MODULE: PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
UNIT: PROTECTIVE DEVICE.
ELEMENT: SWITCH GEAR.
SWITCH GEARS:
Is the electrical or mechanical device which used to contral the circuit by supplying the
power required in the difference circuit.
THERE ARE THREE BASIC REASONS FOR FITTING PROTECTIVE
SWITCHGEAR IN AN INSTALLATION.
1. To protect circuit against excess current.
2. To protect circuit against earth leakage.
3. To allow the consumer or maintenance electrician to isolate the installation from the
supply
THREE TYPES OF PROTECTION USED INTO FALL THREE CATEGORIES:
1. Electromagnetic device ( circuir breaker).
2. The fuse.
3. Thermal
FUSE:
Is the mechanical device which protect the installation for melt the fuse element.
OR
A fuse is defined in [Link]. Regulation as a device for opening a circuit by means of a
conductor designed to melt when an excess current flow. The fuse comprises all the
parts that form the complete device.
The symbol of fuse
TYPES OF FUSE.
There Are Three Main Types Of Fuse.
i. Rewirable fuse.
ii. Cartridge fuse.
iii. High breaking capacity fuses (HBC).
REWIRABLE FUSE
This consists of the Porcelain Bridge and base. The bridge has two sets of copper
contacts, which fit into contacts in the base. See the figure below.
ADVANTAGES OF REWIRABLE FUSE.
i. It is very cheap
ii. It is easy to replace the fuse element.
DIS –ADVANTAGES OF REWIRABLE FUSE.
1. Fuse-element oxidizes reducing the cross Sectional are which results in the
circuit the fuse melting at a lower current than its indicated.
2. Any size of the fuse wire can be fitted thus defeating the purpose of the fuse
3. The fuse element takes several seconds to melt and can thus allow
electrical and physical damage to the circuit conductors and equipment
being protected.
4. It does not discriminate between transient high .
current (e.g. motor stating current) and continuous fault current.
5. Eary damage.
6. Taking in discrimination.
7. Any some of fuse wire can be filted.
There is a tendency of fire risk due to the intense heat generated before the fuse element melts and
open
NOTE:
The fuse must be capable of protecting the smallest conductor in the circuit. Lacking
in discrimination- It is possible that a 15A-fuse element may melt before 10. Fuse
element depending largely on the conductor of wire. Further the Rewirable fuse is not
capable of discriminating between a momentary high starting current and a
continuous faulty current. Easily damaged particularly with short circuit current.
STANDARD WIRE GAUGE AND CURRENT RATTING.
i. 0.2mm2 copper wire for 5A current rating.
ii. 0.35mm2copper wire for 10A current rating.
iii. 0.50mm2 copper wire for. 15A current rating.
CARTIDGE FUSE:
This type is commonly applied in domestic and industrial loads. Cartridge fuse is made of ceramic
barrel containing a fuse element. The barrel is filled with non-fusible sand, which helps to quench
the resultant arc produce when the element melts. Cartridge fuses overcome the disadvantages of the
rewirable type of fuse]. One of its valuable features is that it does not deteriorate with time. Another
advantage of this type of fuse is that its rating is accurate4ly known. However, cartridge is more
expensive than the rewirable and is not suitable for very high values of fault current.
This type has come into common use with the fused 13A plug used on the domestic ring circuit.
The fuse element is contained in a porcelain tube fitted with two connecting caps and has a fusing of
1.55
See figure below.
Diagram of cartridge fuse.
The colour code for these fuses is as follows
5A Brown
15A Blue
30A Red
40A Purple.
ADVANTAGES OF CARTRIDGE FUSE.
No mechanical moving part.
Element does melen with age
Has small physical size
Operation is more raped remable fuse.
DIS-ADVANTAGES OF CARTRIDGE FUSE.
More expensive to replace fuse element.
Can be replaced with incored cardge.
No switable when high fault develop.
HIGH BREAKING CAPACITY FUSE
This type of fuse is designed to protect circuit against heavy overloads and is capable of opening
a circuit
Condition without damaging surrounding equipment.
It is made of barrel of high-grade ceramic, which can withstand the stock conditions caused by
heavy fault current. The fuse element is of pure silver. The filler within the barrel powdered
silica carefully
dried before use. An indicator is sometimes provided to show thefuse has blown.
The short circuit fusing is as low as 0.003 second is and large rating it can take less than 0.02
seconds. These types of fuse can distinguish between high starting current taken by a motor and
high fault or overload current. They are applied in motorcircuitstoProtectthemachine.
The class of HRC is important relation to the degree of excess- current protection it can offer the
circuit.
In comparison, the fusing factor of the rewritable fuse is 1.9. This means that a 10A fuse will
blow at 19A.
The fuse factor of the cartridge fuse is between 1.25 and 1.75 depending on the type. This means
that a 10A fuse
will blow between 12.5A and 17.5A. This fusing factor of the HRC fuse does not exceed 1.25
this means that a30A HRC fuse will tolerate not more than 37.5A before it blows.
HBC DIAGRAM.
TEMINOLOGY USED
I. CURRENT RATING
The current which the fuse element will carry continuously without melting
II. FUSING FACTOR
This is the ratio between fuse rating and fuse current.
FF= FC/ RC
The fusing factor of Rewardable fuse is 2
III. FUSING [Link] the part of fuse which actually melt(open) when excessive
current passed through the circuit.
IV. FUSING CURRENT. is the maximum current of the fuse value at which element or
wire will melt?
MINATURE CIRCUIT BREAKER (MCR)
Is the mechanical device which used to contral the circuit by supplying the power
required to the difference circuit by on or off the baturn and close the cicuit in abnormal
condition..
THIS FUSE IT CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS.
Porcelain tube.
Silver element.
Indicator element .
End cap.
Silica sand,
Fuse factor is (1.25).
ADVANTAGES OF HBC FUSE.
NO mechanical moving parts.
Element does not weaken with age.
Operation is very rapid under faults condition.
Very heavy.
Diffusible to interchange size difference rating are made to different physical size .
Capable of breaking very heavy faults current.
DIS- ADVANTAGES OF HBC FUSE.
It is very expensive compared with rewirable fuse..
ISOLATOR.
Is the mechanical device which used to distinguish the wiring circuit and the supply of current
by ON or OFF button. Automatic and manually the off butturn used to disconnect the circuit
when the fault occure for maintanence or test the circuit.
ADVANTAGES OF ISOLATOR.
Circuit is provided with discrimination.
Circuit protection is difficuit to interfere with.
Triping characteristics and there for circuit protection set up by installer.
DIS-ADVANTAGES OF ISOLATOR.
I. It is very expensive compered with other fuses.
II. Contain mechanical moving part required regular testing.
ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICE/CIRCUIT BREAKER
Is the electrical or mechanical automatic device which to contral the circuit by tripping
charactoristics in abnormal or narmal condition..
Miniatures circuit Breaker is increase in its use in modern electrical installation as an
alternative to a fuse. It is in electrically is to automatically device for breaking a circuit
automatically.
Its application is to automatically disconnect a circuit under faulty and short circuit
conditions. They are designed to carry the normal current and interrupt the circuit without
being damaged. It should operate within four hours at 1.5 times the designed load current of
the circuit, which it protects.
ADVANTAGES OF MCB OVER CARTRIDGE FUSE
1. Reset, replacement is not necessary every time it operates.
2. So discriminative that it will trip on a small-sustained overload and reject the
transient over current
3. Gives a bitter overall protection against both fire and risk than fuses.
4. gives a close degree of small over-current protection, that is, its tripping
THERE THREE FACTORS THAT CAN CAUSE DANGERS IN LEVEL OF
VOLTAGE NA CURRENT
i. Over load.
ii. Short circuit.
iii. rightining)
WHY OVER LOAD OCCUR Over? over load occur when circuit carry high load without its
current rating or fuse in that circuit example 5A connected with electrical cooker.
ADVANTAGES OF CIRCUIT BREAKER.
1. It protect the circuit against danger in abnormal condition.
2. Sapply may be safety.
3. Circuit is provided with discrimination.
4. Tripping characteristics is there fore circuit protection set by instoller.
TYPES OF CIRCUIT BREAKER DUE TO USES.
i. Earth leakage circuit breaker.
ADVANTAGES OF E.L.C.B-
1. To protect electric shock
2. To protect all electrical circuit
3. To protect against over current
4. To protect against Earth leakage
5. To protect against the over voltage.
ii. Over current circuit breaker.
III. Miniture circuit breaker.
IS type of circuit breake which protect the circuit against earth leakage
Over current circuit breaker.
Miniture circuit breaker.
.
THERE TWO TYPES OF E.L.C.B
i. Voltage operated earth leakage circuit breaker(V.O.E.L.C.B)
ii. Current operated earth leakage circuit breaker.(I.O.E.L.C.B)
CURRENT OPERATED EARTH LEAKAGE circuit breaker:-Is the types of earth leakage circuit
breaker which deal with currenin the installation of domestic electricity.
Diagram. .
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
THERE 4 TYPES OF ELECTRICAL FAULTS.
1. Short circuit faults
2. Earth leakage faults.
3. Open [Link]
4. high value siries resistance faults.
5. SHORT CIRCUIT FAULTS:-Is the types of faults where by live
wire or phase wire contact with nutro wire.
On testing the insulation resistance between the live and neutral conductor with
IR tester the reading with show itself in low ohms’ range
Short circuit can occur as the results of damage insulation bare wire in junction
boxes and fitting or by a conductor becoming loose from terminal and moving so
as to come into contact with a conductor of opposite. The results will be over
heating the conductors and sparking at the points of contact.
DIAGRAM BELLOW.
Types of short circuit.
i. Phase to phase short circuit.
ii. Short circuit caused by phase and neutral.
SHORT CIRCUIT CAUSED BY PHASE AND NEUTRAL IS DIVIDED INTO TWO
TYPES LIKE.
i. Short circuit before switch.
ii. Short circuit after switch.
iv. Phase to phase short circuit.
i. Phase to phase short [Link] is caused by two or three difference phase
caontact to gether and cause short circuit example phase 1 contact with phase
2, or phase 3 contact with phase 1 . the diagram shown below.
Phase to phase short circuit. Diagram.
Short circuit caused by phase and neutral:-this is caused by phase wire contact with neutral wire. .
Phase to neutral short circuit look diagram below.
i. Short circuit before switch
.
:-is the types of short where by phase wire contact with neutral before switch ON
Look the diagram below.
ii. Short circuit after switch.
Is the types of short which occur hwere phase wire contact with neutral wire after swich ON.
LOOK THE DIAGRAM BELLOW.
2. EARTH FAULTS:-Is the abnormal passage of current to general mass of the earth.
FAULTS: Is the abnormal action which occur in electrical circuits that can cause dangerous or
death.
Look the diagram bellow.
2. EARTH FAULTS.
An earth faults between a live conductor and earthed.
Metal work will have the same effect as a direct short circuit
To trace the faults its necessary to isolate the live conductor from the neutral by removing all
lamp etc and placing all switches in the ON Position
An insulation resistance (IR) tester is used to trace this
faults
DIAGRAM SHOWN EARTH FAURTS.
TYPES OF ELECTRICAL FAULTS.
[Link] CIRCUIT FAULTS:- The instrument used to locate this type of faults is
the continuity tester / ohmmeter. The used effect of these faults is that the appliance
or lamp in the circuit will not operate. The fault can be: -
A break in a wire
A very loose or disconnection terminal joints connection
A blow fuse
A faults switch blade contact
The fuse should always be investigated first. The rewireble type can be easily in respected
the cartridge type must be tested for continuity of the fuse element
Diagram bellow.
4 HIGH VALUE SERIES RESISTANCE FAULTS:
This type of faults is most difficult to trace it the usually means that a connection joints /
termination has become loose
The effect of this is invariably or a motor going very slowly and heating up
OR. ANOTHER DIAGRAM SHOWN HIGH VALUE SERIES RESISTANCE
FAULTS:
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