Fuse MCB ELCB

Prepared by :
Megha Dwivedi
Ishita Bhatt

Outline
Brief discussion about devices used in panel
Fuse
MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker)
ELCB (Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker)
Operation of pannel.

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Brief discussion about

devices used in panel :
Fuse
MCB
ELCB

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FUSE
In electrical engineering, a fuse is a type of sacrificial over

current protection device.

Its essential component is a metallic strip which melts as
excess current flows through it.
Function of fuse is
(i) to carry the normal working current safely without heating
(ii) to break the circuit when the current exceeds the limiting
current.
Fuse provides protection against short circuits and overloads.

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FUSE- WORKING

[1]

A fuse has a metallic strip

of small cross section area

, mounted between a pair
of electrical terminal.
The fuse is connected in
series with the circuit
through which all the
current will pass.
In case of heavy current,
fuse will melt. This will
break the circuits and
protect the electrical
appliance
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Figure 1

[3]
5

Advantages :
Cheapest form of protection.
Needs no maintenance
Its inverse time characteristics enables its use for overload

protection.

Disadvantages :
Considerable lost of time in rewiring or replacing

fuse.
On heavy short circuits, discrimination between
fuses in series cant be obtained unless there is
considerable differences in relative sizes of fuses
concerned.
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MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKER (MCB )

Figure 2[2]

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Figure 3

[2]

It provides the following protection :

a. over current protection
b. short circuit protection

MCB construction is very simple, robust and maintenance free. Generally a

MCB is not repaired or maintained, it just replaced with an new one.

MCB use an electromechanical (Thermal /Magnetic ) trip unit to open the

breaker contacts during a over current event. The thermal trip unit is
temperature sensitive and the magnetic trip is current sensitive. Both units act
independently and mechanically with the breakers trip mechanism to open the
breakers contacts.

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 Electric current carrying

path of a miniature circuit

breaker shown in the picture
is like follows. First left
hand side power terminal then bimetallic strip then current coil or trip coil then moving contact - then
fixed contact and - lastly
right had side power
terminal. All are arranged in
series.

Figure 4[3]
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Figure 5 [2]
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Overload protection [2]

The thermal trip unit protects against a continuous overload.
The
thermal unit is comprised of a bimetal element located
behind the
circuit breaker trip bar and is part of the breakers current
carrying path.
When there is an overload, the increased current flow heats
the bimetal causing it to bend. As the bimetal bends it pulls
the trip bar which opens the breakers contacts.
The time required for the bimetal to bend and trip the
breaker varies inversely with the current. Because of this,
the tripping time becomes quicker as current increases in
magnitude.

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Figure 6

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 Magnetic trip units (short circuit protection)

[2]

The Magnetic trip unit protects against a short circuit, it

comprises of an electromagnet and an armature. When
there is a short circuit, a high magnitude of current passes
through the coils creating a magnetic field that attracts the
movable armature towards the fixed armature. The hammer
trip is pushed against the movable contact and the contacts
are opened. The opening of the breakers contacts during a
short circuit is complete in 0.5ms

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Figure 7 [2]

12

 The MCB has some advantages compared to fuse :

1. It automatically switches off the electrical circuit during abnormal

condition of the network means in over load condition as well as faulty

condition. The fuse does not sense but MCBdoes it in more reliable way.
MCB is much more sensitive to over current than fuse.
2. Another advantage is, as the switch operating knob comes at its off
position during tripping, the faulty zone of the electrical circuit can easily be
identified. But in case of fuse, fuse wire should be checked by opening fuse
grip or cutout from fuse base, for confirming the blow of fuse wire.
3. Quick restoration of supply cannot be possible in case of fuse as because
fuses have to be rewired or replaced for restoring the supply. But in the case
of MCB, quick restoration is possible by just switching on operation.
4. Handling MCB is more electrically safe than fuse.
Only one disadvantage of MCB over fuse is that this system is more
costlier than fuse unit system.
Specifications of MCB used : 2 pole, 4A,
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EARTH LEAKAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER(ELCB)

[3]

An Earth LeakageCircuit Breaker (ELCB) is a device used to directly

detect currents leaking to earth from an installation and cut the

power and mainly used in earthing systems.
There are two types of ELCBs:
1. Voltage Earth LeakageCircuit Breaker(voltage-ELCB)
2. Current Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (Current-ELCB)
V-ELCBs were first introduced about 60 years ago and I-ELCB was first
introduced about 40 years ago. For many years, the voltage operated
ELCB and the differential current operated ELCB were both referred to
as ELCBs because it was a simpler name to remember. But the use of
a common name for two different devices gave rise to considerable
confusion in the electrical industry.
If the wrong type was used on an installation, the level of protection
given could be substantially less than that intended.
To ignore this confusion, IEC decided to apply the term Residual
Current Device (RCD) to differential current operated ELCBs. Residual
current refers to any current over and above the load current.

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 Current-operated ELCBs are generally known as

Residual-current devices (RCD).

These also protect against earth leakage. Both circuit
conductors (supply and return) are run through a
sensing coil; any imbalance of the currents means the
magnetic field does not perfectly cancel. The device
detects the imbalance and trips the contact.
When the term ELCB is used it usually means a
voltage-operated device. Similar devices that are
current operated are called residual-current devices..

Figure 8
[2]
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Typical RCB circuit

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Figure 9

[3]

16

 In healthy condition, same current passes through phase coil, load coil and

return through neutral coil.

When there is fault or a leakage to earth in the load circuit, or anywhere

between the load circuit and the output connection of the RCB circuit, the
current returning through the neutral coil has been reduced. Then the
magnetic flux inside the transformer core is not balanced anymore. The
total sum of the opposing magnetic flux is no longer zero. This net
remaining flux is what we call a residual flux.
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 The periodically changing residual flux inside the transformer core crosses

path with the winding of the search coil.

This action produces an electromotive force (e.m.f.) across the search coil.
The induced voltage across the search coil produces a current inside the
wiring of the trip circuit.
It is this current that operates the trip coil of the circuit breaker. Since the
trip current is driven by the residual magnetic flux (the resulting flux, the
net effect between both fluxes) between the phase and the neutral coils,it is
called the residual current devise.

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 With a circuit breaker incorporated as part of the circuit, the assembled

system is called residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) or residual current

devise (RCD). The incoming current has to pass through the circuit breaker
first before going to the phase coil. The return neutral path passes through
the second circuit breaker pole. During tripping when a fault is detected,
both the phase and neutral connection is isolated.
Specifications :

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Pannel

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Annunciator

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Supply Circuit

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CT and CBCT

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CORE
BALANCE
TRANSFORMERS [3]

CURRENT

Core Balance Current Transformers (CBCTs) are employed for

providing earth leakage protection in a power system. Theyare

differentfromnormalprotective&meteringcurrent
transformersduetotheirperformancerequirement.
To protect cable circuits and overhead transmission lines with

cable terminations, core balance current transformers are

commonly employed.
CBCTs are manufactured with one core and one secondary
winding. The number of secondary turns does not need to be
related to the cable/feeder rated current because no secondary
current would flow under normal balanced conditions.
When mounted on insulated cables, irrespective of the voltage
ratings of the cables, the insulation level of CBCT shall be
0.66/3 KV.
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Metering Parameters
Ammeter 1 shows reading
of CT.
Ammeter 2 shows reading
from CBCT.

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Fuse MCB ELCB

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Reference
[1] B. A. Oza, Date, Nair and Makwana,

Power System Protection and Switchgear,

Tata McGraw Hill, 2010
[2] ABB user manual for MCB
Web Resources
[3] www.elecrticalengineeringportal.com

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Thank You

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