ALL TYPES OF SAFETY SWITCHES AND THEIR FEATURES

TABL OF CONNTENT
#1 Frame or external casing

the frame protects all the internal components of the circuit breaker. It
also supports the components and provides insulation to contain the arc.

#2 Operating Mechanism

All types of circuit breakers use some method to disconnect the power
supply. These typically include spring-loaded switches, solenoid, hydraulic,
and pneumatic switches.

#3 Electrical contacts

The function of contacts is to pass the current through the circuit

breaker when they are closed. Generally, a circuit breaker has two electrical
contacts: a static contact and a temporary contact.
#4 Arc Extinguisher

A circuit breaker uses an arc suppression mechanism (arc extinguisher)

to prevent the damage and arc from re-creating itself.

#5 Trip Unit

Trip unit helps to detect abnormal current flow in the event of

overcurrent and short circuit. It causes the operating mechanism to open the
contacts

FUSES
 FUSE BOX
FUSES - A fuse is a device that protects electrical systems against potentially dangerous power
surges and excessive temperatures. When subjected to extreme conditions, the fuse will blow or
burn out.

FUSE BOX - A fuse box is a metal box that contains screw-in fuses and cartridge fuses.
Smaller than the electrical service panels found in most homes today, fuse boxes contain
between six and 12 fuses. Most older fuse boxes are rated at 60-amp total capacity.

HOW FUSES BLOW - When there is enough current or temperature present that could
threaten the rest of the system, the fuse’s fusing element is instead the first to be damaged

WHY FUSES BLOW?

Overload Fuse Blows - Overloads usually happen when too many devices are plugged
into the same circuit. For example, turning on a microwave, hairdryer, and lights all at the same
time may blow a fuse.
Short Circuit Fuse Blows – Short circuits can be up to thousands of times greater than the
normal operating current. They can melt metal, damage wire insulation, cause arcing fires, and even
vaporize conductors.

Ground Fault Fuse Blows - Ground faults are the result of a powered, hot wire touching
anything grounded: a metal electrical box, a metal pipe, an outlet, a bare ground wire, or even
your hand. Ground faults invariably will cause fuses to blow.

FUSE VS CIRCUIT BREAKER

Fuses have an element that burns out, while circuit breakers have thermomagnetic switches that can be
reset.

KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FUSE AND BREAKER

Circuit Breaker Characteristics
1. Magnetic
2. Thermal
3. Thermal-magnetic

MAGNETIC TYPE
As you can see, an iron plunger is surrounded by an encased coil of wire and a set of
contacts are attached to the iron plunger. With an electric current passed through the
coil, the contacts attached to the iron core are pulled toward the coil. In this way, we
can open or close the solenoid contacts. Note the figure shows both normally-open
and normally-closed contacts.

THERMAL TYPE
Thermal circuit breakers are designed so that the bimetallic strip bends to release the
contact under spring tension based on the amount of continuous current flowing
through it. The bimetallic strip must cool and return to its normal condition (size) at
room temperature before the circuit breaker can be reset.

THERMAL – MAGNETIC TYPE

Thermal-magnetic circuit breakers are also called inverse-time circuit breakers. As the
alternative name inverse-time indicates, the higher the overload, the shorter the time it
takes the circuit breaker to open. 
When an overload condition occurs, the excess current generates heat, which is sensed
by the bimetallic heat-sensing element. After a short period, depending on the
breaker’s rating and amount of overload, the breaker will trip, disconnecting the
voltage source from the load. If a short circuit occurs, the electromagnetic sensor
responds immediately to the fault current and disconnects the circuit.

Types of Circuit Breaker

Following are the types of circuit breakers that are described below:

1. AC circuit breaker
2. DC circuit breaker
3. Low voltage circuit breaker
4. Miniature circuit breaker
5. Molded case circuit breaker
6. Ground fault circuit interrupter
7.

8.
9. Arc fault circuit Interrupter
10.Residual current breaker
11.Electric leakage circuit breaker
12.Motor protection circuit breaker
13.Bulk oil circuit breaker
14.Minimum oil circuit breaker
15.Wifi Circuit breaker
16.Vacuum circuit breaker
17.Single pole circuit breaker
18.Double pole circuit breaker
19.High voltage circuit breaker
20.HDVC circuit breaker
 21.Oil circuit breaker
22.Air circuit breaker
23.Air blast circuit breaker
24.SF6 circuit breaker
25.

#1 AC Circuit Breaker

DISTRIBUTION PANEL / PANEL BOARD

SINGLE POLE
DOUBLE POLE
CIRCUIT BEAKER
An AC circuit
CIRCUIT breaker
BREAKER is a safety switch
usually built into your home’s electrical system. It looks like a switch
that helps to stop the flow of electricity to any component or device
that consumes a lot of power.
A circuit breaker is a crucial safety component. It helps protect your AC
from the damage caused by overload or short circuits. When too much
current flows through the electrical wiring, the circuit breaker cuts off
the power until the problem is fixed and it is reset. AC circuit breaker
also protects your safety as the heavy current flow can result in fire.

#2 DC Circuit Breaker

2 POLE DC CIRCUIT BREAKER 4 POLE DC CIRCUIT BREAKER

 A DC circuit breaker protects electrical equipment operating with DC. It has
additional arc extinguishing measures. These are relatively new technologies for most
homeowners because most appliances are used in the homework with AC.
These circuit breakers use 24 VDC to 48 VDC programmable logic controllers
(PLCs). Though both AC and DC breakers look alike but internally, they work very
differently.

How Does a DC Circuit Breaker Work?

DC circuit breakers work with the same principle of thermal protection and
magnetic protection which is found in AC circuit breakers. Thermal protection in a DC
circuit breaker protects against overload current, which is only slightly larger than
normal operating current. And magnetic protection trips the DC circuit breaker when
high fault currents are present, and the response is always instantaneous.

#3 Low Voltage Circuit Breaker

TYPES OF LOW VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER

 A low voltage circuit breaker is suitable for circuits rated at 120 to 600
volts or less. The most commonly used low-voltage circuit breaker is a
molded case circuit breaker. Low-voltage circuit breakers are commonly
seen in domestic, commercial, and industrial applications.

Low-voltage molded case circuit breakers may have an electric motor to

open and close them under remote control. These types are also used for
direct-current (DC) applications, such as DC metro lines.

#4 Miniature Circuit Breaker

 These types of circuit breakers serve as a substitute for fuses and are
used to protect the circuit from excess current. Miniature circuit breakers are
automatic switches that opens when the current flowing through them
exceeds the value for which they are set.

They protect low voltage circuits 240/415V AC with a wide range of

current ratings below 125V. This circuit breaker does not need to be replaced
every time. If a fault occurs, it can be reused. These are primarily in
household, light-industrial, and commercial applications.
#5 Molded Case Circuit Breaker

3 POLE MOULDED CASE CIRCUIT 4 POLE MOULDED CASE CIRCUIT

BREAKER BREAKER
A moulded case circuit breaker (MCCB) is a type of electrical protection device that is used to
protect the electrical circuit from excessive current, which can cause overload or short circuit.
With a current rating of up to 2500A, MCCBs can be used for a wide range of voltages and
frequencies with adjustable trip settings. These breakers are used instead of miniature circuit
breakers (MCBs) in large scale PV systems for system isolation and protection purposes.

3 POLE WIRING DIGRAM OF 4 POLE WIRING DIGRAM OF

MCCB MCCB
# 6 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)

HSAH
# High Voltage Circuit Breaker