Earthing:

Earthing and its need

Earthing or grounding is the connection of the neutral point or non-current carrying metallic
parts of the electrical installation to the general mass of the earth. The immediate discharge
of electrical energy at all times takes place without any harm to the system, equipment, and
mankind also.
Electrical earthing is done by connecting the non-current carrying part of the equipment or
neutral of the supply system to the ground. Mostly galvanized iron is used for earthing. The
earthing provides the simple path to the leakage current. The short-circuit current of the equip-
ment passes to the earth, which has zero potential. Thus, it protects the system and equipment
from damage.

Necessity of Earthing:
➣ Secures the safety of humans from an excessive amount of electric shock.
➣ It guarantees the safety of electrical appliances and devices from excessive current.
➣ Provides safety from fire that may occur from the current leakage.
➣ It protects the appliances from high-voltage surges and lightning discharge.
➣ Earthing keeps constant voltage in healthy phase.
➣ It provides an alternating path for leakage of current.
➣ It protects the electric system and buildings from lightning.
➣ Earthing avoids the risk of fire in the electrical installation system.

Soil resistance and its measurement:

The measure of the resistance offered by the soil in the flow of electricity, is called the soil
resistivity. The resistivity of the soil depends on the various factors likes soil composition,
moisture, temperature, etc.
Generally, the soil is not homogeneous and their resistivity varies with the depth. The soil
having a low resistivity is good for designing the grounding system. The resistivity of the soil
is measured in ohmmeter or ohm-centimeters. The resistivity of the soil varies with the depth.
The lower layers of the soil have greater moisture content and lower resistivity. If the lower
layer contains hard and rocky layers, then their resistivity may increase with the depth.
The resistivity of the soil mainly depends on its temperature. When the temperature of the soil
is more than 0◦ , then its effect on soil resistivity is negligible. At 0◦ the water starts freezing
and resistivity increases. The magnitude of the current also affects the resistivity of the soil. If
the magnitude of current dissipated in the soil is high, it may cause significant drying of soil
and increase its resistivity.
The resistivity of the soil is usually measured by the four spike methods. In this method the four
spikes arranged in the straight line are driven into the soil at equal distance. Let us consider the
four spikes arranged in the straight line are driven into the soil at equal distance as below. A
known current is passed between electrode C1 and C2 and potential drop V is measured across
P1 and P2 . The current I developed an electric field which is proportional to current density and
soil resistivity. The voltage V is proportional to this field.

1
 The soil resistivity is proportional to the ra-
tio of the voltage V and current I and is given
as
Soil resistivity,
V
ρ=
I
4πSV
I
ρ= 2S 2S
1+ √ −√
S2 +4b2 S2 +4b2
where
ρ = soil resistivity in Ω-m,
S = horizontal distance between two spikes in
m,
b = depth of burial in m.
 
S
For b << S b ≈ 20 , ρ = 2πS VI = 2πSRg

Factors Affecting Earthing Resistance:

Earth resistance is defined as the resistance offered by the earth electrode to the flow of current
into the ground.
It is also known as resistance to earth or ground resistance. Earth resistance is an important pa-
rameter for designing and maintaining earthing systems, as it affects the safety and performance
of electrical installations.

Factors Affecting Earthing Resistance:

• Quality of electrode and earth electrode. • Moisture content in soil.

• Depth at which electrode is embedded.
• Quality of coal dust and charcoal used.
• Size and spacing of earth electrode.
• Temperature of soil. • Condition of soil.

Components must be Earthed:

• the frames, tanks and enclosures of • frame work of switch boards, control
electric machines, transformers, equip- panels,
ment’s • metal structures of indoor/outdoor sub-
station, cable sheaths, metal conduits,
• the operating mechanism of switch-gear, etc.

Types of Earthing:
The electrical equipment mainly consists of two non-current carrying parts. These parts are
neutral of the system or frame of the electrical equipment. From the earthing of these two
non-current carrying parts of the electrical system earthing can be classified into two types.

1. Equipment Earthing:
Intentional connection of non-current carrying metallic parts of electrical equipment’s to

2
 ground is called equipment earthing. Sometimes called safety earthing (or body earth-
ing), ensures personnel safety and protects against lightning. It helps in the earth faulty
protection. Earthed part remains at earth potential even during flow of fault current.
2. System Earthing:
Intentional connection of neutral points of star connected 3-phase windings of genera-
tors, transformers, motors to ground is called system earthing. The system earthing is
employed to restrict the voltage of line conductors with respect to the potential of the
ground mass of earth to a value consistent with the insulation level. System earthing en-
sures the system security and protection.
Neutral grounding can be broadly classified into two categories. one is effective ground-
ing (solid grounding) and the another is non-effective grounding.

When the neutral point of a 3-phase

system(generator, transformer) is directly
connected to the earth through a wire
of negligible resistance and reactance is
called solid grounding.
If phase to ground fault occurs in a phase
a, its phase voltage becomes zero. How-
ever, two healthy phase b and c has the
same voltage as before and, these healthy
phases continue to supply the fault current.

The fault current If is inductive in nature and the sum of currents (Ib + Ic ) is capacitive.
Thus, the capacitive current gets nullify with the inductive current and because of this no
arcing voltage and over-voltage condition occurs.
In solid grounding system, the fault current is limited by the system impedance. There-
fore, the solid grounding is used for voltage below or up to 33 kV that has sufficiently
large impedance.
For non-effective grounding of neutral, any one of the following methods can be used;
i. Resistance Grounding:
When the neutral of 3 phase system is connected to earth through a resistor it is
called resistance grounding. When it becomes necessary to limit the earth fault
current, a resistance grounding is used. A resistance is inserted between the neutral
and the earth to limit the current to a safe value. Value is so designed that the
ground fault current does not exceed the 3- phase short circuit current. Usually
employed for the system operating on voltages exceeding 3.3kV but not exceeding
33kV (capacitance relatively low).

3
ii. Reactance Grounding:

Reactance grounding means grounding

through impedance which is highly in-
ductive. A reactance is connected be-
tween the earth and neutral point. Ba-
sically, it may be used for grounding the
neutral of circuits where high charging
currents are involved such as transmis-
sion lines, underground cables etc. For
networks where capacitance is relatively
low, resistance grounding is preferred.

iii. Arc Suppression Grounding:

In this grounding an iron core tapped reactor is connected between neutral and the
earth. By a proper selection of value of inductance, the two current can be made
almost equal to that there is no current through the ground fault and there is no arc.
The combination of neutral reactor and line capacitance act as a parallel resonant
circuits.

from phasor diagram,

√
ICR = ICY = 3VP ωC
q
2 + I 2 + 2I I cos60 = 3V ωC


IC = ICR CY CR CY P

VP
But, IF = ωL
For balanced condition,

IC = IL
VP
= 3VP ωC
ωL
1
∴L=
(3ω 2C)

is the required value of inductance required to neutralized capacitive current.

4
Methods of Earthing Practices:
The most popular earthing methods are:

(a) Wire or strip Earthing:

Strip electrode of cross section not less than 25mm*1.6mm if of copper and 25mm*4mm
if of galvanized iron or steel are buried in horizontal trenches of min depth of 0.5m.
If round conductors are used than their cross-sectional area shall not be smaller than
3mm2 if of copper and 6mm2 if of galvanized iron or [Link] type of earthing is used
at a places which have rocky soil earth bed because at such places excavation work of bed
earthing is difficult.
(b) Rod Earthing:
12.5mm diameter solid rods of copper or 16mm dia. Solid rods of galvanized iron or steel
or hollow section 25mm GI pipes of length not less than 2.5m are driven vertically into
the earth. The pipe can be buried manually or using pneumatic hammer. This system is
suitable for areas which are sandy in character
(c) Pipe Earthing:
The dimension of the pipe is usually 40mm (1.5in) diameter and 2.5m (9ft) length for
ordinary soil and greater for dry and rocky soil as the soil resistivity is higher in such
cases. The pipe is provided with a tapered casting at lower end in order to faciliate the
driving. It is placed at depth of 3.75m minimum. The pipe at bottom is surrounded by
broken pieces of coke or charcoal for a distance of about 15 cm around the pipe. Another
pipe of 19mm diameter and minimum length of 1.25 m is connected at the top of GI pipe
through reducing socket. A concrete work is done at the top of 19mm pipe for water
arrangement in dry season.
(d) Plate Earthing:
An earth plate of either copper of 60cm*60*cm*3mm or of galvanized iron of dimension
60cm*60*cm*6mm is buried into the ground at about 3m depth. Another pipe of 19mm
diameter and minimum length of 1.25m is placed at the top of earth plate. The earth wire
(GI wire for GI plate and copper wire for copper plate) is bolted to an earth plate with the
help of bolt, nut and washer. Also, a cement work at the top of 19mm dia. Pipe is done
for the regular water arrangement in dry season.

5
Methods of Improving earth resistance:

• Soldering of nuts and bolts of 1:5 in earth pit

• Increasing area of plate • Installation of parallel rods
• Increasing depth of pit • By pouring salt water into the pit
• By mixing charcoal and salt in the ratio through pipes

Earth Resistance Meter and Use:

The Earth tester, also known as a ground resistance tester or earth resistance meter, is an essen-
tial instrument used to determine the ground resistance and earthing systems.
The key components include;

(i) Current Source:

Generates a controlled current to be injected into the ground.
(ii) Voltage Measurement Circuit:
Measures the potential difference between the ground electrodes.
(iii) Display Unit:
Shows the ground resistance value in ohms or other relevant units.
(iv) Controls and Settings:
Allow users to configure test parameters and select measurement modes.

The applications of earth tester are

6
 • Pad and Pole mounted transformers • Lightning protection
• Cell towers
• Street lights and street cabinets • Telephone pedestals

Working Principle of Earth tester:

Earth testers operate based on Ohm’s Law, where the measured ground resistance (R) is de-
termined by dividing the potential difference (V) by the injected current (I). The formula is
expressed as R = V/I. The tester automatically calculates the ground resistance based on these
principles.

A known value of current is injected in the

CE spike and Earth [Link] rods are placed in
such a distance that the potential rod, PE lies
at center of it. A potential difference is ob-
served between the Potential spike and Earth
[Link] Ohm’s law, the ground resistance
can be calculated as follows.
V
Rg =
I

Lightning and lightning rod installation:

Lightning is the huge spark of electrical discharge in the cloud, within the same cloud and
between the cloud and earth. Most lightning terminates on grounds and results serious haz-
ards. Charges are accumulated in clouds during thunder storm. Lightning discharge requires
the puncture of air between the clouds and earth. When the potential gradient exceeds critical
breakdown value, air surroundings gets ionized and hence lightning stroke occurs.
There are two ways in which the lightning hits power system: Direct stroke and indirect stroke.
If the lightning directly hits the electrical installation such a stroke is called direct stroke. A
very high voltage in the range of million volts appear in the line due to direct stroke which may
also damage the transmission line and insulators.
Indirect stroke results from the electrostatically induced charges on the conductors due to the
presence of charge [Link] cannot be prevented, it can only be diverted or intercepted
to a path if well designed and installed properly.
The fundamental theory of lightening protection of structure is to provide means by which a
discharge may enter or leave the earth without passing through path of high resistance. Such
condition is usually met by:
• Shelding the object to be protected
• Grounding or earthing of structure
Also, transmission line and some other electrical equipments are also protected by using surge
diverters or lightening arrestor.

Shielding:
To keep the stroke current away from the buildings and structures not even utilizing its metal
skin or frame as down conductor, a seperate diverter protection is employed. The diverter el-
ement consists of one or more masts, or one or more elevated wires suitably placed at the

7
top perimeter of the structures to be protected and connecting them by down conductors to
grounding electrodes. The mast or poles are to be atleast 10 feet away from the any part of the
structures. Also, elevated wire must remain above structures not less than 10 feet.
Shielding type of protection is almost common in transmission line through ground wire. Ground
wire is a conductor running parallel to phase conductor at the top of tower.

Lightning Arrestor:
A lightening arrestor or a surge diverter is a protective device, which conducts the high voltage
surges on the power system to the ground.
It protects electric/electronic components and equipment from electrical surges, particularly
those caused by lightning. The ground wires fail to provide protection against travelling waves
may reach the terminal apparatus. It provides protection against such surges. It is generally a
voltage operated device.

Points to remember:

• Lightning arrestor has two terminals. One end is connected to a phase conductor and the
other to ground.
• In three phase system, three lightning arresters are connected to each phase.
• The outer surface of LA is made from porcelain or polymer.
• LA is a protective device connected in parallel.
• The rating of lightning arrester is different for different voltage level.
√
Kv ∗ 2
LA rating = √
3

Types of Lightning arrester:

i Rod Gap Arrester:
It is very simple type of diverter and consists of
two 1.5cm rods bend at right angle with a gap in
between. The distance between gap and insula-
tor must not be less than one-third gap length so
that the arc may nor reach the insulator and gets
damaged.
Rods may melt or get damaged due to excessive
heat produced by the arc, climatic conditions af-
fects the performance of LA and the persistence
of arc after the surge is over are the limitations
of rod gap arrester.

ii Horn Gap Arrester:

It consists of two horns shaded piece of metal separated by a small air gap and connected
in shunt between each conductor and earth. The distance between the two electrodes is
such that the normal voltage between the line and earth is insufficient to jump the gap.
The reistance helps in limiting the current to small value and the choke is so design that
it offers small reactance at normal frequency and high reactance at transient frequency.

8
 iii Expulsive type arrester:
Also called as protector tube and operate up to 33kV. It consists of a rod gap in series
with a second gap enclosed with in fiber tube. Upper electrode is connected to rod gap
and lower to earth. On occurrence of over-voltage, arc is struck in tube that vaporizes the
fiber tube wall and produce neutral gas. A built-up pressure carries away ionized air .

iv Valve type arrester:

Basically, used in high voltages. It consists of series spark gap and non-linear resistor
Non linear resistor offer high resistance to a normal flow of current and low resistance to
high flow of surges.

Lightning rods are essential for protecting structures from lightning strikes by providing a safe
path for the electrical discharge to the ground.

Steps of Installation:
• Placement of Air Terminals:
Install lightning rods at the highest points of the structure, such as the roof ridge, chim-
neys, and other projections. The rods should be spaced according to the specific design
criteria, usually every 20-50 feet.
• Connection to Down Conductors:
Securely attach down conductors to the air terminals and run them along the exterior of the
building, minimizing bends and ensuring they follow a straight path to reduce resistance.
• Grounding:
Connect down conductors to ground electrodes. Ensure the grounding system has low
electrical resistance to effectively disperse the lightning strike into the ground.

9
Electrical Wiring Installation:
Electrical Workshop Tools:
Electrical workshop tools are tools used to work on electrical systems. These tools can include
hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments.

i Line tester:
Phase, electric mains or line tester is a basic tool which is used to test and identify Phase /
Live/ Hot or Positive (+) wire / conductor in electrical installation also known as voltage
or current detector. Phase or Line Tester is also called Neon Screw Driver or Test Pin.

ii Screwdriver:
A screwdriver is a tool, manual or powered, for screwing and unscrewing (inserting and
removing) screws. A typical simple screwdriver has a handle and a shaft, ending in a tip
the user puts into the screw head before turning the handle. Generally there are two types
of screw driver + and –

iii Combination Plier:

Combination pliers are multi-purpose pliers, combining gripping jaws with wire cutters.
They can be used for gripping, compressing, bending, twisting, extracting and cutting
various materials.

iv Wire Stripper:
A wire stripper is a portable handheld tool used by workers, especially electricians, for
removing the protective coating of an electric wire in order to replace or repair the wire.
It is also capable of stripping the end portions of an electric wire in orderto connect them
to other wires or to terminals. A wire stripper is often considered an important tool for
professional electricians and other related personnel.

v Multimeter:
A multimeter or a multitester, also known as a VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter), is an elec-
tronic measuring instrument that combines several measurement functions in one unit. A
typical multimeter can measure voltage, current, and resistance. There are two types of
multimeter namely analog multimeter and digital multimeter, these days digital multime-
ter are widely used.

vi Drill machine:
A drilling machine, called a drill press, is used to cut holes into or through metal, wood,
or other materials.

vii Fish tape:

It is a simple tool that electricians use to pull wire through electrical conduit. A fish tape
is long, thin, flat steel wire wound up inside a donut-shaped wheel with a sturdy handle.
Because it’s nearly impossible to push a wire through conduit, you must first "fish" the
tape through the conduit. At the other end, usually at an electrical box, you attach the
wires to the fish tape in order to pull them through the conduit. By the way, conduit
is metal or plastic pipe similar to plumbing pipe but used only for protecting electrical
wiring.

viii Hammer:
Hammer is a tool consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to
deliver an impact to a small area of an object.

10
 ix Crimping tool :
A crimping tool is a device used to conjoin two pieces of metal by deforming one or both
of them in a way that causes them to hold each other. The result of the tool’s work is
called a crimp.

x Nose Pliers:
It is a special type of pliers which can bend, cut and grip where fingers and other tools are
too big or clumsy.

Electrical Wiring, Methods and Types of Wiring:

Electrical wiring is the electrical power distribution through the wires in a perfect manner for
economic use of wiring conductors inside a room or building with better load control. It is a
crucial component of electrical systems, allowing for the distribution of electricity to various
devices, appliances, and equipment.
Key components of Wiring are;

• Conductors • Circuit breaker and protection devices

• Insulation • Connectors and terminals
• Cables

Methods of Wiring:
Electrical wiring can be done using two methods:

i Joint box system or Tee system:

In this method of wiring, connections to appli-

ances are made through joints. These joints are
made in joint boxes by means of suitable con-
nectors or joints cutouts. This method of wiring
doesn’t consume too much cables size. The
money saved from wires are used to buy joint
boxes. This method is suitable for temporary
installations and it is cheap.

ii Loop in system:

This method of wiring is universally used in

wiring. Lamps and other appliances are con-
nected in parallel so that each of the appliances
can be controlled individually.
The phase or line conductors are looped either
in switchboard or box and neutrals are looped
either in switchboard or from light or fan. Line
or phase should never be looped from light or
fan.

11
 Advantage:
Disadvantage:
• It doesn’t require joint boxes and so
money is saved. • Length of wire or cables required is more.
• In loop – in systems, no joint is concealed • voltage drop and copper losses are more.
beneath floors or in roof spaces. • Looping in switches and lamp holders is
• Fault location can easily detected and are usually difficult.
accessible.

Types of Electrical Wiring:

Electrical wiring is an electrical installation of cabling and associated devices such as switches,
distribution boards, sockets and light fittings in a structure. Wiring is subject to safety standards
for design and installation. Based on the application and the voltage level, electrical wiring is
of following types;

1. Residential wiring(House): 2. Industrial wiring:

Generally this type of wiring is Single This type of wiring is done in industrial
phase wiring. Typically involves 120V applications and it is Often more com-
and 240V circuits for lighting, outlets, plex, incorporating higher voltage sys-
and appliances. tems and specialized equipment. Basi-
cally, it involves three phase wiring.

In context of house wiring casing capping wiring and conduit wiring are mostly used in
Nepal.
a Casing Capping wiring:
In this wiring, wires are carried from one place to other through the casing and then
capping is done over casing. The lower part is called casing and the upper part is called
Capping. Casing-Capping is also further divided into two types:
• Wooden Casing-Capping
• PVC Casing-Capping
Nowadays, PVC casing-capping is being mostly used. In this wiring, at first, a diagram
is made by drawing lines on places where wires are needed to be placed. Then Casing is
screwed over those lines and capping is done after placing wires in the casing.

b Conduit Wiring System:

In this, wires are carried from one place to other through pipes called as [Link]
are two additional types of conduit wiring according to pipe installation.

12
 • Surface Conduit Wiring:
If conduit is installed on roof or wall, it is known as surface conduit wiring. In
this wiring method, they make holes on the surface of wall on equal distances and
conduit is installed then with the help of rawal plugs.
• Concealed Conduit Wiring:
If the conduits are hidden inside the wall slots with the help of plastering, it is called
concealed conduit wiring. In other words, the electrical wiring system inside wall,
roof or floor with the help of plastic or metallic piping is called concealed conduit
wiring. It is the most popular, beautiful, stronger and common electrical wiring sys-
tem nowadays.
The common conduit pipes are available in different sizes genially, 13, 16.2, 18.75,20,
25, 37, 50, and 63 mm (diameter) or 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 1, 1.25, 1.5, and 2 inch in diameter.

Types of Conduits:
Following conduits are used in the conduit wiring systems (both concealed and surface
conduit wiring);

i Metallic Conduit:
Metallic conduits are made of steel which are very strong but costly as well. There
are two types of metallic conduits.
Class A Conduit: Low gauge conduit (Thin layer steel sheet conduit)
Class B Conduit: High gauge conduit (Thick sheet of steel conduit)
ii Non-metallic Conduit:
A solid PVC conduit is used as non-metallic conduit now a days, which is flexible
and easy to bend.

c Cleat Wiring:
This wiring consists of ordinary VIR or PVC insulated wires and is braided and com-
pounded on walls and ceilings by means of porcelain cleats, wood, or [Link] is a kind
of temporary system and is not suitable for domestic usage.
d Batten Wiring:
This kind of wiring uses single-core, double core, and three core TRS cables. (tyre rubber
sheath). These cables can be steam proof, chemical proof, and waterproof. It is cheap
compared to any other electrical wiring system in an electric circuit.

13
Wiring Accessories:
Wiring accessories are used for connecting appliances. Commonly used wiring accessories are;
(i). Switch:
An electrical switch is any device used to interrupt the flow of electrons in a circuit.
Switches are essentially binary devices: they are either completely on (“closed”) or com-
pletely off (“open”). So switch is the controlling device which is used to break or close
the circuit and it is made up of plastic or other insulated substance. But the terminal point
is made up of metal such as steel copper alloys etc. They are rated in terms of current or
voltage. In residential house normally 6A/230V rated switch is used. Followings are the
different types of switches;

(ii). Socket:
Socket is an electrical accessory where plugs and pins are placed into room so it is device
on a wall where you can plug electrical equipment into the electricity supply. Generally
there are two types of sockets namely lighting socket or normal socket and power socket.

• Normal socket/Lighting socket:

They are used for low power applications
for example- lighting and fan socket. The
current rating of this socket is 6A.
• Power socket:
They are used for high power applications
for example-Iron, washing machine heater,
rice cooker etc. The current rating of this
socket is 16A or 10A.

(iii). Socket and Switch box:

It is a square or rectangular box made up of wood, PVC or metal for fixing the socket or
switch to protect from the electric shock and for their good look.
(iv). Lamp or Electric light : An electric light is a device that produces visible light from
electric current. In technical usage, a replaceable component that produces light from
electricity is called a lamp. Lamps are commonly called light bulbs; for example, the in-
candescent light bulb. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass or plastic,

14
 which secures the lamp in the socket of a light fixture.
Incandescent Lamp:
An incandescent bulb typically consists of a glass enclosure containing a tungsten fila-
ment. An electric current passes through the filament, heating it to a temperature that
produces light. The enclosing glass enclosure contains either a vacuum or an inert gas to
preserve and protect the filament from evaporating.
Fluorescent Lamp:
Fluorescent lamps or tubelight work by ionizing mercury vapor in a glass tube. This
causes electrons in the gas to emit photons at UV frequencies. The UV light is converted
into standard visible light using a phosphor coating on the inside of the tube.t. Choke
regulates the power to electrodes that work to ignite the inert gas in [Link] is used to
provide an initial high current to filament for very short period of time in order to ionize
the gas.
LED Lamps:
LED lamp consists of LEDs arranged inside a diffusing glass so working of lamp is sim-
ilar to single led. A light-emitting diode is a two-lead semiconductor light source. It is a
p–n junction diode that emits light when activated. When a suitable voltage is applied to
the leads, electrons are able to recombine with holes within the device, releasing energy
in the form of photons.

(v). Lamp Holder:

A lightbulb socket, light socket, lamp socket or lamp holder is a device which mechani-
cally supports and provides electrical connections for a compatible electric lamp. Sockets
allow lamps to be safely and conveniently replaced. There are various types of lamp hold-
ers available in market, most common holders are;
Batten Lamp Holder, Pendant Lamp Holder, Angle Lamp Holder, Push-Pull Lamp Holder,Bracket
Lamp Holder etc.
(vi). Distribution Board:
A distribution board is a component of an electricity supply system that divides an electri-
cal power feed into subsidiary circuits, while providing a protective fuse or circuit breaker
for each circuit in a common enclosure.
(vii). Junction Box:
An electrical junction box is an enclosure housing electrical connections, to protect the

15
 connections and provide a safety barrier. It is used for connecting number of wires and
taking out branches line. It is made up of wood, plastic, metal etc. which has a cover.

(viii). Ceiling rose:

It is a circular device that conceals and comprises the wiring box for an overhead light
fitting. Generally one live wire is spread across the house to minimize cost and risk(more
joints more prone to accidents). Ceiling rose helps in that one live wire that is needed for
ceiling light or fan to go in continuation.

(ix). Plugs:
They are those electrical accessories which connect the load to the socket. There are two
pin/5A, 3pin/15A or even more rating plug.

(x). Iron clad main switch:

An iron-clad main switch is a metal case switch that contains fuses and is used to control
the whole supply for a house, office and machine.
In single-phase circuit ICDP(iron cad double pole) main switches are used,whereas in
three-phase circuits ICTP(iron cad triple pole) main switches are used to control the sup-
ply.
I.C.D.P. Switch: Iron Clad Double Pole main switch is used in single-phase supply cir-
cuits. These are available in 15 Amp, 30 Amp, 60 Amps and 100 amperes current rating.
In these switches, either two numbers of fuse links are provided or a fuse link and a neu-
tral link is provided. The neutral wire is directly connected with the neutral link and phase
wire is connected with the fuse link.
I.C.T.P. Switch:Iron Clad Triple Pole main switches are used to control the three phase
supply circuit. These are available in 15 Amp, 30 Amp, 60 Amp,100 Amp, 150 Amp and
250 Amps current rating. Generally these switches are also known as 3 phase 4 wires
main switches. In these switches, three fuses and a neutral link is available. The neutral
wire is directly connected with the neutral link and phase wires are connected with these
fuse links.

Ceiling Rose

Iron cad switch

Introduction to Protective Devices:

The devices which are employed in electrical circuit to protect electrical circuit from flow of ex-
cessive current in case of overload and short circuits are called as protective devices in electrical
engineering. For example- fuse, mcb, mccb, circuit breakers etc

16
Necessity of Protective devices:
The main objective of using protective devices is to detach the faulty section from the system to
make the rest of the portion work without any disturbance. In addition, it is used for protection
of power system and prevents the flow of fault current. It can help in preventing the continuation
of flow by quickly disconnecting the short circuit. So long as the fault remains connected, the
whole system may be in danger from the customers view point as well as from supply authority.
Role of Protective Devices:

• To protect the electrical equipment and system from danger.

• To reduce the damage to the devices connected in the system as well as safeguard human
life too from electrocution or fire due to high current flow in case of fault.
• To maintain continuity of service.
• To give an alarm or signal when fault occurs on the system and protect them from over
voltage or current.
• To disconnect or isolate the faulty section from the system without any delay.

Fuse:
A fuse is an electrical safety device that operates to provide over-current protection of an elec-
trical circuit. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current
flows through it, thereby interrupting the current. It is a sacrificial device; once a fuse has oper-
ated it is an open circuit, and it must be replaced or rewired, depending on type.
Fuse Element: The part which actually melts and opens the circuit is known as fuse ele-
[Link] materials used for fuse element must be of low melting point, low ohmic loss, high
conductivity or low resistivity, low cost and free from deterioration. Silver Lead, Tin aluminum
and alloys are commonly used as fuse element.
Current Rating of fuse: It is defined as the rms value of the current which the fuse wire can
carry continuously without deterioration and with temperature rise within the limit.
Fusing Current: It is defined as the minimum value of current at which the fuse element or
fuse wire melts. Obviously its value is more than current rating of fuse.
Fusing factor:It is the ratio of minimum fusing current and current rating of fuse. Its value is
always greater than 1 (1.9 to 2.0)

Types of Fuse:
i Rewirable fuse:
Rewirable fuse is also known as kitkat fuse. It is a simple reusable, fully enclosed and
is available in a wide range of ratings. The fuse when blown out can be reused after
replacing the fuse element and the circuit can be restored quickly and easily. Renewable
fuses are simple in construction and operation but less reliable.
Renewable fuse consists of a base and a separate fuse element carrier made of porcelain.
The base consists of two terminals one for incoming supply and the other for the outgoing
supply. Similarly fuse carrier also contains two terminals between which fuse element is
[Link] circuit will be closes only if the fuse carrier is inserted into the base and
the fuse element is continuous.
The working principle of rewirable fuses is very simple. Whenever the current exceeds
the predefined value, the flow of current heats the coil and melts it and the fuse is blown
out. Thus the circuit is interrupted.

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 ii Non-rewirable fuse( cartridge fuse):
High rupturing capacity (HRC) fuses are totally enclosed fuses with definitely known,
high breaking capacities which have been developed after intensive research by manufac-
turers and supply engineers.
An HRC fuse is a type of cartridge fuse, in which the fuse element is enclosed within a
transparent capsule, usually made up of steatite–a ceramic material having good mechan-
ical strength. The capsule is provided with two end caps. The fuse element is connected
between end caps within the body.

Rewireable fuse
HRC fuse

MCB: Miniature circuit breaker

It is a protective device which automatically switches off the electrical circuit during abnormal
condition of the network means in over load condition as well as faulty condition. The fuse
does not sense but miniature circuit breaker does it in more reliable way. MCB is much more
sensitive to over current than [Link] rated current is not more than 100A. These are obtainable
in different pole versions like single, double, triple pole & four poles with neutral poles if
necessary.

MCCB (Molded case circuit breaker)

The MCCB is used to control electric energy in distribution n/k and is having short circuit and
overload protection. This circuit breaker is an electromechanical device which guards a circuit
from short circuit and over current. It offers short circuit and over current protection for circuits
ranges from 63 Amps-3000 Amps. The primary functions of MCCB are to give a means to
manually open a circuit, automatically open a circuit under short circuit or overload conditions.
The range of rated current is up to 1000 amperes. Their trip can be adjusted.

Do-fuse (Drop out fuse)

DO Fuse / Drop Out Fuse is an essential unit in high voltage out door overhead power transmis-
sion line and which is mainly used to automatically disconnect the power between transmission
line and transformer in case of sudden overload. Basically DO is dropout fuse the two ends
(contacts) of the fuse connected by a spring. If fault occurs and current value crosses the cut off
factor fuse contacts (spring) will get released avoiding any problem to the line.

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