Overview of Electrical Engineering Practices & Application of building Services

Topic 2
Fuses and Circuit Breakers

2.1 Fuses
A fuse is defined as “a device for opening a circuit by
means of a conductor designed to melt when an
excessive current flows along it.”

There are three main types of fuses:

 the semi-enclosed or rewirable fuse (Figure 2-1)
 the cartridge fuse (Figure 2-2)
 the HBC (High Breaking Capacity) fuse (Figure 2-3)

Figure 2-1: semi-enclosed or rewirable fuse

Figure 2-2: cartridge fuse

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Overview of Electrical Engineering Practices & Application of building Services

Figure 2-3: High Breaking Capacity fuse

2.2 Circuit Breaker

The circuit breaker is a mechanical device used in a

circuit for automatic interruption of supply in the event
of overload current and fault current. The circuit
breaker installed in a circuit should break any fault
current flowing in the circuit before such current
causes danger due to thermal or mechanical effects
produced in the circuit or the associated connections.

2.3 Types of Circuit Breakers

2.3.1 Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB)

Miniature circuit breaker (MCB) is the small circuit

breaker used for the protection of final circuits at the
Distribution Board (DB) of residential and small
commercial and industrial installations.

It is used as an alternative to fuse, as it can be easily

reset and closed again after the fault in the circuit is
cleared. It will trip on a small-sustained overcurrent,
but not on a harmless transient overcurrent such as
switching surge, e.g. in a fluorescent lamp circuit.

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Overview of Electrical Engineering Practices & Application of building Services

The simplified diagram in Figure 2-4 shows the various

parts within an MCB. When the MCB is ON, it latches
the various mechanisms within the MCB and ‘makes’
the switch contact. The toggle switch could also be
used to disconnect the circuit for maintenance or
isolation or to test the MCB for satisfactory operation.

Figure 2-4 A simplified diagram of a MCB

2.3.2 Moulded Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB)

A moulded case circuit breaker is a low voltage switching

and automatic protective device assembled in a moulded
plastic housing. The nature of the sealed enclosure
makes it a non-maintainable device.

Since inspection of contacts cannot be made,

replacement is recommended after breaking high fault
current. MCCBs are basically defined as low voltage air-
break circuit breakers.

MCCBs are normally used for installation that have

higher fault level (in excess of 9kA) and for protecting
circuit of higher current rating (100A or more).

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Overview of Electrical Engineering Practices & Application of building Services

MCCBs are available in ratings from 100A to about

2500A. They are broadly classified by the type of trip
units fitted:-
a. At the lower end of the range, MCCBs usually have
fixed (non-adjustable) thermal trip element and
magnetic trip element.

b. For breakers above 225A rating, thermal magnetic

trip units are generally interchangeable within any
given breaker frame size. In such cases, the
magnetic trip settings are adjustable.

MCCBs are mainly used to protect main feeder cables

for incoming supply to sub-circuits/distribution boards
and for large motor circuits.

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Overview of Electrical Engineering Practices & Application of building Services

2.3.3 Air Circuit Breaker (ACB)

The air circuit breaker (ACB) is one of the oldest forms of

automatic protective device. It consists of an operating
mechanism, main contacts, arcing contacts, arc chute
and a built-in overcurrent-tripping device. The name
ACB is normally applied to large breakers that do not fall
into the category of MCB or MCCB, although both are
also air-break circuit breakers.

The ACBs are characterised by their sturdy construction,

ample electrical clearances, available in high current
carrying, interrupting and making ratings. The tripping
devices are adjustable to meet the required pick-up
setting and operating time.

The air circuit breakers are intended primarily for

application in main switchboards to protect the incoming
circuit fed by either a local generator or the low voltage
side of a transformer, directly from the power utility.

They are also applicable for an individual branch-circuit

protection where the highest quality device is required
and where special time-current characteristics are
necessary for co-ordination.

Typically, an ACB manufacturer produces breakers with

current ratings in the range 800A to 5000A and a
breaking capacity up to 120kA.

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Overview of Electrical Engineering Practices & Application of building Services

2.3.4 Residual Current-Operated Circuit Breaker

(RCCB)

Residual current-operated circuit breaker (RCCB) is

primarily designed to protect against ‘indirect contact’
electric shock.

The term ‘indirect contact’ refers to the contact of the

supply voltage indirectly through the touching of the
exposed conductive part such as the metallic enclosures
of electrical appliances, the metallic conduit, trunking or
cable tray.

These exposed conductive parts are insulated from the

live conductor and are connected to the earthing terminal
and thus, should be at the earth potential.

However, during an earth fault, as there is an earth fault

current flowing from the live conductor through the
exposed conductive parts to earth, the exposed
metalwork may be at a high potential relative to earth.
Touching the exposed conductive parts at this instance
may cause an electric shock if its potential to earth
exceeds 50V.

If it is a high impedance earth fault, the magnitude of the

earth fault current may not activate the overcurrent
protective device. Thus, a current will continue to flow to
earth, possibly generating heat and causing fire.

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Overview of Electrical Engineering Practices & Application of building Services

RCCB is designed to detect such a residual current

(i.e. earth leakage current), compare it to a reference
value and open the protected circuit when the residual
current exceeds this reference value.

In this way, a RCCB provides an excellent protection

against the risk of electric shock and provides an
excellent protection against the possibility of fire
resulting from earth fault currents that tends to persist
for lengthy periods without operating the overcurrent
protective device.

The primary function of a RCCB is to give protection

against ‘indirect contact’. However, for RCCBs
having operating residual currents not exceeding
30mA, there is an additional benefit, should other
methods of protection fail, the RCCB will provide a
high degree of protection to a user making direct
contact with a live conductive part.

Figure 2-5 shows

an earth leakage
current of 2A
passing through
the live conductor
to earth, but not
returning through
the neutral. The
difference between
the phase and
neutral currents is
thus the earth
Figure 2-5 The earth leakage current
leakage current.

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Overview of Electrical Engineering Practices & Application of building Services

Principle of Operation

The principle of operation of a RCCB is shown in Figure

2-6. The main contacts are closed against spring
pressure and the loaded spring provides the energy to
open the contacts when the retaining mechanism is
tripped.

Figure 2-6 Principle of operation of RCCBs

Phase and neutral currents pass through identical coils

wound in opposite directions on a magnetic core, so
each coil provide equal but opposite ampere-turns and
no magnetic flux is set up when the currents are equal.

Earth leakage current increases the phase current,

which provides more ampere-turns than those from the
neutral coil, and an alternating magnetic flux is set up in
the core. This induces an emf in the search coil, which
results in a current flowing in the trip coil and the main
contacts are tripped.

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