circuit breaker / relay (máy đóng tắt / aptomat / rơ le bảo vệ)

types & components

https://www.eaton.com/ph/en-us/products/electrical-circuit-protection/circuit-breakers/circuit-breakers-
fundamentals.html

https://www.dfliq.net/blog/different-types-of-circuit-breakers/

a) Components

5 main components that are universal across the different types of CB.

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 Frame – Protects internal parts of the circuit breaker from outside materials
 The circuit breaker frame provides the rigidity and strength required to successfully deal with the interruption
process and achieve the desired interrupting ratings. It insulates and isolates the electrical current in order to
protect people and equipment during use or operation. Frames can be made from metal or molded insulating
materials.

- Metal frame: is assembled from precise metal pieces that are bolted and welded together to form the frame.
Eaton offers low voltage power CB and medium voltage vacuum breakers with metal frames.
- Molded Insulated Frame: Molded case frames are made from strong insulating materials such as glass-polyester
or thermoset composite resins (plastic frames). Eaton offers miniature CB, molded case CB, insulated case CB
and low voltage power CB in molded case frames.
 Operating mechanism – Provides a means of opening and closing the circuit breaker – two types
- Over Toggle

The function of the operating mechanism is to provide a means of opening and closing the circuit breaker. This toggle
mechanism is the quick-make, quick-break type, meaning that the speed with which the contacts snap open or close is
independent of how fast the handle is moved.

In addition to indicating whether the breaker is ON or OFF, the operating mechanism handle indicates when the breaker
is tripped by mobbing to a position midway between the ON and OFF.

Eaton’s residential, miniature and molded case CB utilize over-toggle mechanism.

- Two Step Stored Energy

The two-step stored energy mechanism is used when a large amount of energy is required to close the circuit breaker
and when it needs to close rapidly. The major advantages of this mechanism are rapid reclosing and safety. Rapid
reclosing is achieved by storing charged energy in a separate closing spring. Safety is achieved by providing remote
charging of the spring.

The two-step stored energy process is designed to charge the closing spring and release energy to close the circuit
breaker. It uses separate opening and closing springs. This is important because it permits the closing spring to be
charged independently of the opening process. This allows for an open-close-open duty cycle. The closing spring can be
charged (or recharged) manually via a charging handle or electrically via a motor. The motor can be operated remotely,
allowing maximum safety for the operator.

 Contacts – Allows the current to flow through the circuit breaker when closed.

Contacts are found in the arc interruption chamber (in low voltage CB) and in the vacuum interrupter (in medium voltage
vacuum CB).

The contact assembly consists of the movable contact, the movable contact arm, the stationary contact and the
stationary conductor.

As the circuit breaker opens or closes, the fixed contact moves to close (make) or open (break) the circuit. The contacts
are designed to protect against two fault conditions: Overcurrent (thermal overload) & Short Circuit (magnetic)
  Arc extinguisher – Extinguishes an arc when the circuit breaker interrupts a fault.

An arc is a discharge of electric current crossing a gap between two contacts. An arc extinguisher is the component of
the circuit breaker that extinguishes an arc when the contacts are opened. CB must be designed to control them because
arcs cannot be prevented.

The six methods used in the electrical industry to manage electrical arcs: Arc chute, Vacuum interrupter, SF6, Minimum
oil, Magnetic Coil, Puffer

 Trip unit – Opens the operating mechanism in the event of a prolonged overload or short circuit.

The function of a trip unit is to trip or open the operating mechanism in the event of a prolonged overload or short
circuit fault condition such as thermal overload, short circuit currents and specialty faults. To accomplish this, an
electromechanical or a solid state trip unit is provided.

b) Types: based on voltage, installation location, external design and interrupting mechanism
 Based on Voltage
- Low voltage CB-These breakers are rated for use at low voltages up to 2 kV and are mainly used in small-scale
industries.

MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker)-The current ratings for this breaker are less than 100A and has only one over-current
protection built within it. The trip settings are not adjustable in this circuit.

MCCB (Moulded Case CB)-Current ratings for these breakers are higher than 1000A. They have earth fault protection
along with current protection. The trip settings of the Molded Case Circuit Breaker can be adjusted easily.

- High voltage CB-These breakers are rated for use at voltages greater than 2 kV. High voltage CB are further
subdivided into transmission class breakers: Those which are rated 123 kV and above & Medium voltage class
(lesser than 72 kV) CB

Air circuit breaker– This breaker uses air as an insulating and interrupting medium. The breaker is sub-classified into two
types

+ Low voltage circuit breaker whose value lies below 1000 V

+ High voltage circuit breaker whose value is 1000 V and above. It is further classified into oil CB and the oil-less circuit
breaker

Oil circuit breaker-It uses oil as an interrupting and insulating medium. These breakers are divided into two types based
on the pressure and amount of oil used.

Vacuum CB-These breakers use vacuum as the interrupting medium due to its high dielectric and diffusive properties.
SF6 circuit breaker: In the SF6 circuit breaker, the current-carrying contacts operate in sulfur hexafluoride gas is known as
an SF6 circuit breaker. It is an excellent insulating property and high electro-negativity. It can be understood that, the
high affinity of absorbing free electrons. The negative ion is formed when a free electron collides with the SF6 gas
molecule; it is absorbed by that gas molecule. SF6 is 100 times more effective in arc quenching media than an air circuit
breaker. It is used for both medium and high voltage electrical power system from 33KV to 800KV.

-
 By Installation Location
- Indoor CB-These are designed to use inside the buildings or in weather-resistant enclosures. They are typically
operated at a medium voltage with a metal clad switchgear enclosure.
- Outdoor CB-You can use these breakers outdoors without any roof due to their design. Their external enclosure
arrangement is strong compared to the indoor breakers and can withstand wear and tear.
 Based on External Design
- Dead tank CB-The breakers whose enclosed tank is at ground potential are known as dead tank CB. Their tank
encloses all the insulating and interrupting medium. In other words, the tank is shorted to ground or it is at dead
potential.
- Live tank CB-These breakers have a tank housing interrupter that is at a potential above the ground. It is above
the ground with some insulation medium in between.
 By Interrupting Mechanism
- Air circuit breaker, oil circuit breaker, vacuum circuit breaker, MCB, MCCB also can be classified in this category
- Single pole circuit breaker – This breaker has one hot wire and one neutral wire that operate at 120 V. When
there is a fault, it will interrupt just the hot wire.
- Double pole circuit breaker-This is used for 220 V. There are two hot wires and both the poles need to be
interrupted.
- GFI or GFCI circuit breaker (Ground fault circuit interrupter)-These are safety switches that trip on ground fault
current. The GFCI breaker interrupts the electrical circuit when it detects the slightest variance between phase
and neutral wires.
- Arc Fault circuit interrupter (AFCI)-The AFCI breaker interrupts the circuit during excessive arc conditions and
prevents fire. Under the normal arcing condition, this breaker will be idle and won’t interrupt the circuit.

- GFI or GFCI circuit breaker (Ground fault circuit interrupter)-These are safety switches that trip on ground fault
current. The GFCI breaker interrupts the electrical circuit when it detects the slightest variance between phase
and neutral wires.

- Arc Fault circuit interrupter (AFCI)-The AFCI breaker interrupts the circuit during excessive arc conditions and
prevents fire. Under the normal arcing condition, this breaker will be idle and won’t interrupt the circuit.

Thermal CB and magnetic CB can be used with both AC and DC currents. However, the design and specifications of the
breaker may differ for each type of current. It's important to check the manufacturer's specifications to ensure the
correct type of circuit breaker is used for the specific application. Both thermal circuit breaker and magnetic circuit
breaker can be used for high or low voltage applications, depending on their design and rated. They are commonly used
in electrical systems and equipment to protect against overloads, short circuits, and other electrical faults. The voltage
rating and other specifications of the circuit breaker should be chosen based on the specific application and electrical
requirements
Hi guys, Im Duong, and now I am going to present to you about the components and types of CB.

1. Components. Different CB have different components and structures, but today I will only present five most
common and basic components that almost every circuit breaker has.

 Frame - provides the rigidity and strength to protect people and internal parts from outside materials. Frames
can be made from metal or molded insulating materials.

 Operating mechanism – Provides a means of opening and closing the circuit breaker

 Contacts – Allows the current to flow through the circuit breaker when closed. The contacts are designed to
protect against two fault conditions: Overcurrent & Short Circuit

 Arc extinguisher – Basically, it extinguishes an arc when the circuit breaker interrupts a fault.

 Trip unit – Opens the operating mechanism in the event of a prolonged overload or short circuit fault condition

2. Types: based on voltage, installation location, and interruption mechanism

a. Voltage: CB are classified according to their voltage rating or the amount of power that can pass through. A
circuit breaker can fall into three categories;

High-Voltage CB
High voltage CB (which handles more than 72,000 volts) are not the common ones you see in the building but in a
system with very high voltage such as power transmission lines, usually operated by current transformers and protective
relays. They are very complex but highly capable of minimizing overcurrent.

Medium-Voltage CB

They are used for voltage between 1,000 and 72,000 volts. Also, they can be installed for both indoor and outdoor use.
These CB help in monitoring medium voltages and use protective relays.

Low-Voltage CB
These are the same basic type of CB that you can purchase and see around the workplace.

There are different types of low-voltage CB; Miniature CB (MCB) are used for handling current below 100 amps, ideal for
applications that don’t have high currents. Molded-case CB (MCCB) can handle a current of up to 2500 amps. They are
ideal for higher-power commercial and residential purposes.

b. Interruption Mechanism: The interruption mechanism is how the CB cut the flow of current. There are four
types of interruption mechanisms:

Air CB
In this circuit breaker, the air is the primary insulating and interrupting mechanism. They are either air blast or
air magnetic CB.

Sulfur Hexafluoride CB
In this circuit breaker, Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas is used to extinguish the arc. This gas has a great extinguishing
property, perfect for insulation. Many manufacturers prefer this gas over oil and air.

Vacuum CB
A vacuum medium is used to extinguish the arc in this breaker. The vacuum has a dielectric recovery character that
provides excellent interruption, especially during the high-frequency current
Oil CB
Mineral oil is most often used to break the arc in this type of breaker. Oil is highly preferable to air because of its
insulating properties. It can be classified according to their structural designs into two types:

Dead tank CB are the most preferred in the US. This circuit breaker has an enclosed tank at its ground. The tank encloses
the insulating and interruption mediums. The contact enclosures are not energized and are connected to the ground
grid.

A live tank breaker has the tank above the ground. This tank houses the insulation medium between it. The enclosure
that houses the contacts is energized.

c. Installation Location: Depending on the requirements in different installations, they can be installed indoors or
outdoors.

Indoor CB are designed to be installed in protected enclosures at medium voltage. These breakers should be installed in
buildings for protection from weather conditions.

On the other hand, outdoor CB do not require any protection or roofing. They have stronger enclosure arrangements,
hence it is used for more complex power systems.

In the end, there are much more types of CB like GFCI or AFCI that I cannot mention due to lack of time, but I hope those
information I have presented can help you have a picture of different CB. Next you guys will find out the importance and
future trends of CB presented by vũ.