Energy and Power / Low Voltage / Protection

The Basics Of Circuit Breaker Tripping Units

Circuit breaker releases / Tripping units

The main objective of circuit breaker tripping units and protective functions in general is to detect faults and to
selectively isolate faulted parts of the system. It must also permit short clearance times to limit the fault power and
the effect of arcing faults.

The Basics Of Circuit Breaker Tripping Units (on photo: Siemens molded case circuit breaker 'Sentron' Series;
400 Amp Frame - 400 Amp Trip)

The protective function of the circuit breaker in the power distribution system is determined by the selection of the
appropriate release (see Figure 1). Releases can be divided into:

Thermal-magnetic tripping units – TMTU, also called electromechanical releases and

Electronic tripping units – ETU
Figure 1 – Variants of circuit breaker tripping curves

Thermal-magnetic tripping units //

The thermomagnetic trip unit consists of two parts:

The thermal trip unit – Made up by a bimetal thermal device which actuates the opening of a circuit breaker with a
delay depending on the overcurrent value. This trip unit is intended for the protection against overloads.

The magnetic trip unit – Made up by an electromagnetic device, with fixed (fixed instantaneous trip) or adjustable
(adjustable instantaneous trip) threshold, which actuates the instantaneous trip of the circuit breaker on a pre-
determined overcurrent value (multiple of the In) with a constant trip time (about some tens of milliseconds). This trip
unit is intended for the protection against short circuit.
Figure 2 – TM thermal-magnetic and MA magnetic tripping units

Go back to CB tripping units ↑

Electronic tripping units //

The electronic trip units instead use a microprocessor to process the current signal and operate the circuit
breaker opening in case of fault. In addition to this, electronic tripping units offer more tripping criteria which are
not feasible with electromechanical releases.

By digital processing of the signal, they provide the following protection functions:

1. Long time-delay trip function (ANSI code: 51, AC time overcurrent relay);
2. Short time-delay trip function (ANSI code: 51, AC time overcurrent relay);
3. Instantaneous trip function (ANSI code: 50, instantaneous overcurrent relay);
4. Ground-fault trip function (ANSI code: 51 N, AC time earth fault overcurrent relay).
Figure 3 – Microprocessor tripping unit (Overloads: Long time protection (Ir); Short-circuits: Short-time protection (Isd); Short-circuits: Instantaneous
protection (Ii), Additional ground fault protection (Ig) and Neutral protection)

1. Overload protection

Designation: L (LT: long-time delay), previously a-release.

Depending on the type of release, inverse-time-delay overload releases are also available with optional characteristic
curves.

This adjustable function simulates the effect of a bimetal conductor in a thermal-magnetic circuit breaker. It
reacts to overload conditions and determines how much current the circuit breaker will carry continuously.

The nominal pickup point where a circuit breaker trip unit detects an overload is at 1.075 times the selected ampere
rating. After the circuit breaker has picked up, it will not trip until the delay determined by the long-time delay
adjustment has been achieved.

2. Neutral conductor protection

Inverse-time-delay overload releases for neutral conductors are available in a 50% or 100% ratio of the overload
release. The neutral must have specific protection if:

It is reduced in size compared to the phases

Nonlinear loads generating third order harmonics are installed

It may be necessary to cut off the neutral for functional reasons (multiple source diagram) or safety reasons
(working with power off).

3. Short-circuit protection, instantaneous

Designation: I (INST: instantaneous), previously n-release

Depending on the application, I-releases can either be used with a fixed or an adjustable release current Ii as well
as with a switch-off or non-switch-off function.

The instantaneous pickup function simulates the magnetic characteristic of a thermal-magnetic circuit
breaker. This function trips the circuit breaker with no intentional time delay.

In circuit breakers with both short-time and instantaneous pickup, the instantaneous pickup will override the short-time
pickup if the instantaneous pickup is set at the same or lower setting than the short-time pickup.

4. Short-circuit protection, delayed

Designation: S (ST: short-time delay), previously z-release.

To be used for a time adjustment of protective functions in series. Besides the standard curves and settings, there are
also optional functions for special applications:

Definite-time overcurrent releases

For this “standard S function”, the desired delay time (tsd) is defined as of a set current value (threshold Isd)
(definite time, similar to the function of “definite-time overcurrent-time protection (DMT)” at the medium voltage level).

Inverse-time overcurrent releases

In this optional S function, the product of I2t is always constant. In general, this function is used to improve the
selectivity response (inverse time, similar to the function of “inverse-time overcurrent-time protection” at the medium
voltage level.

5. Earth-fault protection

Designation: G (GF: ground fault), previously g-release.

Besides the standard function (definite-time) an optional function (I2t = current-dependent delay) is also available.
Figure 4 – Ground-fault Characteristic Curve

The ground-fault function is divided into pickup and delay components (see Figure 4). The pickup portion
determines at what point the circuit breaker will begin detecting a ground fault.

The delay adjustment determines how long the circuit breaker will delay
tripping after a ground-fault has been detected. It is supplied with both an “I²t
IN” and an “I²t OUT” function on the circuit breakers.

In a circuit breaker with the ground-fault function, there is a maximum unrestrained ground-fault delay provided. This
delay determines the maximum amount of time the circuit breaker will delay during a ground-fault condition when not
restrained by a downstream breaker. The maximum delay is shown by a single line and stays constant for all ground-
fault delay switch settings.

6. Fault-current protection

Designation: RCD (residual current device), previously also DI (differential current interrupter).

It detects differential fault currents up to 3 A, similar to the FI function for personal protection (max. 500 mA).

Go back to CB tripping units ↑

References //

Planning of Electric Power Distribution – Technical Principles by SIEMENS

Circuit Breaker Characteristic Trip Curves and Coordination by Schneider Electric
Low Voltage Circuit Breakers complying with the Standards UL 489 and UL 1066 by ABB

About Author

Edvard Csanyi

Edvard - Electrical engineer, programmer and founder of EEP. Highly specialized for design of LV/MV switchgears
and LV high power busbar trunking (<6300A) in power substations, commercial buildings and industry fascilities.
Professional in AutoCAD programming. Present on Google+