Exam Style Note: Protective Devices — Circuit
Breaker, Fuse, MCB, Arc, Relay
Based on the lecture Power System 4 on protective devices, fuses, circuit breakers, MCB
operation, tripping curve, and relay-controlled CB operation.
1. Difference between Circuit Breaker and Fuse
Basis Fuse Circuit Breaker
Definition A fuse is a short wire or A circuit breaker is an
thin metal strip that melts
automatically operated electrical
when excessive current switch used to protect a circuit
flows for sufficient [Link] overload or short-circuit
current.
Position Connected in series with Connected in series with the
in circuit the protected circuit. protected circuit.
Operation The fuse element heats up The trip mechanism opens the
and melts due to contacts when a fault is
excessive current. detected.
Reusabilit One-time device. After Reusable. It can be reset
y operation, it must be manually or automatically.
replaced.
Function Performs both detection Usually fault is detected by
and interruption by relay/tripping mechanism, and
melting. CB interrupts the circuit.
Speed Fast for short circuit, Fast and more controllable;
depending on fuse rating. suitable for repeated operation.
Arc Limited arc control. Has arc extinguishing
control arrangement using air, oil,
vacuum, SF₆, etc.
Cost Cheaper. Costlier than fuse.
Applicatio Simple low-cost Domestic, commercial, industrial,
n protection. and power system protection.
Conclusion: Fuse is simple and cheap but must be replaced after operation. Circuit breaker is
more advanced because it can automatically interrupt fault current and can be reset for further
use.
5. Classification of Low Voltage Circuit Breaker
Low voltage circuit breakers are mainly classified into the following types:
1. Miniature Circuit Breaker, MCB
MCB is used for low-current applications, usually below 100 A. It is commonly used in domestic
and small commercial circuits.
2. Molded Case Circuit Breaker, MCCB
MCCB is used when the current rating is higher than MCB. It can handle current above 100 A
and up to about 2500 A. It is used in commercial and industrial applications.
3. Residual Current Circuit Breaker, RCCB / RCD
RCCB is used for protection against earth leakage current. It protects human beings from electric
shock and helps prevent fire due to leakage current.
6. Working Principle of MCB
MCB means Miniature Circuit Breaker. It protects a circuit from overload and short-circuit
current. It can also be used as a manual ON/OFF switch.
Main parts of MCB:
1. Fixed contact
2. Moving contact
3. Operating handle
4. Bimetallic strip
5. Solenoid coil
6. Trip bar / latch mechanism
7. Arc chamber / arc chute
8. Terminals
A. Overload Protection — Thermal Trip
Overload means current is higher than normal value for a longer time. Inside the MCB, there is a
bimetallic strip, made of two metals with different expansion rates. When overload current
flows, the bimetallic strip heats up and bends. This bending releases the latch mechanism, and
the contacts open. Thus the circuit is disconnected.
B. Short-Circuit Protection — Magnetic Trip
During a short circuit, current increases suddenly to a very high value. The solenoid coil inside
the MCB produces a strong magnetic field. This magnetic force pulls a plunger or armature,
which trips the latch immediately. As a result, the contacts separate very quickly and the circuit
is broken almost instantly.
C. Manual Switching
The MCB handle allows manual ON/OFF operation like a normal switch. But unlike a normal
switch, it automatically trips under fault conditions.
D. Arc Quenching in MCB
When the contacts separate, an arc is formed. MCB has an arc chamber with splitter plates.
These plates divide the arc into smaller parts, cool it, and finally extinguish it. This prevents
contact damage and increases safety. Arc quenching is not a separate reason for tripping; it is the
process that safely completes current interruption after tripping.
7. Circuit Breaker Tripping Curve
A circuit breaker tripping curve is a graphical representation of the trip characteristics of a circuit
breaker. It shows the relationship between:
Current flowing through the circuit breaker
and
Time taken by the circuit breaker to trip
Usually, the horizontal axis represents current, often as a multiple of rated current, and the
vertical axis represents tripping time.
Main parts of CB tripping curve
1. Upper portion — Thermal response
The upper portion of the curve shows the thermal response of the breaker. This region is related
to overload protection. For a small overload, the breaker takes more time to trip. For a higher
overload, the breaker trips faster. This is called inverse time characteristic.
2. Lower portion — Short-circuit response
The lower portion of the curve shows the short-circuit response. In this region, the current is very
high, so the magnetic trip operates almost instantly. Therefore, the breaker trips in a very short
time.
Importance of tripping curve:
1. It shows how fast the CB will operate for different fault currents.
2. It helps in selecting the correct circuit breaker.
3. It helps to coordinate protection between different breakers.
4. It prevents unnecessary tripping during small temporary overloads.
8. Relay Operating Principle
Circuit Breaker Controlled by a Relay Circuit
In a power system, the relay detects the fault, and the circuit breaker interrupts the faulty circuit.
The relay-controlled circuit breaker system has three main parts:
1. Primary winding of Current Transformer, CT
The CT primary is connected in series with the protected line. Sometimes the main
conductor itself acts as the primary winding.
2. Secondary circuit of CT
The CT secondary is connected to the relay operating coil.
3. Tripping circuit
This circuit contains a source of supply, the trip coil of the circuit breaker, and the relay
contacts.
Working under normal condition
Under normal condition, the circuit breaker contacts remain closed and carry full-load current.
The current in the CT primary is normal. Therefore, the induced e.m.f. in the CT secondary is not
enough to operate the relay. So the relay does not energize the trip coil, and the CB remains
closed.
Working under fault condition
When a fault occurs, a large overcurrent flows through the CT primary. Due to this high current,
the secondary e.m.f. of the CT increases. This energizes the relay coil. The relay contacts operate
and complete the trip circuit. Then the trip coil of the circuit breaker becomes energized. The
moving contact of the CB is pulled away from the fixed contact, and the circuit opens.
During opening, an arc is produced between the contacts. This arc is quenched by the insulating
medium, such as oil, air, vacuum, or SF₆. The important point is: relay detects the fault, but
the circuit breaker performs the actual interruption of current.
Simple block diagram
Protected Line
│
├── CT Primary ───────────── Circuit Breaker Contacts ───── Load
│
CT Secondary
│
Relay Operating Coil
│
Relay Contact ─── Trip Coil of CB ─── DC/AC Supply
│
CB Contacts Open