ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE DEVICES

Electrical protection devices are important because they help protect the occupants
and the infrastructure that could incur significant damages caused by electrical
accidents. Overloading, short-circuiting, and earth faults are all examples of
unintentional electrical accidents that occur without warning. Generally, these
devices remove fire hazards and electrocution. Protection devices useful for the
protection of circuits. Usually, this protection is from extreme voltage or current.

1. Fuse Wire
2. Glass Cartridge
3. HRC Fuse
4. Kit Kat Fuse
5. MCB
6. MCCB
7. RCCB
8. ELCB
9. Relay

1. Fuse Wire

An electrical fuse is a safety device that operates to provide protection against the
overflow of current in an electrical circuit. An important component of an electrical
fuse is a metal wire or strip that melts when excess current flows through it. The fuse
wire is generally an alloy of lead and tin. It has a low melting point and breaks the
circuit if the current exceeds a safe value. The thickness and length of the fuse wire
depends on the maximum current allowed through the circuit.It is connected in series
in the beginning of the electric circuits.

2. Glass Cartridge

Glass Cartridge fuses are low-cost electrical safety devices that are used for the
overload protection of electrical circuits and appliances. They are cylindrical in shape
and have a contact point at each end. Cartridge fuses are typically constructed from
ceramic, glass, or porcelain.

Glass Cartridge fuse

3. HRC Fuse
HRC fuse (high rupturing capacity fuse) is one kind of fuse, where the fuse wire
carries a short circuit current in a set period. If the fault occurs in the circuit then it
blows off. The HRC fuse is made with glass otherwise some other kind of chemical
compound.

HRC FUSE

4. Kit Kat Fuse

Kit Kat Fuse is a semi-enclosed fuse, which is also considered a rewireable fuse.
This fuse is mainly designed for domestic wiring and small scale usage. There are
two parts in kit kat fuse – fuse wire and fuse base.

Benefits of kit kat fuse

The main benefits of kit kat fuse are as follows:

a) The series is offered in sizes ranging from to , with typical handled

as well as lug configurations.
b) It is really simple as well as convenient for the customer.
c) It is the least expensive type of fuse.
d) Throughout its useful life, the kit kat fuse demands almost no
maintenance.

5. MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKERS MCB

The problem with the fuses is that whenever overloading occurs the fuse wire melts
and it has to be replaced to complete the circuit. This problem is overcome
in miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) which are widely used nowadays. MCBs are
switches that turn off automatically when there is an overload or a short circuit.

MCB has several advantages over fuse:

a) MCB is more sensitive to current than fuse.

b) In case of MCB, the faulty zone of electrical circuit can be easily identified
c) With MCB it is very simple to resume to the supply.
d) MCB provides a better interface with the help of knob than a fuse
e) Handling MCB is electrically safer than handling a fuse.
 f) MCB is reusable and hence hasless maintenance and replacement cost.

6. Molded Case Circuit Breaker MCCB

The basic MCB and MCCB difference is that the rated current for MCB is just 125 Ampere,
whereas MCCB can be used for rated current up to 1600 Ampere. This makes it obvious that
MCB is suitable for domestic applications, whereas MCCB is a more suitable device for
circuit protection in industrial applications.

7. RCCB

A Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB) is an important safety measure when it

comes to protection of electrical circuits. It is a current sensing device, which can
automatically measure and disconnect the circuit whenever a fault occurs in the
connected circuit or the current exceeds the rated sensitivity.

RCCB

8. ELCB
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 the voltage level exceeds
danger threshold.

ELCB

9. RELAY
A relay is an electrically operated switch. It consists of a set of input terminals for a
single or multiple control signals, and a set of operating contact terminals. The switch
may have any number of contacts in multiple contact forms, such as make contacts,
break contacts, or combinations thereof.

Relay

EARTHING

Earthing also called grounding is defined as “the process in which the instantaneous
discharge of the electrical energy takes place by transferring charges directly to the
earth through low resistance wire.” Low resistance earthing wire is chosen to provide
the least resistance path for leakage of fault current.

The earth wire creates a safe route for the current to flow through if the live wire
touches the metallic casing of the electrical appliance. Thus it protects against
electrical shocks.

Earthing assures safety from the fire that may be occurred from the current leakage.
It provides the way to default current even after the failure of the insulation. It
protects the appliances from high voltage surges and lightning discharge.

TYPES OF EARTHING

There are three main types of earthing, they are:

1. Pipe earthing.
2. Plate earthing.
3. Strip earthing.

1. PIPE EARTHING
Earthing, also known as grounding, is the process of connecting
an electrical system to the earth. This is done to protect against
electrical shocks, reduce electromagnetic interference, and
provide a stable reference voltage for the system. Pipe earthing is
a type of earthing system that uses a pipe made of galvanized
iron or copper buried in the ground to connect the electrical
system to the earth.
The pipe used for earthing is typically around 2-3 meters in length
and 40-50 mm in diameter. The top end of the pipe is connected
to the electrical system, while the bottom end is buried in a pit
filled with charcoal and salt. The pipe is then connected to a
grounding plate or rod, which is also buried in the ground.

2. PLATE EARTHING
Plate earthing is a type of electrical earthing in which a metal
plate is buried in the ground and connected to the electrical
system. The plate used for earthing is typically made of copper,
steel, or galvanized iron. The size of the plate depends on the
type of soil, current to be grounded, and other factors. A plate
earthing system can be installed for both low voltage and high
voltage applications.