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Circuit Breaker, Power System

Residual Current Circuit Breakers

(ELCB, RCCB, RCBO)
ELECTRICAL ENGR - 12:39

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ELCB is short form of Earth Leakage

Circuit Breaker which is a Residual
Current device (RCD). RCCB is also
another synonym for ELCB definition
of which is Residual Current
Operating Circuit Breaker.
A Residual Current Device (RCCB,

SF6 Circuit Breaker

VacuumCircuit Breaker
MiniatureCircuit Breaker
Earth LeakageCircuit Breaker
Residual CurrentCircuit
Breaker
Moulded CaseCircuit Breaker
Circuit Breaker Ratings

ELCB, RCBO etc.) is a device that is

designed to provide protection
against electrocution or electrical
fires by cutting off the flow of electric
automatically when it senses a
'leakage' of electric current from a
circuit.
Residual Current Devices have the

following Specifications
Sensitivity - milli Amperes (mA)
Current Rating - Amperes (A)
Short Circuit Rating - Kilo Amperes (kA)
Poles - 2 Pole or 4 Pole

Operating Principle of a Residual Current

Device

The basic operating principle of a residual current device is given in the

figure below.

Operating principle of Residual Current Circuit Breaker

When the load is connected to the supply through theResidual Current

Device (RCD), the line and neutral conductors are connected through
primary windings on a toroidal transformer. In this arrangement the
secondary winding is used as a sensing coil and is electrically connected
to a sensitive relay or solid state switching device, the operation of which
triggers the tripping mechanism.
When the line and neutral currents are balanced, as in a healthy circuit,
they produce equal and opposite magnetic fluxes in the transformer core
with the result that there is no current generated in the sensing coil. (For
this reason the transformer is also known as a 'core balance
transformer').
When the line and neutral currents are not balanced they create an outof-balance flux. This will induce a current in the secondary winding
which is used to operate the tripping mechanism. It is important to note
that both the line and neutral conductors pass through the toroid.
A common cause of unwanted tripping is failure to connect the neutral
through the RCD, RCDs work equally well on single phase, three phase or
three phase and neutral circuits, but when the neutral is distributed it is
essential that it passes through the toroid.
Test Circuit
A test circuit is always incorporated in the RCD. Typically the operation
of the test button connects a resistive load between the line conductor on
the load-side of the RCD and the supply neutral.

Working of a Residual Current Device

In an RCD, the line and neutral conductors of a circuit pass through a
sensitive current transformer. If the line and neutral currents are equal
and opposite, the core remain balanced (Figure A).

If there is an earth fault the neutral current will be lower than the line
current. This imbalance produces an output from the current
transformer which is used to trip the RCD and so break the circuit (Figure
B).

Working of Residual Current Device

RCDs normally don't offer protection against current overloads: RCDs

detect an imbalance between the live and neutral currents. A current
overload, however large, cannot be detected. If a line neutral fault occurs
(a short circuit, or an overload), the RCD won't trip, and may get
damaged.
In practice, the main Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) for the premises
will probably trip, or the service fuse so the situation is unlikely to lead to
catastrophe, but it may be inconvenient.
It is now possible to get an MCB and RCD in a single unit, called an RCBO.
Replacing an MCB with an RCBO of the same rating is generally safe.
RCBO is Residual Current Circuit Breaker with Overcurrent Protection.
Standard ratings available are 25A, 40A, 63A and 100A
Standard Sensitivities available are 30mA. 100mA, 300mA and optionally

10mA is also available. Electromechanical RCCBs are designed to operate

on normal supply waveforms and cannot be guaranteed to operate
where none standard waveforms are generated by loads. The most
common is the half wave rectified waveform sometimes called pulsating
dc generated by Computers, Speed control devices (VFD) and even
dimmers.

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