9/13/2015

StandardsanddescriptionofcircuitbreakersElectricalInstallationGuide

Standardsanddescriptionofcircuitbreakers
FromElectricalInstallationGuide

Contents
1Standards
2Description

Standards
IndustrialcircuitbreakersmustcomplywithIEC609471and609472
orotherequivalentstandards.
DomestictypecircuitbreakersmustcomplywithIECstandard60898,or
anequivalentnationalstandard

ForindustrialLVinstallationstherelevantIECstandardsare,orareduetobe:
609471:generalrules
609472:part2:circuitbreakers
609473:part3:switches,disconnectors,switchdisconnectorsandfusecombinationunits
609474:part4:contactorsandmotorstarters
609475:part5:controlcircuitdevicesandswitchingelements
609476:part6:multiplefunctionswitchingdevices
609477:part7:ancillaryequipment
609478:Part8:Controlunitsforbuiltinthermalprotection(PTC)forrotatingelectrical
machines.
FordomesticandsimilarLVinstallations,theappropriatestandardisIEC60898,oranequivalent
nationalstandard.

Description
FigureH24showsschematicallythemainpartsofaLVcircuitbreakeranditsfouressentialfunctions:
Thecircuitbreakingcomponents,comprisingthefixedandmovingcontactsandthearcdividing
chamber
Thelatchingmechanismwhichbecomesunlatchedbythetrippingdeviceondetectionof
abnormalcurrentconditions
Thismechanismisalsolinkedtotheoperationhandleofthebreaker.
http://www.electricalinstallation.org/enwiki/Standards_and_description_of_circuitbreakers

1/3

9/13/2015

StandardsanddescriptionofcircuitbreakersElectricalInstallationGuide

Atripmechanismactuatingdevice:
Either:athermalmagneticdevice,inwhichathermallyoperatedbimetalstripdetectsanoverload
condition,whileanelectromagneticstrikerpinoperatesatcurrentlevelsreachedinshortcircuit
conditions,or
Anelectronicrelayoperatedfromcurrenttransformers,oneofwhichisinstalledoneachphase
Aspaceallocatedtotheseveraltypesofterminalcurrentlyusedforthemainpowercircuit
conductors

Fig.H24:Mainpartsofacircuitbreaker
Domesticcircuitbreakers(seeFig.H25)complyingwithIEC60898andsimilarnationalstandards
performthebasicfunctionsof:
Isolation
Protectionagainstovercurrent

Fig.H25:Domestictypecircuitbreakerprovidingovercurrentprotectionandcircuitisolationfeatures
Somemodelscanbeadaptedtoprovidesensitivedetection(30mA)ofearthleakagecurrentwithCB
tripping,bytheadditionofamodularblock,whileothermodels(RCBOs,complyingwithIEC61009
andCBRscomplyingwithIEC609472AnnexB)havethisresidualcurrentfeatureincorporatedas
showninFigureH26.

Fig.H26:Domestictypecircuitbreakerasabove(Fig.H25)withincorparatedprotectionagainst
electricshocks
Apartfromtheabovementionedfunctionsfurtherfeaturescanbeassociatedwiththebasiccircuit
breakerbymeansofadditionalmodules,asshowninFigureH27notablyremotecontroland
indication(onofffault).

Fig.H27:Acti9systemofLVmodularswitchgearcomponents

http://www.electricalinstallation.org/enwiki/Standards_and_description_of_circuitbreakers

2/3

9/13/2015

StandardsanddescriptionofcircuitbreakersElectricalInstallationGuide

MouldedcasecircuitbreakerscomplyingwithIEC609472areavailablefrom100to630Aand
provideasimilarrangeofauxiliaryfunctionstothosedescribedabove(seeFigureH28).

Fig.H28:ExampleofaCompactNSXindustrialtypeofcircuitbreakercapableofnumerousauxiliary
functions
Aircircuitbreakersoflargecurrentratings,complyingwithIEC609472,aregenerallyusedinthe
mainswitchboardandprovideprotectorforcurrentsfrom630Ato6300A,typically.
(seeFigureH29).
Inadditiontotheprotectionfunctions,theMicrologicunitprovidesoptimizedfunctionssuch
asmeasurement(includingpowerqualityfunctions),diagnosis,communication,controland
monitoring.

Fig.H29:Exampleofaircircuitbreakers.Masterpactprovidesmanycontrolfeaturesinits
Micrologictrippingunit
Retrievedfrom"http://www.electricalinstallation.org/enw/index.php?
title=Standards_and_description_of_circuitbreakers&oldid=14935"
Category: ChapterLVswitchgear:functionsandselection
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon10December2013,at16:13.

http://www.electricalinstallation.org/enwiki/Standards_and_description_of_circuitbreakers

3/3