MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

GOVERNMENT POLYTECHNIC AHMEDNAGAR

(DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING)
ACADEMIC YEAR 2023-2024

MICROPROJECT REPORT
DISMENTLE OF MCCB AND IDENTIFY ITS VARIOUS PARTS

UNDER GUIDENCE
Mr. G.M. Barbade
(Lecturer – Electrical engineering Dept.)
Submitted By

Roll No. Name Enrollment No.

15 Kothimbire Shreyash 2101300272
Arvind
16 Lahade Nandan Milind 2101300274
25 Varma Abhishek Anil 2101300304
29 Nanaware Om Ganesh 2201300616
 MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

CERTIFICATE
This is certifying that the students 1. NANDAN MILIND LAHADE 2. OM
GANESH NANAWARE 3. ABHISHEK ANIL VERMA 4. SHREYASH
ARVIND KOTHIMBIRE had carried out the Microproject work for the
course SWITHCHGEAR AND PROTECTION (COURSE CODE: - 22524) on
topic entitled
" DISMENTLE OF MCCB AND IDENTIFY ITS VARIOUS PARTS”
the micro project work is here by accepted for the Partial fulfilment towards
completion of Diploma in Electrical Engineering Program for academic year
2023-24 from Government Polytechnic, Ahmednagar (Institute code 0130).

Mr. G.M. BARBADE Dr. B.C. KHARBAS Prof. B.M. KARDILE

PROJECT GUIDE HOD- ELECTRICAL Dept. PRINCIPAL
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The success and final outcome of this micro project is

required a lot of guidance And Assistance from many
mentors, and we are extremely privileged to have this in
The Completion of our work. We have completed our
work, only due to such dedicate Supervision and
inspiration. We express our extremely thanks to our
respected Guide, Dr. B.C. Kharbas head of Electrical
Engineering Department for the same. he Always
Uses to supervise and guide on topic of our micro project.
She helped in Completion Of our work by providing all the
necessary information, knowledge and Methodologies for
developing a good system. Our he always provided us
nice support and enabled us to work and explained us by
saying work is worship instead of busy Schedule in
managing the departmental administrative activities and
corporate Affairs.

It would be incomplete assignment if we would not

mention and remembered our Respected Prof.B.M.
KARDILE Principal Government Polytechnic
Ahmednagar, who is constant Source of inspiration and
always use to give encouragement in our Project work,
Academic work and extra-curricular work. He always uses
to give us Timely support and help till the completion of
our work.

We are enough fortunate to give thanks to all faculty

members, laboratory our student friends of Electrical
Engineering Department and other Supporting staff of
Government Polytechnic Ahmednagar, for their support,
help Encouragement directly or indirectly

[Link] is MCCB?
Molded Case Circuit Breaker or MCCB is an automatic electrical device. It is a type of
circuit breaker that protects the circuit from overloading, short circuit and current surges.
It is an advanced version of miniature circuit breaker MCB since it operates like one.
However, it offers extra features that make it a superior circuit breaker such as remote
closing and adjustable trip settings i.e. its current settings and time settings can be
adjusted according to our needs.

MCCB is used to protect the low voltage distribution system. It is available in rating up
to 2500 Amps and 1.1 kV.

[Link] Principle of MCCB

 An MCCB protects a circuit from fault current. It uses thermal and magnetic
mechanisms to break those fault currents. The thermal mechanism is used for overload
protection while the magnetic mechanism is used for short circuit protection

[Link] of Molded Case Circuit Breaker

An MCCB is made from the following main parts each one explained in detail
1. Arc chute
2. Contacts
3. Operating mechanism
4. Terminal Connector
5. Thermal Trip Unit
6. Magnetic Trip Unit
7. Handle / Trip-free Mechanism
8. Trip Button
 1. Arc Extinguishing Device
The arc extinguisher is a specialized device that’s found on high-current MCCBs and Air
Circuit Breakers. When a loaded electrical circuit is interrupted at a switch such as a
MCCB, an electric arc is generated between the disconnected contacts. This is very
common when interrupting highly inductive loads.
This electrical arc can ionize the air around it and can cause fire hazards and
sometimes even personnel injury. This affects the material integrity of the contacts and
the housing.
Arc extinguishing chamber plays a major role in terms of extinguishing such arcs. This
consists of multiple air-gapped insulator plates that can be made of metallic or non-
metallic materials. When the main contact opens, a blow of air blows the arc upwards
and into the arc chute to increase the arc resistance and extinguish it rapidly.

[Link] Case
The MCCB get their name from the outer construction of the unit. This is generally a
glass fiber reinforced, polymer-based housing. It has two parts and riveted together to
form the internal contact housing.

[Link], Thermal Overload Tripping Device with External

Handle
The switching action is done by a spring loaded mechanism. This allows either manual
or electrical operation. When the switch is set to one position, the mechanism locks the
switch into a closed position.
There is a thermal release and an overcurrent release coil placed in series with the
main circuit. The undervoltage release is in parallel with the power supply. Similar to an
MCB, the tripping mechanism consists of a bimetallic strip which expands as current
flows through it. When the threshold is exceeded, it trips the tripping mechanism which
releases the mechanical latch to break the contact.

[Link]
Contacts are the metallic conductors that are responsible for carrying the current to the
load. There are two types of contacts i.e. fixed and moving contact. The contacts are
made of arc resistance material having low resistivity and corrosion. The quality of the
material decides the lifetime of the circuit breaker.

[Link] Mechanism
It is the mechanism of MCCB responsible for opening and closing the current-carrying
contacts. it is connected with trip unit that triggers the operating mechanism. The trip
unit operates on a thermal and magnetic mechanism.
[Link] Connector
The terminal connectors are used to connect the MCCB to the external circuit. The
upper terminals are connected to the output/load while the bottom terminals are
connected to the input/supply. Although they are bidirectional, the input and output
designation is due to their physical installation

[Link] Unit
It is the unit responsible to trigger the operating mechanism. The trip unit includes a
thermal mechanism for overload, magnetic tripping for short circuits and a test button for
testing
.
[Link] Trip Unit
The thermal trip unit uses a thermal mechanism that is a bimetallic strip that bends (and
opens the contacts) when the temperature rises due to the overloading.

[Link] Trip Unit

The magnetic trip unit has a relay that generates a magnetic field when higher currents
flow through its solenoid due to the short circuit. it trips the circuit breaker. While the test
button is used to simulate the above-said mechanisms and test the response of the
circuit breaker.

[Link] / Trip-free Mechanism

It is a handle used to open or close the breaker manually. It is also known as a trip-free
mechanism because it will trip even if the handle is held in ON position.
The handle could be in either three positions i.e. upward, middle or downward. If the
handle is in upward position, it is ON position. If it is in the middle position, the breaker
has been tripped while the downward position shows OFF status.

[Link] Button
The trip button is used for testing the breaker. It is a red-colored button that trips the
operating mechanism when pushed.
[Link] of MCCB
MCCB as it is an electrical protection device has the following functions

[Link] against Overloading

Overloading is the condition when the current exceeds a predetermined limit for a
specific duration of time. The overloading current can damage the
equipment, wirings and can create fire hazards. MCCB offers protection against
overloading using a bimetallic strip

[Link] against Short Circuit

A short circuit is a condition when the live wire comes into contact with each other or
with a neutral wire. It can occur due to downed lines or broken or exposed wires or
deteriorated insulation of wires. The current flow due to the short circuit is very large
and very destructive.
Short circuit current must be interrupted in the shortest period of time. MCCB can trip
short circuit current up 200k amps in the duration of 0.04 seconds.

[Link] Switching
The MCCB can also perform manual switching to switch ON/OFF the power supply to
the circuit connected. It can de-energize the circuit in case of maintenance.

[Link] Protection
 Overload occurs when the current exceeds a limit for a prolonged duration.
MCCB has a thermal mechanism that contains a bimetallic contact to protect from
overload. A bimetallic strip is made from two different types of metal having different
rates of thermal expansion. Upon temperature change, the strip bends or contracts.
The main current passes through the bimetallic strip. If the current exceeds a certain
limit, the contacts heat up and expand. Due to different expansion rates, the strip bends
and trips the circuit.
In electrical devices, the current can overload for short durations of time, it is
normal and should not be considered as fault current. Therefore, MCCB has a time
delay that allows the overload current for a short duration of time before tripping the
circuit.

[Link] Circuit Protection

MCCB protects against a short circuits using a solenoid that produces
electromagnetic force. The main current flows through the solenoid that attracts and
repels a plunger responsible for tripping the breaker.
If the current remains below the threshold, the solenoid produces a weak
magnetic force that cannot attract the plunger. In short circuit conditions, a very high
current flows through the solenoid that generates a very strong magnetic force. It
attracts the plunger that trips the circuit.

[Link] the MCCB

MCCBs in an electrical circuit should be sized according to the circuit’s expected
operating current and possible fault currents. The three main criteria while selecting
MCCBs are:

 The rated working voltage (Ue) of the MCCB should be similar to the system
voltage.
 The trip value of the MCCB should be adjusted according to the current drawn by
the load.
 The breaking capacity of the MCCB must be higher than the theoretical possible
fault currents.

Type of Operating Operating Application Suitability Surge Installation Lo

MCCB Current Time
 Current

Type B Trips 0.04-13 Domestic Resistive load Low Sub feeder of D

between 3 seconds applications application
and 5 times (lighting and
rated resistive
current (In) elements)

Type C Trips 0.04-5 Commercial or Inductive load Moderat At incoming/ou

between 5 seconds industrial applications e Board
and 10 applications
times rated
current (In)

Type D Trips 0.04-3 Commercial or Inductive – High At incoming of

between 10 seconds industrial capacitive Board/Panels
and 20 applications load
times rated applications
current (In) (Pumps,
motor, large
winding
motors etc.)

Type K Trips 0.04-5 Industrial Inductive and High At incoming of

between8 seconds applications motor loads Board/Panels
and 12 with high
times rated inrush
current (In) currents.

Type Z Trips 0.04-5 Highly sensitive Medical Very low At sub feeder o
between 2 seconds to short circuit instruments IT equipment.
and 3 times and are used
rated for protection of
current (In) highly sensitive
devices such
as
semiconductor
devices

[Link] of MCCB
 Figure 1: Trip curve of type B, C, and D MCCBs

[Link] of MCCB
The MCCB testing is crucial to see if it is operating as it is
supposed to, using the following tests.

[Link] Resistance : This test shows the level of insulation between the supply,
load and between individual phases. In order to perform this test, the MCCB is
disconnected and the measurement is taken. The resistance measure must be higher
than the manufacturer’s guide to offer the necessary protection.

[Link] Resistance Test: This test shows the resistance between the main
contacts. It is also known as the millivolt drop test. The MCCB is supposed to carry
current even if the voltage is very low. In order to do that, it needs to have very low
contact resistance thus having a very low voltage drop.

[Link] Test: These tests are used to simulate how the MCCB responds to fault
conditions. They must be performed last as these tests heat up the MCCB.
[Link] Protection Test: This test shows protection against overload conditions.
An overcurrent almost 3 to 4 times the rated current is used to simulate a thermal test. If
it does not trip, then it cannot provide thermal protection.

[Link] Protection Test: This test simulates the protection against short circuit or
fault current. A solenoid is used to generate the necessary magnetic field for tripping the
breaker. A very high current spike is used for a short period of time.

[Link] of MCCB
The MCCB is a reliable electrical protection device that
requires very little maintenance as it is enclosed in a molded casing and cannot be
opened. However, periodic maintenance is required to ensure reliable protection by
performing the tests mentioned above as well as visual inspection and cleaning, etc.

1. Visual Inspection
During the visual inspection of a MCCB, it is important to look out for deformed contacts
or cracks in casing or insulation. Any burn marks on contact or casing should be treated
with caution.

2. Lubrication
Some MCCBs require adequate lubrication to ensure the smooth operation of the
manual disconnection switch and internal moving parts.

3. Cleaning
The dirt deposits on MCCBs can deteriorate the MCCB components. If the dirt includes
any conducting material it may create a path for current and cause an internal fault.
 [Link] and Disadvantages of MCCB

Advantages
 MCCB has an adjustable trip setting that allows it to be used for low as well as large
currents
 It can handle a very large current.
 It can instantly interrupt very large currents.
 It has a movable trip unit.
 It has a very small tripping time thus fast switching during fault current.
 It also offers a remote ON/OFF feature.
 It has a compact design and takes less space.

Disadvantages
 MCCB is not suitable for high voltage applications.
 They are not suitable for domestic applications.
 Higher cost than miniature circuit breakers and fuses
 Susceptible to dust and corrosion
 Not suitable for high voltages

[Link] of MCCBs
1. Current rating: MCCBs are designed for higher currents, typically 10A-2500A. This is
generally the most important factor to consider when choosing an MCCB for the
application..
2. Breaking capacity: This is the ability of an MCCB to interrupt a circuit during a fault,
specified in kA. This is the maximum amount of current the device can safely interrupt
before damage occurs internally to the device.
3. Tripping characteristics: MCCBs feature adjustable tripping characteristics allowing
for customization of the device’s response to overload conditions.

[Link] of MCCBs
Since MCCB can handle very high currents, they are used for heavy-duty applications
such as in industries.
 Adjustable Trip Settings: MCCB is superior to MCB and has more application due
to its higher current handling and adjustable trip setting capabilities. It makes it
versatile to be used for high as well as low current settings.
 Motor Protection: MCCB is used in industries to protect large electrical motors from
overloading. It offers adjustable trip settings to tolerate the high inrush current with
necessary delay.
 Welding Machine Protection: Welding machines draw a very large amount of
current that an MCB cannot handle. Therefore, MCCB is used for welding machines.
 Electric Feeders Protection: Due to its adjustable setting and high current handling,
it is used in electric feeders to distribute power because it carries hundreds of amps
that a normal MCB cannot handle.
 Generator Protection: They are also used for protection of large generator that
generates hundreds of amps.
 Capacitor Bank Protection: Capacitor bank is used for power factor correction.
MCCB is also used for its protection against high currents.

Conclusion
The correct selection of MCCBs for the required application is key to providing adequate
protection in sites with high power equipment. It is also important to carry out
maintenance actions at regular intervals and each time after trip mechanisms have
been activated to ensure the safety of the site is maintained.