RELAYS

Contents

SR Topic Name Page No

NO
1 Introduction of Relay 2
2 Construction of Relay 2
3 Working of Relay 3
4 Understanding NO & NC Contacts 4
5 Selection Criteria of Relay 4
6 Schematic Representation of Relay 5
7 Types of Relay 7
8 Introduction of Contactors 8
9 Use and Working of Contactors 9
10 Relay Vs. Contactor 12
11 Introduction of Time Delay Relay (Timers) 13
12 Modes of Operation 14
13 Introduction of Overload Relay 18

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INTRODUCTION OF RELAY
Any system is kind of like unpredictable. How, when and where a fault or an
unwanted activity will occur is a question unanswered. Though we can’t prevent
completely a fault or sudden disturbance happening, we surely can protect our
system from the unwanted behaviour and the most important part played is by a
“RELAY”. A relay is an electrically operated switch. They open or close a circuit
as and when required.
Relays are simple switches which are operated both electrically and mechanically.
Relays consist of an electromagnet and also a set of contacts. The switching
mechanism is carried out with the help of the electromagnet. There are also other
operating principles for its working. But they differ according to their applications.
Relays are extremely useful when we have a need to control a large current or
voltage with a small electrical signal.

CONSTRUCTION OF RELAY
It consists of a coil wounded over a soft iron core which forms an electromagnet.
There are contacts named normally open (NO) (whose default position is open),
normally closed (NC) (whose default position is close) and a common contact, thus
forming a double throw single pole switch.
This common contact has the power applied to it, if the common contact is on NC
contact, current flows through NC, and if common contact is on NO contact,
current flows through that.
Under normal operating conditions, the common contact or the pole is resting on

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the NC contact, or you can say, common contact’s default position is on NC
contact. The NC and NO are fixed while the common is a moving contact.
All the contacts are held in their place with the help of a control spring which
prevents mal-operation of the device. A pivot is provided which carries out the
necessary opening and closing of the relay.
An air gap is provided in between the pivot and the electromagnet to keep the
contacts in place when the relay is de-energised.

WORKING OF RELAY
The armature is hinged to the yoke and mechanically linked to one or more sets of
moving contacts.
It is held in place by a spring so that when the relay is de-energized, an air gap
occurs in the magnetic circuit. In this condition one of the two sets of the contacts
in a relay pictured is closed, and the other set is open
When electric current is passed through the coil it generates a magnetic field that
activates the armature, and the consequent movement of the movable contact either
makes or breaks a connection with a fixed contact
If the set of contacts was closed when the relay was de-energized, then the
movement opens the contacts and breaks the connection

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When the current to the coil is switched off, the armature is returned by a force,
approximately half as strong as magnetic force, to its relaxed position.

UNDERSTANDING RELAY CONTACTS

There are two types of contacts:

Normally Open Contact (NO)

Normally Closed Contact (NC)

SELECTION CRITERIA OF RELAY

You need to consider several features when choosing a relay:

1. Physical size and pin arrangement
If you are choosing a relay for an existing PCB you will need to ensure that its
dimensions and pin arrangement are suitable. You should find this information in
the supplier's catalogue.
2. Coil voltage
The relay's coil voltage rating and resistance must suit the circuit powering the
relay coil. Many relays have a coil rated for a 12V supply but 5V and 24V relays
are also readily available. Some relays operate perfectly well with a supply voltage
which is a little lower than their rated value.
3. Coil resistance
The circuit must be able to supply the current required by the relay coil. You can
use Ohm's law to calculate the current:

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Relay coil current = Supply Voltage
Coil Resistance

For example: A 12V supply relay with a coil resistance of 400ohm passes a current
of 30mA. This is OK for a 555 timer IC (maximum output current 200mA), but it
is too much for most ICs and they will require a transistor to amplify the current.
Switch ratings (voltage and current)
The relay's switch contacts must be suitable for the circuit they are to control. You
will need to check the voltage and current ratings. Note that the voltage rating is
usually higher for AC, for example: "5A at 24V DC or 125V AC".
Switch contact arrangement (SPDT, DPDT etc)
Most relays are SPDT or DPDT which are often described as "single pole
changeover" (SPCO) or "double pole changeover" (DPCO).

SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION OF RELAY

When a relay (coil part) is drawn in a schematic circuit diagram it is important to

be able to identify which sets of contacts relate to the various coils. The following
standard is used to assist.

Each Relay is given a number and prefix. The prefix for relays is the R1
Letter R

The relay then has the number of sets of contacts associated with that R1
1
Component placed under the relay number
When the relay contacts are drawn in the circuit the label references the
R1-1
Relay number (including the prefix R) and which set of contacts within the
Relay it is associated with

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For a relay with 4 contact pairs the nomenclatures would be shown in the
figure below:

R1
4

R1-1

R1-2

R1-3

R1-4

How to identify parts of a relay in a circuit:

In the following example pins 13(+24V DC) and 14 (0V DC) are the coil.
Pins 9 and 5 have been used within the first group of normally open contacts.
Contacts 10 and 6 have been used as a second normally open switching function.

R1
4

R1-1

R1
R1-1 R1-2
4

R1-2

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TYPES OF RELAY
Types of Relay Based on the principle of operation
Electrothermal relay:
When two different materials are joined together it forms into a bimetallic strip.
When this strip is energized it tends to bend, this property is used in such a way
that the bending nature makes a connection with the contacts.
Electromechanical relay:
With the help of few mechanical parts and based on the property of an
electromagnet a connection is made with the contacts.
Solid State relay:
Instead of using mechanical parts as in electrothermal and electromechanical
relays, it uses semiconductor devices. So, the switching speed of the device can be
made easier and faster. The main advantages of this relay are its more life span and
faster switching operation compared to other relays.
Hybrid relay:
It is the combination of both electromechanical and solid state relays.
Types of Relay Based on the polarity:
Polarized relay:
These are similar to the electromechanical relays but there exists both permanent
magnet and electromagnet in it, the movement of the armature depends on the
polarity of the input signal applied to the coil. Used in telegraphy applications.
Non-polarized relay:
The coil in these relays doesn’t have any polarities and its operation remains
unchanged even if the polarity of the input signal is altered.
ADVANTAGES OF RELAY
 Electromagnetic relays have fast operation and fast reset
 They can be used for both ac and dc systems for protection of ac and dc
equipments
 Electromagnetic relays operating speeds which has the ability to operate in
milliseconds are also can be possible
 They have the properties such as simple, robust, compact and most reliable

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  These relays are almost instantaneous. Though instantaneous the operating
time of the relay varies with the current. With extra arrangements like
dashpot, copper rings etc. slow operating times and reset can be possible

APPLICATIONS OF RELAY
 Electromagnetic relays are employed for the protection of various ac and dc
equipments
 The over/under current and voltage protection of various ac and dc
equipment’s
 For differential protection
 Used as auxiliary relays in the contact systems of protective relay schemes
 Controlling a high-voltage circuit with a low-voltage signal, for e.g. some
types of modems or audio amplifiers.
 Control a high-current circuit with a low-current signal, for e.g. the starter
solenoid of an automobile,
 Detection and isolation of faults on transmission and distribution lines by
opening and closing circuit breakers.
 Isolating the controlling circuit from the controlled circuit when the two are
at different potentials, for example while controlling a mains-powered
device from a low-voltage switch.
 Realization of logic Functions
 Time delay functions: Relays can be modified to delay opening or delay
closing a set of contacts.

INTRODCUCTION OF CONTACTORS
A contactor is an electrically-controlled switch used for switching an electrical
power circuit. A contactor is typically controlled by a circuit which has a much
lower power level than the switched circuit, such as a 24-volt coil electromagnet
controlling a 230-volt motor switch. According to the loads they handle, they vary
in sizes from a small device to as huge as a yard.
Though they are used for switching purposes, they do not interrupt a short-circuit
current like a circuit breaker. They have ratings ranging from a breaking current of
a few amperes and 24 DC volts to thousands of amperes with many kilo volts.
Unlike general-purpose relays, contactors are designed to be directly connected to
high-current load devices. Relays tend to be of lower capacity and are usually

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designed for both normally closed and normally open applications. Devices
switching more than 15 amperes or in circuits rated more than a few kilowatts are
usually called contactors. Apart from optional auxiliary low-current contacts,
contactors are almost exclusively fitted with normally open contacts. Unlike relays,
contactors are designed with features to control and suppress the arc produced
when interrupting heavy motor currents.

Siemens make Contactor (3TF30)

WORKING AND USES OF CONTACTORS

Like a relay, a contactor also has:
 Contact
 Spring
 Electromagnet
The contact part of the contactor includes the power contacts as well as the
auxiliary contacts. The power contacts gains the power for the contactor and the
auxiliary contacts is used to bring a loop with the rest of the rest of the devices it is
attached to. These contacts are connected to the contact springs.
The contacts are controlled by the electromagnet. These electromagnets give the
initial force to the contacts and make them closed. Both these contacts and

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electromagnet are enclosed in a frame which is usually made of insulating
materials. The usually used insulating materials are Nylon 6, thermosetting plastics
and so on. They are useful, as they completely insulate the contacts and help in
preventing the touch of contacts. For high-end contactors, an open-frame contactor
is commonly used. This will provide a greater protection from oil, dust, weather
and also from explosion. The type of frame housing used may also differ
according to the voltage rating used. The ones given above are restricted up to a
certain voltage. If the contactors are used to manage volts higher than 1000 volts,
inert gases and also vacuum is used as frame housing.
Contactors are also used in DC circuits. For their use in DC circuits, magnetic
blowouts are also used. The use of blowout coils help in stretching and moving the
electric arc. The electric arcs can be AC or DC. An AC arc will have can be easily
extinguished as they have low current characteristics. DC arcs of the same current
characteristics need more stretching need more current to be blown out. They
ratings differ from about 500 Amperes to about 1500 Amperes.
In order to save power in a contactor when it is closed, an economizer circuit is
also introduced. This circuit helps in reducing the coil current. There is difference
in the amount of power that is required to close the contactor and that from keeping
it closed. Greater power is required to close it. This circuit will also help it to stay
cooler.
Operating Principle
When current passes through the electromagnet, a magnetic field is produced,
which attracts the moving core of the contactor. The electromagnet coil draws
more current initially, until its inductance increases when the metal core enters the
coil. The moving contact is propelled by the moving core; the force developed by
the electromagnet holds the moving and fixed contacts together. When the
contactor coil is de-energized, gravity or a spring returns the electromagnet core to
its initial position and opens the contacts.
For contactors energized with alternating current, a small part of the core is
surrounded with a shading coil, which slightly delays the magnetic flux in the core.
The effect is to average out the alternating pull of the magnetic field and so prevent
the core from buzzing at twice line frequency.
Because arcing and consequent damage occurs just as the contacts are opening or
closing, contactors are designed to open and close very rapidly; there is often an
internal tipping point mechanism to ensure rapid action.

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Rapid closing can, however, lead to increase contact bounce which causes
additional unwanted open-close cycles. One solution is to have bifurcated contacts
to minimize contact bounce; two contacts designed to close simultaneously, but
bounce at different times so the circuit will not be briefly disconnected and cause
an arc.
A slight variant has multiple contacts designed to engage in rapid succession. The
first to make contact and last to break will experience the greatest contact wear and
will form a high-resistance connection that would cause excessive heating inside
the contactor. However, in doing so, it will protect the primary contact from arcing,
so a low contact resistance will be established a millisecond later.
Another technique for improving the life of contactors is contact wipe; the contacts
move past each other after initial contact in order to wipe off any contamination.

Applications of Contactor
 Contactors are used to control electric motors, lighting, heating, capacitor
banks, thermal evaporators, and other electrical loads.
 They usually handle very heavy loads like an electric motor, lighting and
heating equipments and so on.

Contactor Ratings
Ratings of a contactor are given according to the pole of the contactor. It also
depends on factors like fault withstand current, coil voltage and so on. According
to their rating, contactors are classified into the following.

AC1 – Non-inductive rows

AC2 – Contactors for starting of slip-ring motors
AC3 – Starting of squirrel-cage motors and switching off only after the motor is up
to speed.
AC4 – Starting of squirrel-cage motors with inching and plugging duty.
AC11 – Auxiliary control circuits

Selection Criteria for Contactors

In order to correctly select a contactor for your application, you will first need to
consider the following points.

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Coil – used to energise the contactor to switch the main contacts on and off
Main Contacts (Poles) – the current carrying part of the contactor
Auxiliary contacts – used for control and signalling circuit applications

1. Coil Selection
AC or DC operation
Control circuit voltage e.g. 24VAC, 230VAC, 400VAC, 24VDC etc. Note: If AC
then select correct supply frequency, if DC is low power consumption option
needed?
2. Main Pole Selection
Number of normally open (N/O) and/or normally closed (N/C)
Switching current rating (Amps)
AC or DC voltage
What unitisation category is required e.g. AC-1, AC-3, DC-21 etc. This is based on
the type of inductive or resistive load, and the number of stop/start operating cycles
3. Auxiliary contact Selection

Quantity of normally open (N/O) and/or normally closed (N/C) contacts

Note: The auxiliary contacts are not necessarily rated at the same current rating as
the main poles. Also time delayed versions are available on some models
In addition to the above, the following information should be gathered to help
select the right contactor for the application.
- Environment and ambient temperature
- Stand alone or modular design
- If any interlocking, latching, overload, enclosures, timers, coil surge
suppressors or busbars are needed.

RELAY Vs CONTACTOR
The basic difference between Relay and Contactor is mentioned below:
Current Rating
 Relays are used for lower power applications
 Contactors are used for higher power applications

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Add-On Blocks
 Relays are designed with a a fixed pair of contact pairs
 Contactors come with a facility to add additional Add on Contact blocks as
per requirement
Mechanical Interlocks
 Relays do not have a facility for mechanical interlocks
 One contactor can have a mechanical interlock with the other
When selecting between the two, some very general rules you can follow to help
When to Use a Relay:
 10A or less current
 Up to 250VAC
 1 phase
When to Use a Contactor:
 9A or more current
 Up to 1000VAC
 1 or 3 phase

INTRODUCTION OF TIME DELAY RELAY (TIMERS)

A Time delay relay is also known as Hardware Timer.

A time delay relay is a relay that stays on for a certain amount of time once
activated. This time delay relay is made up of a simple adjustable timer circuit

which controls the actual relay.

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The Timers come with setting for:
• Timer mode selection (on delay/ off delay, etc…)
• Timer Preset Time
• Timer Time Base
The Timer comes with 4 modes of operation:
• Signal ON-Delay
• Signal On One-Shot
• Signal Repeat Cycle-OFF Start
• Signal Repeat Cycle-ON Start
There are different ways to set the preset time in Timers. This can be done by using
the dial switch on the timer or using DIP switches and many more depending on
the make of timer. Similarly we can select the timer operation modes using
different combination of DIP switches.

MODES OF OPERATION
Signal ON-Delay:
As shown in the timing diagram - when power is applied to the timer, the timer
starts timing. The NC contact remains closed. After Preset Time‘t’ is over, the NC
contact opens and the NO contact closes. Thus the Output at NO turns ON after a
delay defined by the preset time.
Rt - is the rest time.

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One Shot Mode:

As shown in the timing diagram – when power is applied to the timer, the timer
starts timing. The NC contact remains Opens, and NO contact closes. After Preset
Time ‘t’ is over , the NO contact opens and the NC contact closes. Thus the Output
at NO turns ON for a delay defined by the preset time.
Rt – is the rest time.

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Repeat Cycle OFF-Start Mode:

As shown in the timing diagram – when power is applied to the timer, the timer
starts timing. The NC contact remains Closed. After Preset Time ‘t’ is over, the
NO contact closes and the NC contact opens. The cycle repeats as a square wave
with a time base ‘t’, with NO contact OFF first and then NC.
Rt – is the rest time.

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Repeat Cycle ON-Start Mode:
As shown in the timing diagram – when power is applied to the timer, the timer
starts timing. The NC contact Opens. After Preset Time‘t’ is over, the NO contact
opens and the NC contact closes. The cycle repeats as a square wave with a time
base ‘t’, with NO contact ON first and then NC.
Rt – is the rest time.

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INTRODUCTION OF OVERLOAD RELAY
Overload relays are used to protect the motor from overload by disconnecting the
power to the motor and stopping its operation.

Construction of OLR - The OLR has a bimetallic strip which operates in the
power circuit current flow. When the current flow is increased (Thrush-hold) than
set current limit, the contacts open and hence the relay acts as a tripping device to
protect the motor power.

When the bimetallic strip bends, the relay cuts-off the power supply. For security
reasons, the relay can only be restored mechanically by moving the lever by hand.
OLR is used commonly in motor control applications, as well as in all electrical
installations.

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