Circuit

Breakers
Protective devices in Electrical
circuits

Circuit Breaker means ?

A Circuit Breaker is an automatically
operated electrical switch designed to
protect an electrical circuit from damage
caused by overload or short circuit.
A mechanical device used to isolate faulty
circuit
from the main circuit.
A circuit breaker is an equipment designed
to protect an electrical apparatus from
damage caused by overload or short circuit.

Types of Circuit Breakers

Miniature

Circuit Breaker
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker/Residual
Current Circuit Breaker
Earth Leakage Miniature Circuit
Breaker/Residual Circuit Breaker with
Overload
Molded Case Circuit Breaker
Air Circuit Breaker
Vacuum Circuit Breaker
Minimum Oil Circuit Breaker
Sulphur Hexafluoride Circuit Breaker

Miniature Circuit Breaker

It is a low voltage device used to
isolate a circuit from main circuit
under overload or short circuit
condition.

Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker

The

Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker will

trip when leakage current flows through
the tripping circuit to earth under faulty
condition.

It

provide protection against direct and

indirect contact of personnel.

Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker

It is a voltage operated device.
Less sensitive compared to other

Residual Current Circuit Breaker

o It is a current operated device.

Earth Leakage Miniature Circuit

Breaker/RCBO
Earth

Leakage Miniature Circuit Breaker

The Earth Leakage Miniature Circuit Breaker

is a combination of Miniature Circuit Breaker
and Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker.
Residual Current Circuit Breaker with
Overload
The Residual Current Circuit Breaker with
Overload device is a combination of
Miniature Circuit Breaker and Residual
Current Circuit Breaker.

Molded Case Circuit Breaker

Moulded

Case Circuit Breakers are

designed for circuit protection of low
voltage distribution systems. They
are suitable for application as main
breakers and for protection of branch
and feeder circuits and connected
equipment.

Air Circuit Breaker

Compressed

Air Circuit Breaker

High pressure air is forced on the arc
through a nozzle at the instant of
contact separation.
The ionized medium between the
contacts is blown away by the blast of
the air.

Vacuum Circuit Breaker

A

glass vessel or ceramic vessel is used

as the outer insulating body.
The vacuum interrupter comprises a
pair of a fixed and a movable contacts
enclosed in a evacuated housing.
A chamber is evacuated to high vacuum
of the order of 10 mm of mercury.
As the contacts are separated under
high vacuum, the arc is extinguished
near current zero of the wave.

Minimum Oil Circuit Breaker

Small

container having oil which

just enough for arc extinction.
There are two chambers namely
current interruption chamber and
supporting chamber separated
each other.

Sulphur Hexafluoride Circuit Breaker

Inert

gas, having good die

electric and arc extinguishing
properties.
The dielectric strength of the gas
increase with pressure.

Reference
Electrical

energy system 11
by M. RAJALINGAM