ELECTRIC WIRES AND CIRCUITS & THEIR TYPES

AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT The circuit shown below has a power source, fuse, switch, two lamps and wires connecting each into a loop or circle. When the connection is complete, current flows from the positive terminal of the battery through the wire, the fuse, the switch, another wire, the lamps, a wire and to the negative terminal of the battery. The route along which the electricity flows is called an electrical circuit.

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT REQUIREMENTS

A complete Electrical Circuit is required in order to make electricity practical. Electrons must flow from and return to the power source. There are three different circuit types, all require the same basic components: 1. Power Source is needed to supply the flow of electrons (electricity). 2. Protection Device prevents damage to the circuit in the event of a short. 3. Load Device converts the electricity into work. 4. Control Device allows the user control to turn the circuit on or off 5. Conductors provide an electrical path to and from the power source.

BASIC CIRCUIT CONSTRUCTION

1. Power Source (Battery, Alternator, Generator, etc.) 2. Protection Device (Fuse, Fusible Link, or Circuit Breaker) 3. Load Device (Lamp, Motor, Winding, Resistor, etc. 4. Control (Switch, Relay, or Transistor) 5. Conductors (A Return Path, Wiring to Ground)

LOADS
The illustration below has a horn in place of the lamp. Any device such as a lamp, horn, wiper motor, or rear window defogger, that consumes electricity is called a load. In an electrical circuit, all loads are regarded as resistance. Loads use up voltage and control the amount of current flowing in a circuit. Loads with high resistance cause less current to flow while those with lower resistance allow high current rates to flow.

AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS In an automotive electrical circuit, one end of the wire from each load returning to the battery is connected to the vehicle body or frame. Therefore, the vehicle body or frame itself functions as a conductor, allowing current to flow though the body or frame and back to the battery. The body or frame is then referred to as the body ground (or earth) of the circuit (meaning that part of the circuit that returns the current to the battery).

TYPES OF CIRCUITS Individual electrical circuits normally combine one or more resistance or load devices. The design of the automotive electrical circuit will determine which type of circuit is used. There are three basic types of circuits:

Series Circuit
Parallel Circuit Series-Parallel Circuit

SERIES CIRCUITS A series circuit is the simplest circuit. The conductors, control and protection devices, loads, and power source are connected with only one path to ground for current flow. The resistance of each device can be different. The same amount of current will flow through each. The voltage across each will be different. If the path is broken, no current flows and no part of the circuit works. Christmas tree lights are a good example; when one light goes out the entire string stops working.

SERIES CIRCUITS A Series Circuit has only one path to ground, so electrons must go through each component to get back to ground. All loads are placed in series. Therefore: 1. An open in the circuit will disable the entire circuit. 2. The voltage divides (shared) between the loads. 3. The current flow is the same throughout the circuit. 4. The resistance of each load can be different.

PARALLEL CIRCUIT A parallel circuit has more than one path for current flow. The same voltage is applied across each branch. If the load resistance in each branch is the same, the current in each branch will be the same. If the load resistance in each branch is different, the current in each branch will be different. If one branch is broken, current will continue flowing to the other branches.

PARALLEL CIRCUIT A parallel circuit has more than one path for current flow. The same voltage is applied across each branch. If the load resistance in each branch is the same, the current in each branch will be the same. If the load resistance in each branch is different, the current in each branch will be different. If one branch is broken, current will continue flowing to the other branches.

PARALLEL CIRCUITS
A Parallel Circuit has multiple paths or branches to ground. Therefore: 1. In the event of an open in the circuit in one of the branches, current will continue to flow through the remaining. 2. Each branch receives source voltage. 3. Current flow through each branch can be different. 4. The resistance of each branch can be different.

SERIES PARALLEL CIRCUIT A series-parallel circuit has some components in series and others in parallel. The power source and control or protection devices are usually in series; the loads are usually in parallel. The same current flows in the series portion, different currents in the parallel portion. The same voltage is applied to parallel devices, different voltages to series devices. If the series portion is broken, current stops flowing in the entire circuit. If a parallel branch is broken, current continues flowing in the series portion and the remaining branches.

Types of wires
Most electric cables normally contain three wires: The live wire. The neutral wire. The earth wire.

Each of these three wire have different colours of insulation.

Colour code for wires

You have to remember the names and colours of each of these three wires. You also have to remember the position of each of these three wires in a standard plug. Wire Insulation Colour BRown BLue Green/Yellow Location

LIVE NEUTRAL EARTH

BR bottom right BL bottom left Centre

LIVE WIRE
The live wire in an AC electrical circuit refers to the wire (in a single-phase system) which carries an oscillating voltage with respect to the earth. The international standard colour for the live wire is brown, which is in use in modern wiring in the EU and Australia. Other countries may use other colours; for example, red was the previous standard in the UK, and is still commonly found on older wiring.

Detection of a live wire

NEUTRAL WIRE
Neutral is a circuit conductor (that carries current in normal operation), which is connected to earth (or ground) generally at the service panel with the main disconnecting switch or breaker.

In a polyphase or three-wire (single-phase) AC system, the neutral conductor is intended to have similar voltages to each of the other circuit conductors. By this definition, a circuit must have at least three wires for one to serve as a neutral.

EARTH WIRE
In electrical engineering, ground or earth may be the reference point in an electrical circuit from which other voltages are measured, or a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the Earth

Electrical circuits may be connected to ground (earth) for several reasons. In mains powered equipment, exposed metal parts are connected to ground to prevent contact with a dangerous voltage if electrical insulation fails.

A typical earthing electrode (left) at a home

green and yellow marked earth wire.