{"id":222,"date":"2019-03-31T07:38:46","date_gmt":"2019-03-31T07:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tis-eg.com\/en\/?p=222"},"modified":"2019-03-31T07:38:50","modified_gmt":"2019-03-31T07:38:50","slug":"circuit-breaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tis-eg.com\/en\/circuit-breaker\/","title":{"rendered":"circuit breaker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A circuit breaker<\/strong> is an automatically operated electrical<\/a> switch<\/a> designed to protect an electrical circuit<\/a> from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit<\/a>. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected. Unlike a fuse<\/a>, which operates once and then must be replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume normal operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Circuit breakers are made in varying sizes, from small devices that protect low-current circuits or individual household appliance, up to large\u00a0switchgear<\/a>\u00a0designed to protect\u00a0high voltage<\/a>\u00a0circuits feeding an entire city. The generic function of a circuit breaker,\u00a0RCD<\/a>\u00a0or a\u00a0fuse<\/a>, as an automatic means of removing power from a faulty system is often abbreviated as OCPD (Over Current Protection Device).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All circuit breaker systems have common features in their operation, but details vary substantially depending on the voltage class, current rating and type of the circuit breaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The circuit breaker must first detect a fault condition. In small mains and low voltage<\/a> circuit breakers, this is usually done within the device itself. Typically, the heating or magnetic effects of electric current are employed. Circuit breakers for large currents or high voltages are usually arranged with protective relay<\/a> pilot devices to sense a fault condition and to operate the opening mechanism. These typically require a separate power source, such as a battery<\/a>, although some high-voltage circuit breakers are self-contained with current transformers<\/a>, protective relays<\/a>, and an internal control power source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a fault is detected, the circuit breaker contacts must open to interrupt the circuit; this is commonly done using mechanically stored energy contained within the breaker, such as a spring or compressed air to separate the contacts. Circuit breakers may also use the higher current caused by the fault to separate the contacts, such as thermal expansion or a magnetic field. Small circuit breakers typically have a manual control lever to switch off the load or reset a tripped breaker, while larger units use solenoids<\/a> to trip the mechanism, and electric motors<\/a> to restore energy to the springs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The circuit breaker contacts must carry the load current without excessive heating, and must also withstand the heat of the arc produced when interrupting (opening) the circuit. Contacts are made of copper or copper alloys, silver alloys and other highly conductive materials. Service life of the contacts is limited by the erosion of contact material due to arcing while interrupting the current. Miniature and molded-case circuit breakers are usually discarded when the contacts have worn, but power circuit breakers and high-voltage circuit breakers have replaceable contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a high current or voltage is interrupted, an arc<\/a> is generated. The length of the arc is generally proportional to the voltage while the intensity (or heat) is proportional to the current. This arc must be contained, cooled and extinguished in a controlled way, so that the gap between the contacts can again withstand the voltage in the circuit. Different circuit breakers use vacuum<\/a>, air, insulating gas<\/a>, or oil<\/a> as the medium the arc forms in. Different techniques are used to extinguish the arc including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n