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Circuit breakers are control devices used to automatically open a circuit during overload conditions, ensuring protection in industrial, commercial, and household applications. They can be classified into thermal, thermal magnetic, and hydraulic magnetic types, with various arc extinction media such as oil, air, SF6 gas, and vacuum. While circuit breakers offer advantages like reliability and quick response, they also have disadvantages including higher installation costs and maintenance requirements.

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5 views

CB

Circuit breakers are control devices used to automatically open a circuit during overload conditions, ensuring protection in industrial, commercial, and household applications. They can be classified into thermal, thermal magnetic, and hydraulic magnetic types, with various arc extinction media such as oil, air, SF6 gas, and vacuum. While circuit breakers offer advantages like reliability and quick response, they also have disadvantages including higher installation costs and maintenance requirements.

Uploaded by

sriramramanan1
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© © All Rights Reserved
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CIRCUIT BREAKERS

The circuit breakers are the control devices which are widely used in industrial, commercial
and household applications. The function of a circuit breaker is to carry a rated current until an
overload occurs. At overload, the breaker opens the circuit automatically. Some of the breakers are
designed to respond quickly, whereas others have a time delay mechanism. Short time delays (a few
seconds) are used to protect electronic equipments. The circuit breakers with longer delays (upto 30
seconds), are used with small motors and some heating equipment.
A circuit breaker is a piece of equipment which can
make or break a circuit either manually or by remote control under normal conditions
break a circuit automatically under fault conditions
Thus a circuit breaker incorporates manual (or remote control) as well as automatic control
for switching functions. The latter control employs relays and operates only under fault conditions.
Main components of circuit breakers –
(i) Thermal bimetal element
(ii) A flexible conductor
(iii) A spring

Operating principle of circuit breaker:


In the normal operation, the circuit current flows through the switch contacts and the bimetal
element. As long as magnitude of the current remains below the rated value of the breaker, the
thermal element does not react sufficiently to trip off the switch. However, if the current increases
beyond the rated value (usually 25% greater than the rated value), the bimetal element expands due
to the increased temperature. This causes the element to bend and open the switch contacts as shown
in the Figure. Higher overload currents create more expansion and therefore, the bimetal element
bends more quickly. This reduces the time delay of opening the switch contacts of the circuit breaker.
Classification of circuit breakers –
The circuit breakers may be broadly classified into three categories namely
1. Thermal
2. Thermal magnetic
3. Hydraulic magnetic.
The circuit breakers are classified based on the medium used for arc extinction. The medium may be
oil, air, sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) or vacuum.
Oil circuit breakers
In this type, an insulating oil (eg: transformer oil) is used as an arc quenching medium. The
contacts are opened under oil and an arc is struck between them. The heat of the arc evaporates the
surrounding oil and dissociates it into a substantial volume of gaseous hydrogen at high pressure.
The oil circuit breakers which uses a large quantity of oil is known as bulk oil circuit
breakers. In this the oil is served for two purposes. One is to extinguish the arc during opening of
contacts and then to insulate the current conducting parts from one another and from the earthed
tank.
The oil circuit breaker which uses a minimum amount of oil is known as low oil circuit
breakers. In this type, oil is used only for arc extinction, the current conducting parts are insulated by
air or porcelain or organic insulating material.
Air Blast circuit breakers
Air blast circuit breakers employ a high pressure air - blast as an arc quenching medium. The
contacts are used in a flow of air-blast established by the opening of blast valve. The air – blast cools
the arc and sweeps away the arcing products to the atmosphere. This rapidly increases the dielectric
strength of the medium between contacts and prevents from re-establishing the arc. Consequently the
arc is distinguished and flow of current is interrupted.
Depending upon the direction of air-blast in relation to the arc, air-blast circuit breakers are classified
as
(i) Axial – blast type: Here the air-blast is directed along the arc path.
(ii) Cross-blast type: In this the air – blast is directed at right angle to the arc path.
(iii) Radial-blast type: The air – blast is directed radially.
Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) circuit breakers
In this type, Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas is used as the arc quenching medium. The
contacts of the breaker are opened in a high pressure flow of SF 6 gas and an arc is struck between
them. The conducting free electrons in the arc are rapidly captured by the gas to form relatively
immobile negative ions. This loss of conducting electrons in the arc quickly builds up enough
insulation strength. The SF6 circuit breakers have been found to be very effective for high power
voltage service.
Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCB)
Vacuum circuit breakers are the one that uses vacuum (degree of vacuum in the range from
10-7 to 10-5 torr) is used as the arc quenching medium. When the contacts of the breaker are opened
in vacuum, an arc is produced between the contacts by the ionisation of metal vapours of contacts.
However the arc is quickly extinguished because the metallic vapours, electrons and ions produced
during arc rapidly condense on the surfaces of the circuit breaker contacts, resulting in quick
recovery of dielectric strength.
ADVANTAGES OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS
● It protects from damage caused by flow of excessive current.
● It is more reliable and sensitive
● Circuit-breakers respond quicker than fuses.
● It can be reset as it operates via a switch.
● It is very sensitive in operation.
● The risk of fire is eliminated while using SF6 circuit breaker because SF6 gas is non-inflammable.
● Due to the superior arc quenching property of SF6, SF6 circuit breakers have very short arcing
time.
● Since the dielectric strength of SF6 gas is 2 to 3 times that of air, such breakers can interrupt much
larger currents.
● The SF6 circuit breaker gives noiseless operation due to its closed gas circuit and no exhaust to
atmosphere unlike the air blast circuit breaker.

DISADVANTAGES OF CIRCUIT BREAKER


● Installation and repair is expensive as compared to fuse.
● Fuse reacts faster compared to circuit breakers
● Requires regular maintenance in medium voltage applications.
● In oil circuit breakers, there is a possible risk of formation of the explosive mixture with air.
● Oil may be flammable and cause fire hazards if a defective oil circuit breaker should fail under
pressure and generate an explosion.
● No practical method available to observe the vacuum inside the bottle.
● Vacuum circuit breakers are generally limited to voltages of up to 36 kV.
● More expensive than other types of switchgear
● Decomposed SF6 products are toxic and should be handled with proper care.

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