MCB

All fuses need to be replaced with MCB for

better safety and control when they have done
their job in the past. Unlike a fuse, an MCB
operates as automatic switch that opens in the
event of excessive current flowing through the
circuit and once the circuit returns to normal, it
can be reclosed without any manual
replacement. MCBs are used primarily as an
alternative to the fuse switch in most of the
circuits. A wide variety of MCBs have been in
use nowadays with breaking capacity of 10KA
to 16 KA, in all areas of domestic, commercial
and industrial applications as a reliable means
of protection.
What is Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB)?
An MCB or miniature circuit breaker is an
electromagnetic device that embodies complete
enclosure in a molded insulating material. The
main function of an MCB is to switch the circuit,
i.e., to open the circuit (which has been
connected to it) automatically when the current
passing through it (MCB) exceeds the value for
which it is set. It can be manually switched ON
and OFF as similar to normal switch if
necessary.
MCBs are of time delay tripping devices, to
which the magnitude of overcurrent controls the
operating time. This means, these get operated
whenever overload exist long enough to create
a danger to the circuit being protected.
Therefore, MCBs doesn’t respond to transient
loads such as switches surges and motor
starting currents. Generally, these are designed
to operate at less than 2.5 milliseconds during
short circuit faults and 2 seconds to 2 minutes
in case of overloads (depending on the level of
current).
Construction of MCB
An MCB embodies complete enclosure in a
moulded insulating material. This provides
mechanically strong and insulated housing. The
switching system consists of a fixed and a
moving contact to which incoming and outgoing
wires are connected. The metal or current
carrying parts are made up of electrolytic
copper or silver alloy depending on the rating of
the circuit breaker.
As the contacts are separated in the event of an
overload or short circuit situation, an electric arc
is formed. All modern MCBs are designed to
handle arc interruption process where arc
energy extraction and its cooling are provided
by metallic arc splitter plates. These plates are
held in a proper position by an insulating
material. Also, arc runner is provided to force
the arc that is produced between the main
contacts.
The operating mechanism consists of both
magnetic tripping and thermal tripping
arrangements.
The magnetic tripping arrangement essentially
consists of a composite magnetic system that
has a spring loaded dashpot with a magnetic
slug in a silicon fluid, and a normal magnetic
trip. A current carrying coil in the trip
arrangement moves the slug against spring
towards fixed pole piece. So the magnetic pull
is developed on the trip liver when there is a
sufficient magnetic field produced by the coil. In
case of short circuits or heavy overloads,
strong magnetic field produced by the coils
(Solenoid) is sufficient to attract the armature of
trip liver irrespective of the position of slug in
the dashpot.

The thermal tripping arrangement consists of a

bimetallic strip around which a heater coil is
wounded to create heat depending on the flow
of current. The heater design can be either
direct where current is passed through bimetal
strip which effect part of electric circuit or
indirect where a coil of current carrying
conductor is wound around the bimetallic strip.
The deflection of bimetallic strip activates the
tripping mechanism in case of certain overload
conditions.
The bimetal strips are made up of two different
metals, usually brass and steel. These metals
are riveted and welded along their length.
These are so designed such that they will not
heat the strip to the tripping point for normal
currents, but if the current is increased beyond
rated value, strip is warmed, bent and trips the
latch. Bimetallic strips are chosen to provide
particular time delays under certain overloads.

Working & Operation of MCB

Under normal working conditions, MCB
operates as a switch (manual one) to make the
circuit ON or OFF. Under overload or short
circuit condition, it automatically operates or
trips so that current interruption takes place in
the load circuit. The visual indication of this trip
can be observed by automatic movement of the
operating knob to OFF position. This automatic
operation MCB can be obtained in two ways as
we have seen in MCB construction; those are
magnetic tripping and thermal tripping.

Under overload condition, the current through

the bimetal causes to raise the temperature of
it. The heat generated within the bimetal itself
enough to cause deflection due to thermal
expansion of metals. This deflection further
releases the trip latch and hence contacts get
separated. In some MCBs, magnetic field
generated by the coil causes develop pull on
bimetal such that it deflection activates the
tripping mechanism.
Under short circuit or heavy overload
conditions, magnetic tripping arrangement
comes into the picture. Under normal working
condition, the slug is held in a position by light
spring because magnetic field generated by the
coil is not sufficient to attract the latch. When a
fault current flows, the magnetic field generated
by the coil is sufficient to overcome the spring
force holding slug in position. And hence slug
moves and then actuate the tripping
mechanism.
A combination of both magnetic and thermal
tripping mechanisms are implemented in most
of MCBs. In both magnetic and thermal tripping
operations, an arc is formed when the contacts
start separating. This arc is then forced into arc
splitter plates via arc runner. These arc splitter
plates are also called arc chutes where arc is
formed into a series of arcs and at the same
time energy extracted and cools it. Hence this
arrangement achieves the arc extinction.
Types of Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB’s)
MCBs are classified into three major types
according to their instantaneous tripping
currents. They are
1. Type B MCB
2. Type C MCB
3. Type D MCB
Type B MCB
This type of MCB will trip instantly at a rate of
three to five times its rated current. These are
normally used for resistive or small inductive
loads where switching surges are very small.
Therefore, these are suitable for residential or

light commercial installations.

Type C MCB
This type of MCB will trip instantly at a rate of
five to ten times its rated current. These are
normally used for high inductive loads where
switching surges are high such as small motors
and florescent lighting. In such cases, type C
MCBs are preferred to handle higher value of
short circuit currents. Therefore, these are
suitable for highly inductive commercial

and industrial installations.
Type D MCB
This type of MCB will trip instantly at a rate of
ten to twenty five times its rated current. These
are normally used for very high inductive loads
where high inrush current are very frequent.
These are suitable for specific industrial and
commercial applications. The common
examples of such applications include x-ray
machines, UPS systems, industrial welding
equipment, large winding motors, etc.

The above three types of MCBs provide

protection within one tenth of a sec. The
minimum and maximum trip currents of these
MCBs are given in a tablular form below, where
Ir is the rated current of the MCB. MCBs can
also be classified based on number of poles
such as single pole, double pole, triple pole and
four pole MCBs.
 HVDC Circuit Breaker

Circuit breakers will be positioned on DC grids and

act when a fault occurs. Breakers would have to
fulfill some basic requirements. Current zero
crossing should be created to interrupt the current
once a fault occurs. At the same time the energy
that is stored in the system’s inductance should be
dissipated and the breaker should withstand the
voltage response of the network. There are two
types of HVDC circuit breakers: electromechanical
and solid-state. Electromechanical can be grouped
into three categories: (1) inverse voltage generating
method, (2) divergent current oscillating method,
and (3) inverse current injecting method. Only the
inverse current injecting method can be used in
high voltage and current ratings. In this type of
breaker, current zero can be created by
superimposing an inverse current (of high
frequency) on the input current by dis-charging a
capacitor (that was precharged) through an
inductor. (Explained on next section) The cost of
components required for an electromechanical DC
circuit breaker would not be significantly higher
than that of an AC circuit breaker.
Electromechanical HVDC circuit breakers are
available up to 500 kV, 5 kA and have a fault-
clearing time of the order of 100 ms. [1] Solid-state
circuit breakers are the second type of HVDC
breakers. These breakers can interrupt current
much faster (which is required in some cases) than
electromechanical circuit breakers, having an
interruption time of a few milliseconds. They are
based on Integrated Gate Commutated Thyristors
(IGCT), which compared to IGBT (bipolar thyristors)
have lower on-state losses. Current flows through
the IGCT and in order to interrupt, the IGCT is
turned off. Once that happens, voltage quickly
increases until a varistor (that is in parallel to the
thyristor) starts to conduct. The varistor is designed
to block voltages above the voltage level of the
system. The main disadvantages of these types of
circuit breakers are the high on-
state losses and the capital costs.
The main application of the HVDC circuit
breaker is to interrupt the high voltage
direct current flows in the network. AC
circuit breaker easily interrupts the arc at
natural current zero in the AC wave. At
zero current, the energy to be interrupted
is also zero. The contact gap has to
recover the dielectric strength to
withstand natural transient recovery
voltage.

With DC circuit breakers, the problem is

more complex as the DC waveform does
not have natural current zeros. Forced
arc interruption would produce high
transient recovery voltage and restrike
without arc interruption and ultimate
destruction of the breaker contacts. In
designing of HVDC circuit breakers, there
 are three main problems to be overcome.
These problems are

 Creation of artificial current zero.

 Prevention of restrikes arc.
 Dissipation of stored energy.
The artificial current zero principles are
used in HVDC circuit breakers for arc
extinction. By introducing a parallel L-C
circuit, the arc current is subjected to
oscillations. These oscillations are severe
and have several artificial current zeros.
The breaker extinguishes the arc at one
of the artificial current zeros. The crest
current of the oscillation must be greater
than the direct current to be interrupted.

A series resonant circuit with L and C is

connected across the main contact M of a
conventional DC circuit breaker through
an auxiliary contact S1,  and resistor R is
connected through contact S2. Under
normal operating conditions, main
contact M and charging contact S2 remain
closed, and the capacitor C is charged to
line voltage through the high resistance
R. Contact S1is open and has line voltage
across it.

For interrupting main

circuit current Id, the operating
mechanism open contact S2 and closes
contact S1. This indicates discharge of
capacitor C through inductance L, main
contact M and auxiliary contact S1 setting
up an oscillatory current shown in the
figure below. Thus, artificial current zeros
are created, and the circuit breaker main
contact M is opened at a current zero.
After that, contact S1 is opened, and
contact S2 is closed.