6 Adjustable Tripping Settings of A Circuit Breaker You MUST Understand - EEP

11/12/2018 6 Adjustable Tripping Settings of a Circuit Breaker You MUST Understand | EEP
Electrical Lectures / Energy and Power / Protection
6 Adjustable Tripping Settings of a Circuit Breaker You MUST

Understand
Basic tripping settings of CB

There are (at least) six basic adjustable tripping settings (functions) you really should understand in
order to fully understand how circuit breaker actually works.
https://electrical-engineering-portal.com/6-adjustable-tripping-settings-circuit-breaker#short-time-pickup 1/19
6 Adjustable Tripping Settings of a Circuit Breaker You MUST Know
All these adjustable functions actually shape the time-current curve of a circuit breaker and allows proper
tripping according to the network parameters and also the proper coordination between upstream and
downstream devices.
Note that modern circuit breakers (MCCB, ACB) mostly have an electronic tripping unit which is much
more advanced comparing to these explained here, but the basics are the same, very same.
So, let’s start with explanation!
1. Continuous Amps (Ir)

2. Long-Time Delay
3. Short-Time Pickup
4. Short-Time Delay
5. Instantaneous Pickup
6. Ground Fault Pickup
Circuit breaker adjustable tripping functions
The below time-current curve reflects one possible setup for a 1200 ampere circuit breaker with a
nominal (maximum continuous ampere) rating of 1000 amps. This time-current curve will be the basis
for discussing adjustable tripping settings of the circuit breakers.
Time-current curve of a circuit breaker
1. Continuous Amps (Ir)
Continuous Amps (Ir) varies the level of current the circuit breaker will carry without tripping. Ir is a
percentage of the circuit breaker’s nominal rating (In). Continuous amps can be adjusted from 20 to 100
percent of the circuit breaker’s nominal rating.
For example, a 1000 amp breaker can be changed from 1000 amps to
800 amps by adjusting the breaker continuous amps setting to 80%.
Continuous current [Amps]
Go back to CB tripping settings ↑
2. Long-Time Delay
Long-time delay causes the breaker to wait a certain amount of time to allow temporary inrush
currents, such as those encountered when starting a motor, to pass without tripping.
The adjustment is from 2.2 to 27 seconds at six times the continuous

amps (Ir) setting.
As shown below, the long-time delay effects the position of an I2T slope. This means that lower levels of
current will allow the breaker to remain online for longer periods of time.
Long time delay tripping settings
3. Short-Time Pickup
Short-time pickup is used for selective tripping. The short-time pickup function determines the amount
of current the breaker will carry for a short period of time, allowing downstream protective devices to clear
short-circuits without tripping the upstream device.
Short-time pickup is adjustable from 1.5 to 10 times the trip unit

ampere setting (Ir).
For example, a 1000 ampere frame can be adjusted to trip anywhere from 1500 to 10,000 amps. The
switch also has an “OFF” position to eliminate short-time pickup and short-time delay.
Short-time pickup used for selective tripping
4. Short-Time Delay
Short-time delay, used in conjunction with short-time pickup, controls the time involved in postponing a
short-time pickup trip.
There are two modes: fixed time, or I2T ramp. Fixed time is adjustable from .05 to .5
seconds. The I2T ramp mode is adjustable from .18 seconds to .45 seconds, providing a short
inverse time ramp.
This allows better coordination with downstream thermal-magnetic circuit breakers and fuses. A fixed
instantaneous trip point of 10,000 amps trips the breaker automatically and overrides any pre-programmed
instructions.
Short-time delay, used in conjunction with short-time pickup
5. Instantaneous Pickup
Instantaneous pickup is used to trip the circuit breaker with no intentional delay at any current between 2
and 40 times the breaker’s continuous ampere setting (Ir).
In this example instantaneous pickup has been set to 10 times the continuous amp setting, or 10,000
amps (10 x 1000) with a continuous amp setting of 1000 amps. In this case a higher setting would still trip
at 10,000 amps due to a fixed instantaneous override of 10,000 amps which automatically trips the breaker
regardless of the instantaneous pickup setting.
If the continuous amp setting had been 300 amps, setting the
instantaneous pickup at 10 would make the instantaneous setting equal
to 3000 amps, well below the fixed instantaneous override.
Instantaneous pickup – Used to trip the circuit breaker with no intentional

delay at any current between 2 and 40 times the breaker’s continuous
ampere setting (Ir)
6. Ground Fault Pickup
Ground fault pickup controls the amount of ground fault current that will cause the breaker to interrupt the
circuit. The adjustment can be set from 20 to 70% of the maximum breaker rating. In compliance with
NEC® 230-95 (A), no trip point setting exceeds 1200 amps.
The ground fault pickup is divided into three sections; .1s, .2s, and
.4s. This feature adds a time delay of .1, .2, or .4 seconds to the
breaker’s trip when a ground fault occurs.
Ground fault pickup controls the amount of ground fault current that will
cause the breaker to interrupt the circuit
Circuit breaker coordination
The ground fault pickup time delay feature is useful for circuit breaker coordination. In the following
scheme, upstream breaker “A” has been set to .2s and downstream breakers “B” and “C” have been set to
.1s.
The ground fault pickup time delay feature

is useful for circuit breaker coordination
A ground fault occurring in the circuit supplied by “B” will trip the “B” breaker
without disturbing “A” or “C”.
Reference // STEP 2000 – Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCB) by SIEMENS
Edvard Csanyi
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+

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11/12/2018 6 Adjustable Tripping Settings of a Circuit Breaker You MUST Understand | EEP

Electrical Lectures / Energy and Power / Protection

6 Adjustable Tripping Settings of a Circuit Breaker You MUST

Basic tripping settings of CB

6 Adjustable Tripping Settings of a Circuit Breaker You MUST Know

So, let’s start with explanation!

1. Continuous Amps (Ir)

Circuit breaker adjustable tripping functions

Time-current curve of a circuit breaker

1. Continuous Amps (Ir)

Continuous current [Amps]

Go back to CB tripping settings ↑

The adjustment is from 2.2 to 27 seconds at six times the continuous

Long time delay tripping settings

Go back to CB tripping settings ↑

Short-time pickup is adjustable from 1.5 to 10 times the trip unit

Short-time pickup used for selective tripping

Go back to CB tripping settings ↑

Short-time delay, used in conjunction with short-time pickup

Go back to CB tripping settings ↑

Instantaneous pickup – Used to trip the circuit breaker with no intentional

Go back to CB tripping settings ↑

6. Ground Fault Pickup

Circuit breaker coordination

The ground fault pickup time delay feature

Go back to CB tripping settings ↑

Reference // STEP 2000 – Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCB) by SIEMENS

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