Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB)

MCB is an automatic switch that opens when

excessive curent flows through the circuit. It can
be reclosed without any manual replacement. In the
case of a fuse, once it has becen operated, it
must be replaced or rewired, depending on the type of the
MCB. Hence, fuse is known as one of
the sacrificial devices. This is the main reason why MCBs are
used as an alternative to the fuse
in most of the circuits. Also, whenever there is a fault in
the circuit, the switches in the MCB
automatically shut down and the fault of the device can be easily detected.
Working Principle of MCB
When the current overflow occurs through MCB- Miniature Circuit Breaker, the
bimetallic strip
gets heated and deflects by bending. The deflection of the bi-metallic strip releases a latch. The
latch causes the MCB to turn off by stopping the current flow in the circuit. This process helps
safeguard the appliances or devices from the hazards of overload or overcurrent. To restart the
current flow, MCB must be turned ON manually.

(a) Magnetic
element (b)

Closed Open
Trip contacts Contacts
bar
Load Line Load Line

Bimetal element Latch

Uses of MCB
MCB is the key component for the safety and efficient functioning of electric machines and is
used in most electrical appliances that are used for industrial or domestic purposes. In domestic
usage, appliances like lights, heaters, and fans require MCB to constantly check and protect the
connection.
 Molded Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB)
MCCB stands for Molded Case Circuit Breaker. It is another type of
which is used when load current exceeds the limit of a electrical protection device
The MCCB provides protection against overload, short miniature circuit brcaker.
circuit faults and is also used for
SWitching the circuits. It can be used for higher current rating and fault level even in
applications. The wide current ratings and high breaking capacityin MCCB find theirdomesticin
industrial applications. MCCB can be used for protection of capacitor bank, use
and main electric feeder distribution. It offers generator protection
adequate protection whenever an application
requires discrimination, adjustable overload setting or carth fault
protection.

plunge electromagnet
wire

bimetalic
srip Trip b¡r

Dperaing rechansi

An MCCB has three main functions:

Protection against overload currents above the rated value that last longer than
what is normal for the application.
Protection against electrical faults - During a fault such as a short circuit or line
fault, there are extremely high currents that must be interrupted
immediately.
Switching a circuit on and off- This is a less common function of circuit breakers,
but they can be used for that purpose if there isn't an adequate manual switch.

Difference between MCB and MCCB

MCBs have less than 100 amps, while MCCBs have as high as 2,500 amps. In MCB, the
on/off is impossible, while in MCCB, it is possible by the use of shunt wire. The MCB is remote
largely
used in low circuit current, while MCCB is used for the heavy current
circuit.
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB)

For the protection of human body from the electric shock

used. But generally this protective device like fuse or MCB are
device are incapable of measuring small current flowing in human body,
So requirement is to have a device which can sense
small current and cut-off the supply instantly.
Ihe device used for this purpose is known as Earth
Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB). It is
Current operated device designed to operate when a leakage current exceeds the
value. predefined

Test pushbutton
Test resistor
Circut
J
oreaker
Load

1Trp col Search

colt

N
LO0d Casing
and Frame
are earthed

There are two types of Earth-leakage circuit breaker:

voltage operated ELCB

current operated ELCB
 SWITCH FUSE UNITS (SFUS)

A switch fuse unit Switch Fuse Unit (SFU)

combines two essential functionalities: a switch that
enables the manual opening and closing of circuits and a fuse that
provides overcurrent
protection. This dual-purpose nature empowers users to isolate circuits during maintenance or
emergencies and offers protection against overloads and short circuits.
What is earthing?
The process of transferring the immediate discharge of the electrical energy directBly
to the earth by the help of the low resistance wire is known as the electrical
earthing.
Mostly, the galvanised iron is used for the earthing. The earthing provides the simple
path to the leakage current. The shortcircuit current of the equipment passes to the
earth which has zero potential. Thus, protects the system and equipment from damage.

Importance of Earthing
The earthing protects the personnel from the shortcircuit current.
The earthing provides the easiest path to the flow of shortcircuit current even after
the failure of the insulation.
The earthing protects the apparatus and personnel from the high voltage surges
and lightning discharge.

Earthing can be done by electrically connecting the respective parts in the installation to
some system of electrical conductors or electrodes placed near the soil or below the
ground level.

Electrical
Equipment
One phase secondary
distribution of transformer
Faut Current
Live wire Passes through the
human body
Neutral wire

Fault
Current

Electrical System Without Earthing

When the fault occurs the fault current from the equipment flows through the earthing
system to the earth and thereby protect the equipment from the fault current. At the time
of the fauit, the earth mat conductors rise to the voltage which is equal to the resistance
of the eath mat mutiplied by a ground fault.
 One phase secondary
distribution of Electrical
transformer
Equipment

Live wire

Neutral wire

Fault Current
Fault Passes through the
Current earthing

Electrical System With Earthing

The contacting assembly is called earthing. The metallic conductors connecting the
parts of the installation with the earthing are called electrical connection. The
and the earthing connection together called the earthing earthing
system.

Types of Earthing
There are three types of earthing, they are:
Pipe earthing
Plate earthing
Strip earthing
Pipe earthing is the best and most efficient way of earthing and is also easily
affordable. Pipe earthing uses 38mm diametre and 2 metres length pipe vertically
embedded in the ground to work as earth electrodes.

In plate earthing,an earthing plate made of copper or G.l. is buried into the ground at a
depth more than 3 metres from the ground level. This earthing plate is embedded in an
alternative layer of coke and salts.

Strip earthing is used in transmission processes. Strip electrodes of cross section not
less than 25mm X 1.6mm of copper or 25 mm X 4mm of G.l. or steel are buried in
horizontal trenches of a minimum depth of 0.5m.
 Underground Cables
# Construction XLPE
(Cross-inked polyethylene) of Cables:
Fig.showsthe general Construction of XLPE Cables. The various
parts are :
APLE cable is a type of electrical cable commonly used for power
distribution. XLPE cable is made of a thermoset material, which means transmissi0n and
it IS higaiy
resistant to heat, moisture, and chemicals.

Lead sheath Armouring

Conductor

Paper Bedding
Insulation Serving

Cores or Conductors:

A cable may have one or more than one core (conductor) depending upon the type of service for which it
is intended. For instance,the 3-conductor cable shown in Fig. is used for 3- phase service. The conductors
are made of tinned copper or aluminium and are usually stranded in order to provide flexibility to the
cable.

Insulation:

Each core or conductor is provided with a suitable thickness of insulation, the thickness of layer
depending upon the voltage to be withstood by the cable. The commonly used materials for insulation are
impregnated paper, varnished cambric or rubber mineral compound.
 Metallic sheath:
In order to protect the cable from moisture. Conductor gases or other damaging liquids (acids or alkalieS)
Uie son and atmosphere, a metallic sheath of lead or aluminium is provided over the insulation as
shown in Fig.

Bedding:
or
va ue netallic sheath is applied a layer of
bedding which consists of a fibrous material ike jute
sheath against corrosIOn and om
hessian tape. The purpose of bedding is to protect the metallic
mechanical injury due to armouring.

Armouring:
wire or
the bedding, armouring is provided which consists of one or two layers of galvanised steel
Over during the course
from mechanical injury while laying it and
Steel tape. Its purpose is to protect the cable
of handling. Armouring may not be done in the case of some cables

Serving.
(like jute)
atmospheric conditions, a layer of fibrous material
Inorder to protect armoring from
known as serving.
similar to bedding is providedover the armoring. Thisis

# Classification of Underground Cables:

to
Classification of Underground Cables may be in two ways according
their manufacture
1. the type of insulating material used in
2. the voltage for which they are manufactured.
Cables is generally preferred,
However, the latter method of Classification of Underground
accordingto which cables can be divided into the following groups :
Low-tension (L.T.) cables - upto 1000V
High-tension (H.T.) cables -upto 11,000 V
Super-tension (S.T.) cables -from 22 kV to 33 kv
Extra high-tension (E.H.T) cables - from 33 kV to 66 kV
Extra super voltage cables - beyond 132 kV
Acable may have one or more than one core depending upon the type of service for which it is
intended. It may be
1. single-core
2. two-core
3. three-core
4. four-core etc.
 Electrical Bus-Bar and its Types
Definition: An electrical bus bar is defined as a conductor or a group of
collecting electric power from the incoming feeders and distributes them conductor
to the
used for
feeders. Inother words, it is a type of electrical junction in which all the outgoing
outgoing electrical current meets. Thus, the electrical bus bar incoming and
one location. collects the electric power at

The bus bar system consists the isolator and the circuit
the circuit breaker is tripped off and the faulty section ofbreaker. On the occurrence of a fault,
the busbar is
from the circuit. easily disconnected

The copper and aluminium are used for the

manufacturing of the electrical bus bar.
The various types of busbar arrangement are used in the
bus bar is depended on the different factor likes power system. The selection of the
are the electrical considerations governing the reliability, flexibility, cost etc. The following
selection of any one particular arrangement.
The bus bar arrangement is simple and easy in
maintenance.
The maintenance of the system did not affect their
The installation of the bus bar is cheap.
continuity.
Example like Single Bus-Bar Arrangement
The arrangement of such type of system is very
bus bar along with the switch. Allthe substation simple and easy. The system has only one
the feeder is connected to this bus bar only. The equipment like the transformer, generator,
are
advantages of single bus bar arrangenments

It has low initial cost.

It requires less maintenance
It is simple in operation
 Outgoing Feeders

Single Bus-Bar Arrangement

 What is a Circuit Breaker?
Acircuit breaker is defined as, switchingdevice
the function of a switch thus protecting which interrupts the faulty current and performs
the electrical system from damage.

Working Principle of Circuit Breaker

There are two essential contacts in a circuit breaker, and
they are:
Fixed contacts
Moving contacts
When the circuit is closed, which is anormalcondition, the contacts
the current under this condition. Under a closed touch each other and carry
known as electrodes that engage each other duecircuit breaker, current-carrying contacts are
to the pressure of a spring.
The switching and maintenance of the system are taken care of by
arms of the circuit breaker. The circuit breaker is opened either opening or closing the
by applying pressure to the trigger.
When there is a faulty current flowing through any part of the system, the trip coil of
gets energized thereby moving away from each other, thus opening the breaker
the circuit.

Fixed
Air
contacts
cushion
Arc

Dielectric Moving
Contacts

Types of Circuit Breakers

Following are the four types of circuit breakers:
Air circuit breakers
SF6 circuit breakers
Vacuum circuit breakers
Oil circuit breakers

Air Circuit Breakers

The air circuit breaker is also knownas an air blast circuit breaker as they are air-based circuit
breakers. In this circuit breaker type, the arc extinguishing medium used is a high-pressure air
blast. In case of a faulty current flow, the blast valve opens the contact. The restriking of the arc
is prevented by sweeping the ionized particles into the atmosphere, which increases the strenath
of the dielectric in the medium.
There are three tpes of air circuit breakers:

Axial blast type

Cross blast type
Radial blast type
Arcing chamber
Piston Arc splitters
Moving
contact
Moving Arc
<Closing Normal air contact
Air valve spring clearance for
working voltage Opening Fct
Air Reservoir Air flow
Series
isolator

Axial-blast Circuit Breaker Cross-blast Circuit Breaker

Advantages of Air Circuit Breaker

There is an elimination of the risk of fire.
The arcing products can be removed completely.
The contact gap is less as the dielectric strength increases faster.
It is suitable for frequent operations as the arcing time and arC energy are smal.
It is independent of the interrupting current.

Disadvantages of Air Circuit Breaker

The compressor needs to be maintained in the air circuit breaker.
It is sensitive to the variation in voltages.
The properties of arc extinguishers are inferior.