (hot) to the
earth (ground) wire within the installation it protects. If sufficient voltage appears across the
ELCB's sense coil, it will switch off the power, and remain off until manually reset. An ELCB
however, does not sense fault currents passing from live to any other earthed body.
RCCB:-A residual current device (RCD), or residual current circuit breaker (RCCB), is an
electrical wiring device that disconnects a circuit whenever it detects that the electric current
is not balanced between the phase ("hot") conductor and the neutral conductor. Such an
imbalance is sometimes caused by current leakage through the body of a person who is
grounded and accidentally touching the energized part of the circuit. A lethal shock can
result from these conditions; RCDs are designed to disconnect quickly enough to mitigate
the harm caused by such shocks. (http://en.wikipedia.org)
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4.0 CONCLUSION
A circuit-breaker is usually classified according to the voltage of the circuit on which it is to

be installed; the normal current which it is designed to carry continuously in order to limit the
temperature rise to a safe value; the frequency of the supply; its interrupting capacity in kA;
its making capacity in kA (peak), i.e. the instantaneous peak current; and the greatest r.m.s.
current which it will carry without damage for a specified length of time, usually 1 or 3
seconds.
BS EN 60947-2 covers circuit-breakers of rated voltage up to and including 1000V a.c. and
1200V d.c. It supersedes BS 4752 and BS 862: 1939 covering air-break circuit-breakers for
systems up to 600V and BS 936: 1960
Oil circuit-breakers for m.v. alternating-current systems. It also supersedes those parts of BS
116 : 1952, Oil circuit-breakers for a.c. systems, and BS 3659 : 1963, Heavy duty air-break
circuit-breakers for a.c. systems, which relate to breakers having rated voltages up to and
including 1000 V.
All circuit-breakers must be capable of carrying out a given number of mechanical and
electrical operating cycles, each one consisting of a closing operation followed by an
opening operation (mechanical endurance test) or a making operation followed by a
breaking operation (electrical endurance test). (E.A. Reeves, Martin J. Heathcote: Newnes
Electrical Pocket Book Page 346)
Fuses act as a weak link in a circuit. They reliably rupture and isolate the faulty circuit under
overload and short circuit fault conditions so that equipment and personnel are protected.
Following fault clearance they must be manually replaced before that circuit may be put back
into operation. Striker pins are available on some designs such that remote alarms may be
initiated on fuse operation.
Miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) or moulded case circuit breakers (MCCBs) are also over-
current protection devices often with thermal and magnetic elements for overload and short
circuit fault protection.
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Earth leakage protection, shunt trip coils and undervoltage releases may also be
incorporated in the designs. As a switch they allow isolation of the supply from the load.
Normally the MCB requires manual resetting after a trip situation but solenoid or motor
driven closing is also possible for remote control. (Colin Bayliss and Brian Hardy:
Transmission and Distribution Electrical Engineering Page 341)
5.0 DISCUSSION
Originally all switchgear consisted of open knife switches mounted on a slate or composition
panel and operated by hand. The protective device consisted of a fuse which was generally
mounted close to the switch. The use of high voltage a.c. and the great increase in total
power in a system has necessitated the use of oil-break, air-break, vacuum, SF6 or air blast
switchgear.
For low voltages (up to 1000 V) knife-type switches are still used, and occasionally open-
type boards may be encountered, but generally most switchgear today is enclosed. Metal-
clad switch or combined switch and fuse units are used either singly or grouped to form a
switchboard. For the lower current ratings insulated cases are obtainable in place of the
metal type, these being particularly popular for domestic installations.
The knife switches are usually spring controlled, giving a quick make and break with a free
handle action which makes the operation of the switch independent of the speed at which
the handle is moved. In all cases it is impossible to open the cover with the switch in the ‘on’
position.
The normal limit for this type of switch is from 300 to 400 A, but larger units can be made
specially. Miniature circuit-breakers or moulded-case circuit-breakers are used widely as
protective devices in consumer premises and for group switching and protection of
fluorescent lights in commercial and industrial buildings.
Moulded-case circuit-breakers with ratings up to 3000A and capable of interrupting currents

up to 200 kA (for the larger ratings) are becoming popular for control of l.v. networks.
When any breaking capacity rating is required, together with automatic operation, it is
necessary to use special control devices to interrupt the fault current. Low voltage three-
phase systems of up to 415V are usually controlled by air circuit-breakers with or without
series fuses. For higher voltage systems up to 36 kV, oil, air-break, vacuum and SF6
breakers are available. For higher voltages, SF6 circuit-breakers take over and are used up
to 420 kV and beyond.
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For l.v. systems the air-break circuit-breaker is usually a moulded-case unit. The air-break
circuit-breaker for 3.3 to 11 kV has an arc control device which is suitable for motor switching
and is used mainly in the power stations built in the 1960s and 1970s. Its cost makes
general use in industry and distribution systems unusual.
These circuit-breakers predated the introduction of vacuum and SF6 devices but had the
great benefit of eliminating oil. Oil circuit-breakers are still popular for h.v. distribution
systems despite the perceived fire risk. These consist of an oil enclosure in which contacts
and an arc control device are mounted. The arc is struck within the control device and the
resultant gas pressure sweeps the arc through cooling vents in the side of the pot. High
reliability and simple, though relatively frequent, maintenance are available from these
devices.
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Appendices
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Utilisation of

3.0 REPORT & ANALYSIS..........................................................................................5

And my findings are:

Types of motor protection

 Standard (non-time delay) fuses.

 Time-Delay (dual element) fuses.

 Instantaneous Trip Circuit Breaker.

 Inverse Time Circuit Breaker.

 Magnetic Overload Relays

 Thermal Overload Relays

 Melting-Alloy Thermal Overload Relays

 Bimetallic Thermal Overload Relays

Current-operated ELCBs are generally known today as RCDs (residual current device).

With the following information:

1. (Describe the construction of over-current protection devices)

2. (Explain the operating principles of circuit over-current protection devices)

3. (Explain the operating principles of earth fault protection devices)

3.0 REPORT& ANALYSIS

 Oil Circuit Breaker

3.2 ARC QUENCHING

3.3 OIL CIRCUIT BREAKER

The following processes facilitate arc quenching:

3.4 VACUUM CIRCUIT BREAKER

The relationship between voltage withstand and electrode spacing is given by

(See page 24-25 of appendices)

3.8 TIME LIMIT FUSE.

3.9 CARTRIDGE FUSE

 Over-current protection is required to protect personnel, the motor branch circuit

 Over-current protection is usually provided in the form of fuses or circuit breakers.

3.11 OVERLOAD PROTECTION

3.12 MAGNETIC & THERMAL RELAYS

 The effect of an overload is an excessive rise in temperature in the motor windings

 Short duration overloads such as a slug of product going through a system.

3.13 MAGNETIC OVERLAD RELAYS

3.14 THERMAL OVERLAD RELAYS

3.15 MELTING-ALLOY THERMAL OVERLAD RELAYS

3.16 BIMETTALIC THERMAL OVERLOAD RELAYS

3.17 ELCB’S VOLTAGE/CURRENT OPERATED

ZCT: Zero-phase Current Transformer

ST: Shunt Trip-coil

TS: Test Switch

la, lb, lc: Phase current

lg: Earth fault current/voltage

Current-operated ELCBs are generally known today as RCDs (residual current device).

A circuit-breaker is usually classified according to the voltage of the circuit on which it is to

Moulded-case circuit-breakers with ratings up to 3000A and capable of interrupting currents

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