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AIM To study various types of electrical cables/wires, switches, fuses, fuse carriers, MCB, ELCB,
RCCB and MCCB with their specifications and usage.
THEORY
Electric Wires and Cables:
A wire is made of a single electrical conductor while a cable is a group or bundle of multiple wires
inside a common sheathing. Both of them are used for carrying electrical current.
Labelling of Cables
The labelling of the cables is very important and it provides a lot of information regarding its insulation
types, numbers of wires and the gauge of the wires. Take a look at some of labels written on the wires
commonly used in home wiring.
14-2G: The cable contains two insulated wires and a ground wire; individual wire is 14-gauge.
14-3G: The cable contains three insulated wires and a ground wire; individual wires are 14-gauge.
12-2 W/G: The cable contains two insulated wires with a ground wire; individual wires are 12-gauge.
12-3 W/G: The cable contains three insulated wires with a ground wire; individual wires are 12-gauge.
600 V: This Cable is rated for a maximum of 600 volts; commonly used NM cable for home wiring.
TYPE NM-B: NM stands for Non-metallic, it is a non-metallic sheathed cable of type-B. This is the
commonly used cable for wiring appliances and devices in home.The most important label of them is
about the insulation or the plastic coating around the conducting wires. Here are some of the common
labels written on wires.
THHN
THWN
THW
XHHN
The meaning of each letter used in the labels above is given below:
T: Thermoplastic insulation, a fire-resistant material
H: Heat-resistant; able to withstand temperatures up to 167 F.
HH: Highly heat-resistant; able to withstand temperatures up to 194 F.
W: “Wet,” or approved for damp and wet locations; this wire is also suitable for dry locations
X: Insulation made of a synthetic polymer that is flame-retardant
N: Nylon-coated for resistance to oil and gasoline
Residential Wiring Cables
The residential wiring from the utility pole to the appliances or devices inside the home is divided into
mainly five types.

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Service Drop Cable:
It is the cable between the utility pole and the consumer’s premises or building. The service drop cable
is an overhead electrical line from the pole to the service weather head of a house. The service drop
cable can be of many types given below:
Duplex Cable
The duplex service drop cable is a two core conductor i.e. it has two conductors; an insulated conductor
for phase line and a bare conductor for neutral line. It is used for supplying a single phase power to
the building.
Triplex Cable
The Triplex service drop cable is a three core conductor. It has two insulated conductors for phase line
and a bare conductor for neutral line.
Quadruplex Cable
The Quadruplex service drop cable is a quad or four core conductors. It has 4 conductors; three of
them are insulated conductors for phase lines and a bare conductor for neutral line. It is used for
supplying a 3 phase power supply from the utility pole to the building.
The phase conductor is an AAC cable while the neutral conductor is available in
AAC/AAAC/ACSR. The insulation used on these cables is XLPE that protects these conductors from
moisture, heat etc.
Main Feeder Wires:
The main feeder cables & wires supply the power from the service weatherhead to the building. The
cables used for this purpose are 600v THHN, solid or stranded with the rating of 25% more than the
maximum required load.
Panel Feed Wires:
The panel feed wires supply power to the main distribution junction box. It is usually black insulted
THHN cables with rating of 25% more than maximum load current
Non-Metallic Sheathed Wires:
The non-metallic or NM sheathed wires are used for in-house wiring. It may consist of 2 or more than
2 insulated conductors with an insulated or bare ground conductor. There is another layer of plastic
XLPE sheathing for more protection. The latest version NM type-B is currently used by electricians
for interior installation. The conductors could be solid or stranded. The stranded conductors are easier
to route through conduits.
Single Conductor Wire
Single Conductor wire is the most popular choice for electrical layout inside a home. It is available in
multiple gauges, colour (for phase, neutral and ground identification) and solid or stranded conductors.

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A single solid wire provides better connections but single stranded wires are easier to route through
conduits. Both of them are available in THW and THHN insulation.
Single Stranded Wire
Single stranded wire is made of multiple thin strands of wires that form together one conductor. The
stranded design offers flexibility thus they are suitable for applications where wires need to be bent or
twisted. Electrician prefer stranded over solid because it is easier to route through pipes in walls due
to its flexibility.
Single Solid Wire
Single solid wire is made of single solid core with plastic insulation. The solid design offer better
connection but it is difficult to bend or twist due to its stiffness. Multiple bending might damage and
break the conductor inside. They are used in applications where there is no movement or bending
required for wires.
Non-Metallic Sheathed Cable (NM, NM-B)
The non-metallic or NM sheathed cable or known by its trademark name “romex” cable is a type of
electrical cable whose outer sheath is made of plastic that protect the inside conductors. It is commonly
used for residential electrical wiring.
There are two types of NM sheathed cable based on number of conductors;
Two wires NM sheathed cable: This type of cables has two separately insulated conductors with a
bare conductor for ground connection that makes a total of 3 conductors. It comes in various gauges
for various ratings and it is labelled as “gauge –2WG”. It means this cable contains 2 wires plus a
grounding wire.
Three wires NM sheathed cable This type of cable contains 3 insulated wires with a bare grounding
wire. It is used for three phase application this is why the individual conductor is marked with different
phase colour for identification.
The NM wires are available in solid as well as stranded form. The solid conductor provides better
connection at terminals but it is difficult to route through pipe or conduits. While the stranded
conductors are more flexible and easier to route through conduits.
The NM-B (B for building) is a type of NM cable especially used for indoor building wiring. They are
used for wiring inside wall and floors but not to be used in wet places such as external wiring.
Metallic Sheathed Cable (Armoured Cable, AC or BX, MC)
Metallic sheathed cable, as the name suggest is a type of armoured electrical cable with a metallic
protection over the insulated conductors. The conductors are separately insulated with plastic layer
which is surrounded by a metallic sheath for extra protection. The metal sheath can be braided or
twisted that surrounds individual or all conductors or it could a solid pipe like structure.

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The metallic sheathed cables are mostly known by AC (armoured cable) or BX cable and MC (metal
clad) cable. BX is the registered trade name for AC cables.
Armoured Cable (AC)
Such type of metallic sheathed cables has a protective twisted or braided metallic layer usually made
of steel over its conductor. The external sheath is made of plastic. The metallic layer provides extra
mechanical strength against any sort of damage and can also be used for grounding connections. Thus
they are not used in damp or wet location as well as underground. The armoured layer can be wire
braid, steel wire or steel tape. The steel wire armoured (SWA) cable is most common type of armoured
cable used for power transmission.
Metal Clad (MC) Cable
The difference between AC and MC cables is that MC Cable’s metallic sheath cannot be used as
grounding wire. It has an extra green colored insulated wire for ground connection. Thus they can be
used as direct burial type and in wet locations but if they have their protective PVC outer sheath.
Submersible Cable
As the name suggest, this type of electrical cable is designed to be used in wet locations or submersed
in a liquid. The insulation used for such cables is very rugged, abrasion-resilient and extremely durable
and reliable to meet the challenges present in the installation environment. They are designed to be
used as direct buried cable.
They are available in single as well as multiple conductor design having flat or round structure to meet
its applications. The conductors are colour coded to identify phase and earth connections as well as
the control wires that runs along the power conductors.
They are used in location that is physically restrictive and inaccessible. The most common use of
submersible cable is to supply power to submersible motors and pumps underwater, in agriculture
industries, underground mining or drilling purposes.
Underground Feeder (UF) Cable:
It is a type of non-metallic sheathed cable designed for use in wet location such as supplying power to
lamp post or street light. NM cables have a loose wrap of plastic sheath around it whereas the
conductors in UF cables are individually surrounded by a solid layer of thermoplastic that provide
flexibility and extra protection. The water-resistant insulation material allow them to be used in damp
locations such as supplying power to garden shed, lamp post. They are mostly available in Gray colour
outer sheath. They are the best choice for avoiding poles and exposed wire by simply running them
underground.
Stranding in Layer
This type of cable is made from multiple layers of strands of conductor. The cores of this cables is
designed to be firm and the surrounding layers are made long. Because the outer layer stretches during

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bending while the centre core compresses. This type of cable is easier to manufacture and is cheaper.
The material used for such cable is flexible but too much bending might deform the cable.
Stranding in Bundles
This type of cable is achieved by braiding the conductor around each other so that the conductor
stretches uniformly when the cable bends. This type of cable is more durable because of its tension
proof core but a little stiffer than the stranded cable.
Overhead Power Line:
Overhead power lines are conductors suspended from electrical towers or poles to transmit power over
long distance. The conductors used are completely bare and made from aluminium. The electrical and
mechanical properties of the conductor depend on its construction. Here are some of the cables used
for power transmission.
All Aluminium Conductor (AAC)
AAC transmission cable, also known as aluminium stranded conductor is made from multiple strands
of hard drawn 1350 aluminium alloy which is 99 % pure with a little bit of silicon, iron etc. it has very
high conductivity and resistive to corrosion but very poor strength to weight ratio. That is why it is
preferred short distances in the stations not for rural power transmission over long distance.
All Aluminium Alloy Conductor (AAAC)
In order to increase the mechanical strength of the AAC cable, a special aluminium alloy is used made
with magnesium and Silicon. It increases the strength to weight ratio while maintaining the corrosion
resistivity. However, the conductivity falls a bit.
Aluminium Conductor Steel-Reinforced (ACSR) Cable
ACSR is also a stranded aluminium cable whose inner strands are made from galvanized steel
surrounded by strands of pure aluminium conductors. The steel core increases the tensile strength of
cable while the aluminium provides good conductivity and low weight. They are used in long distance
transmission line because we can alter the strength of its steel core to meet the requirement.
Switches
A switch is an electrical device used to make or Break an electrical circuit. A switch essentially
consists of two terminals to which wires are connected.
The Different switches used in electrical wiring are as follows
(i) Tumbler Switches
(ii) Flush Type Switches
(iii) Pulling Switches
(iv) Grid Switches
(v) Rotary Switches
(vi) Push Button Switches

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(vii) Iron clad water tight switches
(viii) Industrial iron clad switches
(ix) Quick break knife switches
Fuses
A fuse is a device used for the purpose of protecting a circuit against damage from excessive current
flowing in it by opening the circuit on the melting of the fuse – elements by excessive current.
(i) Rewireable Fuse
(ii) D-Type cartridge fuse
(iii) High Rupturing capacity fuse
Rewireable Fuses
Rewireable fuses are most commonly used in housing wiring and small current circuits. It is also
known as a kit – kat fuse. It has a porcelain base which is carrying the fixed contact through which the
live wires are connected. The fuse carrier is the independent part which is easily removed or stuck in
the base.The fuse element is made of lead, tin, copper or alloy of tin-lead. The current required for
melting the fusing element is twice the value of normal operating current. If more than two or three
fuse elements are used in the fuse, then they should be kept away from each other. The de-rating factor
of the fuse element is 0.7 to 0.8. When the fault occurs, the fuse element is melt, and the circuit is
interrupted. The melting fuse element takes out of the fuse, and the new one replaces it. The supply is
continuous by reinserting the fuse in the base. The rewireable fuse has the advantages of replacement
of fuse element without any risk. The cost of the replacement is also very less.
D-Types Cartridge Fuse
The fuse is not interchangeable. The fuse base, adapter ring, cartridge and a fuse cap are the main
element of the fuse. The cartridge is moved in the fuse cap. The cap is fixed on the fuse base. The tip
of the fuse base is touch by the fuse element, and the circuit is completed through the fuse link. The
standard rating of the fuse is 6, 16, 32, and 63 amperes. The breaking capacity of the fuse element is
4kA for 2 and 4 amperes fuses. The 16kA for 6 or 63 amperes fuses. This type of fuses does not have
any disadvantages. The operation of the fuse is very reliable.
High Rupturing Capacity Fuses
The frame of the fuse is made of steatite. The steatite is the powder of the mineral. Mostly the ceramic
material is used in the fuse because they had good mechanical strength. The brass cap holds the fuse
element in the fuse. The brass caps are fixed on the ceramic body. It is fixed by using the special force
so that the fuse can withstand high pressure. The end contacts of the fuse are welded on the metallic
cap. The powder of quartz is filled between the fuse element and the cartridge body of the fuse. This
powder act as an arc extinguished medium in the fuse. The powder of quartz absorbs the heat which
induces because of the shortcircuit current. After absorbing the heat, the quartz is converted into the

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lead which opposes the restriking voltage. The fuse element is made of silver or copper. It is linked
by mean of the tin joint. The tin joint controls the temperature of the fuse from the short-circuiting
current. The melting point of the silver is 980ºC while the melting point of tin is 240ºC. When the fault
occurs in the system, the short-circuit current first passes through the tin. The tin prevents the short
circuit current to flows through the silver. The fusing factor of the link fuse is 1.45. The fusing factor
of some special kind of fuses is 1.2. The knife blade and the bolted type are the types of fuses.
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB)
A Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) is an automatically operated electrical switch used to protect low
voltage electrical circuits from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit.
MCBs are typically rated up to a current up to 125 A, do not have adjustable trip characteristics, and
can be thermal or thermal-magnetic in operation.
Name Plate Details
MCB Current and Curve Rating: As shown in example, it is mentioned C20 (and in the below
image, it is B25). First letter is showing the characteristics curve. There are three characteristics curves
(In common use) available- B C & D. B curve indicates that short circuit rating of device is in range
of 3-5 times of standard rated current (Which means, TIME for Trip initiation i.e. the less rating of the
time will be Fast acting, like for protecting sensitive Electronics devices and equipment). C curve
indicates it to be 5-10 times and D curve indicates it to be 10-20 times. Be very careful while selecting
this. On a resistive load (say heater, normal lighting load) it will B Curve, for inductive load (Like
pump, Motors etc.) it will be C curve and for highly inductive or capacitive load it will be D curve.
The numeral part indicates rating of MCB in Ampere. In the given example it is 20A. MCB rating is
very important and be very precise about it.
Operating Voltage: It is in Volts and is the operational voltage for which current rating is said. In three
phase it is usually 400V or 415 V. For single phase it is 230V or 240V. Choose as per your application
only.
MCB Breaking Capacity: Breaking capacity can be defined as the maximum level of fault current
which can be safely cleared. It is written as in numerals like in in example it is 10000. It means it
10000A = 10kA. Choose breaking capacity as per your fault level possible. Since it is the parameter
which may increase or decrease the cost, so it should be properly decided. Breaking capacity should
be higher than the possible fault level. For domestic application where fault level cannot be calculated
easily, it advisable that go for a standard breaking capacity of 10kA which is easily available. Please
note that this rating is mentioned as per testing made on basis of IS 60898. If it is for IEC60947-2 then
it need to be mentioned separately.
Energy Class: MCB normally work on current limiting feature. It means that it does not allow fault
to get it’s peak and trip before that. But since there is some time consumed in tripping, fault current

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will create some energy which will exist in system. This energy is termed as let through energy. For
efficient MCB operation it should be limited. On basis of amount of energy it is classified in class 1,
class 2 and class 3. Here Class 3 is best which allows maximum 1.5L joule/second. This is being tested
as per IS 60898.

MCB Type Min Tripping Max Tripping Current Operating Time

Current (Ir) (Ir)
Type B 3 5 0.04 – 13 Sec
Type C 5 10 0.04 – 5 Sec
Type D 10 20 0.04 – 3 Sec

Applications Standards to be Followed

Residential Buildings IEC 60898-1

Commercial Buildings IEC 60898-1 or IEC 60947-2

Industries IEC 60947-2

MCB Characteristic IEC 60898-1 IEC 60947-2

Rated Current: In 6 – 125A 0.5 – 160A
SC Breaking Capacity <25kA <50kA
Rated Voltage: Ue 400V 440V, 500V, 690V
Impulse Voltage: Uimp 4kV 6kV – 8kV
Pollution Degree 2 3
Curves B,C,D B,C,D,K,Z,MA
Application Current AC AC or DC
Electrical Auxiliaries No Monitoring Control

Moulded Case Circuit Breaker

MCCB (moulded case circuit breaker) is used for 250 amps to 800 amps in the motor feeders. This
system of circuit breaker basically protects the entire electrical system from overloading and having
such conditions of short circuit issues. To simply put it these are the electrical protection gadgets that
are used mostly with a wide range of voltages as MCCB which are commonly known have adjustable
trip settings and can hold as much as 2500 amps in current ratings. A miniature circuit breaker also
known as MCCB is the gadget that automatically switches off electrical circuit during an abnormal
condition of the network which can mean in overload conditions, as well as faulty conditions.
Specification / Name Plate Details of MCB/MCCB:
Following specifications are required to select appropriate MCB or MCCB.

(A) Current Related:

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Frame Size (Inm): Amp
Rated current (In/ Ie): Amp
Ultimate short circuit breaking capacity (Icu): KA
Rated short-circuit breaking capacity (Ics): % of Icu
(B) Voltage Related:
Rated voltage (Ue): Volt
Rated Insulation voltage (Ui): Volt
Rated impulse withstand voltage(Uimp): KV
No’s of Pole : SP,DP,TP,TPN,FP
(C) Application Type:
Utilization Category/ Characteristic : B,C or D curve
(D) Protection Type:
Protection : Over current / Short circuit
Trip Mechanism: Thermal / Magnetic / Solid / Microprocessor
Trip Mechanism adjustment : Fixed / Adjustable
Earth-leakage circuit breaker
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 devices (RCDs, RCCBs or GFCIs) which instead detect
leakage current directly.
ELCB Specifications
1.Rated Residual Current/Operation Sensitivity (IΔN)
2.Rated Current of contact (IN)
3.Rated AC Voltage (UN)
4. Rated making and Breaking capacity (IM)
5.Rated Residual making & Breaking Capacity (IΔM)
6.Short circuit breaking capacity
7.No. of Poles.
Result: The use of various types of electrical cables/wires, switches, fuses, MCB, ELCB and MCCB is
studied in this experiment.

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Wires/Cables
 Switches

Tumbler Switches Flush Type Switches Pulling Switches

Grid Switches Rotary Switches Push Button Switches

Iron clad water tight switches Quick break knife switches

Fuses

Rewireable Fuse D-Type Cartridge fuse

High Rupturing capacity fuse

Minatare Circuit Breaker

Internal Circuit of MCB

1. Single Pole MCB

2.Double Pole MCB
3.Triple Pole MCB

Moulded Case Circuit Breaker

Name Plate Rating

Earth-leakage circuit breaker