WELCOME

to The School of
Engineering and
Science

Presenter: Wellington Katsenga

 Covered In This Lesson

Module: Switch gears

Switch Gears
Switch Gears Groups
Switch Gears types
Switch Gears types
Switch Gears types
Switch Gears Uses
 Disconnectors

A switching device used to open an electric circuit when there is no current through it.
They are used to isolate a part of an electrical system to allow the maintenance staff a safe access to power systems
 Miniature circuit breakers (MCB)
• Low tension circuit breakers of the domestic and small type may be of the single- phase or
three-phase type. MCB’s can be of the magnetic-hydraulic type or the thermal magnetic type.
Switch Gears Uses
Switch Gears Uses
 Relays

• Relays are small electromagnetic switches

• They are used to relay electrical signals from
one circuit to another
• The current involved with relays are
relatively small when compared with
contactors.
• They have solenoid which attracts an iron
armature
• The contacts may be of the normally open
and / or normally closed type
• These contacts, in turn, controls a secondary
circuit or circuits.
Relays
 Contactors
Contactors are, just like relays, electromagnetic switches, except that they are larger than relays as they are
used to control larger currents.

They usually have a main set of contacts which control the main circuit, such as the supply to a three-phase
electric motor, and an auxiliary set of contacts which carries the current of the single-phase control circuit.
Contactors
 Switch Gears Uses

Protection
 Fuse

A fuse is an electrical safety device that operates to

provide overcurrent protection of power system.

Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that

melts when too much current flows through it, thereby
stopping or interrupting the current.
Fuse
Fuse
 Magnetic type Circuit-Breaker
Overload protection provided Thermal and
short-circuit protection magnetically.
Operation on overload
• When the current exceeds the rated value, the flux set
up by the solenoid is strong enough to overcome the
tension of the spring and draw the piston into the
solenoid.
Time delay
• Time delay is afforded by the time taken for the
bimetal to heat and bend, this depends on the
amount of the load current.
Operation on short-circuit
• The magnetic flux is concentrated by the iron plate
and the end of the bimetal strip. The iron plate has in
some cases only a few turns of conductor around.
Short-circuit causes the magnetic flux to become
strong enough to attract the iron armature with
enough force to activate the tripping mechanism,
bypassing the time delay.
Picture Reference: electrical-engineering-portal.com
 Thermal-Magnetic type circuit-breaker
• Operation on overload
• Then the current exceeds the rate value, it generates
sufficient heat cause the bimetal strips to bend far enough to
operate the tripping mechanism and the snap action contacts
open
• Time delay
• Time delay is afforded hydraulically by the time taken for the
oil to be forced past the piston as it is pulled upwards. The
speed at which it moves and the depth that it must be before
tripping takes place is dependant on the magnitude of the
overload current. i.e. it has an inverse time / current
characteristic.
• Operation on short-circuit
• In the event of a short-circuit , the magnetic flux becomes
strong enough to attract the iron armature with enough force
to activate the tripping mechanism, thus bypassing the time
delay.
 Circuit-breaker

A circuit-breaker is a mechanical switching device which can operate as a manual switch and
its purpose is to automatically disconnect an appliance or circuit from the supply in the event of
an abnormal condition such as overcurrent.

A circuit-breaker may be used as a main or local switch-disconnector provided that it complies

with the standards for a switch-disconnector, or alternatively, a switch-disconnector must be
connected on the supply side of the circuit-breaker.
 Time delay
With smaller overload current, circuit-breakers are required to
operate with a certain amount of time delay.
• Example of the necessity for time delay is the high current
required for starting a motor under load conditions. However
under short circuit conditions time delay must be bypassed (time
delay characteristics – the higher the overload current the shorter
the tripping time).
 Three phase circuit breakers
Single phase circuit breaker have one pole-one input and one output terminal and one set of
contacts.
Three-phase circuit breakers have three poles – three input and three output terminals and three
sets of contacts.
The overcurrent protection device protecting a three-phase motor must prevent the motor from
continuing to operate under load id single-phasing occurs.
 Circuit breakers
Trip indication
• When a circuit breaker trips, the toggle switch face downwards. This makes
it easy to see when it has tripped.
 Three phase circuit breakers
• Trip mechanism
• The mechanism of the circuit breaker ensures a quick and positive making action
and a quick breaking action.
• Free trip
• The toggle switch is designed to be free trip which means that it will trip even if the
toggle is held in the on position or if it is closed under overload or short circuit
conditions
• Factory Sealing
• Circuit breakers are factory sealed to ensure that no one can alter the trip rating or
time delay. The seal also serves to validate the guarantee.
Circuit breakers
Earth Leakage
 Ambient temperature
Ambient temperature can have a major effect on the accuracy of circuit breakers. Steps are taken to reduce
this effect as much as possible.
For Thermal magnetic circuit breakers
When the ambient temperature is low, the tripping current as
well as the time delay is increased. If the ambient temperature is
high the overcurrent tripping value as well as the time delay is
reduced.
For Magnetic circuit breakers the viscosity of the oil used in the
cylinder of the hydraulic time delay device is affected by the
ambient temperature. Very low ambient temperatures causes
the oil to become thicker and the time delay increases. When
the ambient temperature is very high, the oil is thinner and the
time delay is reduced.
Conclusion
Question &Answer
 The end

Lesson on Switch Gears Completed