21-22 July 2011

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Malaysia

Residual Current Devices (RCD) in

Electrical Installations
Presented By
Dahari M. Siran
Chairman of Electrical Safety & Quality
TEEAM
Organized by:

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

1. Introduction
2. Definition
3. Standards & references
4. Environmental conditions
5. General consideration
6. Selection of RCDs
7. Effects of electricity on human body
8. Tripping of RCDs
9. RCCBs – The problems (summary)
10.RCCBs – The solutions (summary)
1. INTRODUCTION

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

To highlights the main parameters influencing protection

reliability and provides information on how to install and
operate residual current protection devices in
relationship to their environmental conditions after
installation.

2. DEFINITION

RCD 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

– A generic term for all types of residual current devices.

RCD

RCCB (ELCB) RCBO ELR SRCD/PRCD

(MCB + RCD)

Residual current:
Vector sum of the instantaneous values of current flowing in the
main circuit of an RCD.
3. STANDARDS & REFERENCES

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

The relevant MS IEC standards covering RCDs intended for

household and similar uses are as follows:

1.MS IEC 61008 - RCCBs for household and similar use;

2.MS IEC 61009 - RCBOs for household and similar use; and
3.MS IEC 61543 - EMC requirements for RCDs.
4.MS 62350 – Guidance for the correct use of RCDs
5.MS 1979 - LV installation in buildings – Code of Practice
6.MS IEC 60364 - LV installation in buildings

4. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

Normal indoor conditions expected in household and similar uses

where:
1. Temperature range: –5 °C to 40 °C, with a ref. value of (25 ± 5) °C;
2. Relative humidity: < 50 % at 40 °C;
3. Air pressure: 70 kPa to 106 kPa (altitude <2000 m);
4. Atmosphere: neither corrosive nor lacking of adequate ventilation;
and
5. External magnetic field: < 5 times the earth’s magnetic field in any
direction.
5. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

Although availability of protection provided by RCDs or other

electrical equipment depend on good design and high quality
manufacturing, it must also be acknowledged that RCDs are not used
alone, but form part of an electrical installation.
Factors relating to the installation and use of the electrical installation
may influence the availability of protection or correct operation of
electrical equipment such as RCDs after installation. This type of
availability cannot be checked by tests in product standards and
therefore requires periodic verification of installations.

5. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

1. To check installations, including the functioning of the RCD, during

commissioning;

2. To regularly verify installations, electrical loads and electrical

equipment including RCD equipment during the installation life and
to replace failing loads and electrical equipment including RCDs;

3. To consider replacing loads or equipment, including RCDs, after a

certain number of years depending on the conditions of use or
installation.
6. SELECTION of RCDs
6.1 Types of RCD
21-22 July 2011, KLCC

RCDs are classified into different categories, as follows, in according

with their ability to ensure protection against various types of earth
fault currents:
1.Type AC
• for residual sinusoidal alternating currents
2.Type A
• as for type AC; and
• for residual pulsating direct currents
3.Type B & F (MS IEC-62423)
• as for type A; and
• for smooth DC

6. SELECTION of RCDs
6.1 Types of RCD
21-22 July 2011, KLCC

AC Type A Type B & F Type

for: for: for:

- pure AC current - pure AC current - pure AC current
- pulsating DC - pulsating DC
- smooth DC

Applications: Applications: Applications:

- electrical devices - electrical devices - electrical devices
(non-electronics) (electronics and - frequency inverters
non-electronics) - computed tomography
 6. SELECTION of RCDs
6.1 Types of RCD
21-22 July 2011, KLCC
‘AC’ Type ’A’ Type ’B’ Type

6. SELECTION of RCDs
6.2 Rated Residual Tripping Current /sensitivity (I∆n)
21-22 July 2011, KLCC

RCDs can be provided with any value of rated residual operating

current, ‘/Δn’. However, the following are standard values used in MS
and IEC standards:
6 mA, 10 mA, 30 mA, 100 mA, 300 mA and 500 mA.

NOTE. 30 mA is the maximum value permissible for personal shock

protection, and 300 mA is the maximum value permissible for fire
protection. If RCDs with non-standard values are used, the limits for
shock protection and fire protection must not be exceeded.
6. SELECTION of RCDs
6.3 Selection of RCDs according to the type of protection 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

RCDs can be used where it is necessary to protect a circuit or an

installation against dangerous residual currents. The three main areas
for such protection are as follows:

1. Protection against fire.

2. Fault protection (protection against indirect contact)

3. Basic protection (protection against direct contact)

6.3.1 Fire protection

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

Tracking currents are linked to ageing of installations where a

reduction in humidity and drying out of pollution at the surface of
isolating materials may lead to a degradation of the isolating material
and the deposit of carbon. This may cause fire.

Recommended to use RCDs having IΔn not higher than 300 mA at

the beginning of installations. In domestic applications, where
installations are not maintained, the use of such RCDs is highly
recommended. For fire protection, the RCD must break all phase(s)
and neutral. It may be an S Type RCD in order to allow
discrimination with other RCDs downstream.
 6.3.2 Fault protection (protection against indirect contact)
21-22 July 2011, KLCC

o Fault between a live part and earth

o Can cause exposed metal parts to reach a dangerous voltage.
o A person touching such live parts may be exposed to a potentially fatal
shock risk, so the fault must be eliminated.
o This is referred to as protection against indirect contact.
o Choice of RCD must follow recommendations made in MS IEC 60364.
In general, a medium sensitivity RCD can be selected for this type of
fault protection.
e.g. An RCD with a rated residual operating current of up to 300 mA.
If this value is appropriate it is possible to use a single RCD for fire
protection and fault protection (protection against indirect contact)

6.3.3 Basic protection (protection against direct contact)

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

ƒ Direct contact between a person and a live conductor, a residual

current will flow through the body of the person.
ƒ This current may cause a fatality if not eliminated quickly.
ƒ An RCD having /Δn not higher than 30 mA will provide adequate
protection in this situation (additional protection against electric shock).

In a domestic application, a 30 mA RCD used at the origin of the

installation can provide efficient protection covering fire
protection, fault protection and basic protection. For basic
protection the RCD should not be a delayed type (selective type).
7. EFFECTS of ELECTRICITY ON HUMAN BODY

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

4
High risk of
1Tripping
lethal effects
characteristic
30mA RCD

3 Dangerous
level
No harmful 2

effects

8. TRIPPING of RCDs
8.1 Unwanted tripping 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

RCDs may be prone to unwanted tripping due to a number of factors.

The most common are as follows:
1. impact of standing leakage currents on the installation;
2. impact of harmonics and high frequency leakage currents;
3. impact of transient residual currents on an installation (switching);
4. surge currents caused by lightning strikes.
8.2 Minimizing Unwanted tripping
21-22 July 2011, KLCC
8.2.1 Discrimination

To ensure that a residual current on a sub-circuit causes only the RCD

protecting the sub-circuit to trip and does not cause the upstream RCD to
trip unless the fault is sustained beyond a certain time.

Discrimination is based on two conditions that have to be fulfilled:

1.Minimum non-actuating time of the upstream RCD shall be higher than

the maximum break time of the RCDs installed downstream;

2.The rated residual operating current of the upstream RCD shall be at

least 3 times the rated residual operating current of the RCDs installed
down stream.

‘S’ type - ‘G’ type Discrimination

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

Table 1 IEC 61008-1

Standard values of break times (s) and non-

actuating times (s) at a residual current IΔ equal to:
Type In A IΔn A
IΔ n 2 x IΔ n 5 x IΔ n 500A

G Any value Any value 0.3 0.15 0.04 0.04 Maximum break times

0.5 0.2 0.15 0.15 Maximum break times

S > 25 > 0.03
Minimum non-actuating
0.13 0.06 0.05 0.04 times
‘S’ type - ‘G’ type Discrimination
• Windows of operation at 150mA 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

100mA ‘S’ type RCD

100mA ‘G’ type RCD

30mA ‘G’ type RCD

t
40ms

100ms

130ms

200ms

300ms

400ms

500ms
Overlap

Overlap = No discrimination
Gap

Gap = Discrimination

8.2 Minimizing Unwanted tripping

8.2.2 Use of surge protective devices (SPDs) 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

During the operation of SPD, large surge currents may flow to earth as a
result of limiting transient over-voltages in the installation.
In the particular case when an SPD is connected downstream of an
RCD, the resultant surge current to earth will be seen by the RCD as a
residual current. In this situation, the RCD can trip.

RCD standards include two levels of immunity to surge currents:

1. G type RCD with a minimum surge current immunity of 200 A with
a 0.5 µs/100 kHz waveform;
2. S type RCD with a minimum surge current immunity of 3000 A
with an 8/20 µs waveform.

“HI-type” RCD can withstand a minimum surge current immunity of 6000 A

Test: IEC61008 & 61009

 8.2 Minimizing Unwanted tripping
21-22 July 2011, KLCC
8.2.2 Use of surge protective devices (SPDs)

Therefore, the following is recommended:

1. In general, to install SPDs upstream of RCDs (RCDs installed

upstream of SPDs may operate on the expected surge currents);

2. If SPDs are installed downstream of RCDs, the expected surge

currents to earth should not exceed the immunity value of the RCD.

Use of surge protective devices (SPDs)

RCD ‘S’ type
21-22 July 2011, KLCC
RCD ‘G’ type

SPD 1 SPD 2
8.2 Minimizing Unwanted tripping
21-22 July 2011, KLCC

Impact of standing leakage current

Standing leakage currents in a circuit are usually either due to low

insulation levels or to the presence of filters or capacitance between line
and earth. Such standing leakage current can either be of rated
frequency (50/60 Hz) or harmonics.

8.2 Minimizing Unwanted tripping

21-22 July 2011, KLCC
Estimated standing leakage current for electrical & electronics
appliances:
1.0 mA to 2.0 mA - for computers
0.5 mA to 1.0 mA - for printers
0.5 mA to 0.75 mA - for small portable appliances
0.5 mA to 1.0 mA - for telecopiers/fax
0.5 mA to 1.5 mA - for photocopiers
around 1.0 mA - for filters

Calculation of the total leakage current from different appliances does not
follow an arithmetic sum and needs to be corrected by a factor of 0.7/0.8.
8.2 Minimizing Unwanted tripping
Impact of standing leakage current 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

As the operating range of RCDs is normally from 0.5 IΔn to 1 IΔn it is

recommended that the standing leakage current in a circuit does not
exceed 0.3 IΔn of the protective RCD at the rated frequency. In cases of
leakage currents >0.3 IΔn, it is recommended to divide the protected
circuit into sub-circuits and install an RCD on each sub-circuit.
RCD

< 0.3 IΔn,

8.2 Minimizing Unwanted tripping

Impact of standing leakage current 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

How many computers can be connected to a 100mA

RCCB?

Max. allowable residual leakage = 100mA X 30% = 30mA

No. of computers = 30 / 2 = 15
= 15 computers only

Hints:
Each computer has 2 mA standing leakage current.
Factor = 1
8.2 Minimizing Unwanted tripping
21-22 July 2011, KLCC
Impact of harmonics and high frequency leakage current
High frequency leakage currents can be produced by particular
equipment, such as electronic ballasts, frequency inverters, etc.

Impact of transient residual currents

Transient residual currents generally have paths to earth through:
• Surge protective devices (SPDs).
• Capacitances.
When surge voltages occur between phase(s) and earth or neutral
and earth, surge current flows to earth through the common mode
capacitances. Lightning & Switching operations can produce large
transient overvoltages.

9. RCCB – THE PROBLEMS (summary)

21-22 July 2011, KLCC

1. NUISANCE TRIPPING
• SURGE (Lightning or Switching)
• STANDING LEAKAGE CURRENT
• EMF INTERFERENCE

2. INDISCRIMINATE TRIPPING

3. CONTACTS MELTED/BURNT

4. NO TRIPPING
• INSENSITIVE (Numb)
• LOW VOLTAGE (only for test button)
• DIFFERENT WAVEFORM
10. RCCB – THE SOLUTIONS (summary)
1. NUISANCE TRIPPING 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

a. Due to surges
a. Install an SPD before the RCCB
b. Choose RCCB with higher surge immunity (HI-type or S-type)
c. Install an auto-reset device

10. RCCB – THE SOLUTIONS (summary)

1. NUISANCE TRIPPING 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

b. Due to standing residual current

a. Reduce electronics load per RCCB (use 30% /Δn rule)
b. Install RCCB with higher /Δn
2. INDISCRIMINATE TRIPPING
a. Employ a proper discrimination practice
a. RCCB up-stream must be at least with 3 X /Δn
b. Use S-type RCCB up-stream
c. Use 30% /Δn rule
 10. RCCB – THE SOLUTIONS (summary)
3. CONTACT MELTED/BURNT 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

Due to over-current (short circuit or overload)

a. Install a circuit breaker before the RCCB
b. Choose an RCCB with the same or higher rated
current than the upstream circuit breaker

100A

40A 63A

40A 63A

10. RCCB – THE SOLUTIONS (summary)

4. NO TRIPPING 21-22 July 2011, KLCC
Choose the correct RCCB according to load type

Fault current in connections with semiconductor devices

Type AC RCDs - protection against residual currents shown in 8 & 9.
Type A RCDs - protection against residual currents shown in 1, 4, 5, 8 & 9.
Type B RCDs - protection against residual currents shown in 1 – 9.
 21-22 July 2011, KLCC

Thank you for

your attention!