Electrical Installation

Lab Session 1: Circuits with

Contacts
Pushbuttons:
Normally Open (NO): when actuated contacts are closed
until released. When released contacts return to initial
position & circuit interrupted
Actuating contactors, solenoid valves & controllers, ON
pushbuttons
Normally Closed (NC): when actuated contacts are open
until released. When released contacts return to initial
position & circuit closed
Actuating contactors, solenoid valves & controllers, OFF
pushbuttons
Switches:
NO: when actuated contacts are closed & remain closed
even when released. When actuated again contacts are
open & remain open
ON/OFF switches (light, etc) , control switches
NC: when actuated contacts are open & remain open even
when released. When actuated again contacts are closed &
remain closed
ON/OFF switches (light, etc) , control switches
Contactors
Contactors: electrically turn ON or OFF high
current loads (motor & non-motor).
switch large amount of electrical power
Used for 3-phase circuits: L1, L2, L3, N, PE
It does NOT provide overload protection,
protection must be provided separately
Overload heaters: low-resistance strip of metal
when motor draws over current, they heat up, a
NC contact (in series with contactor) opens & de-
energizes contactor, cutting power from motor
Contactors
Operation:
Control circuit: low current level (lower than high
power that contactor switches). Connected to
auxiliary contacts (coil terminals) to energize main
contacts & close them (close circuit) & activate
motor
Primary circuit: motor connection (high power) from
power supply to motor

Contactor coil with
terminals A1 & A2
Fixed iron coil
Moving iron coil
Spring
Moving contact (connected
mechanically to moving iron
coil)
Spring
Fixed contact to
terminals 13 & 14
(NO contacts)
Contactors
Applications:
Motor control & protection
Central control of large lighting installation
Connected to PB & switches to control circuits
remotely

This experiment: Commissioning a stirrer
The stirrer is a 3-phase asynchronous motor with
squirrel-cage rotor
asynchronous: has speed < synchronous speed
synchronous speed = speed of magnetic field in
conductor
squirrel-cage rotor: rotor is carried around with
magnetic field of motor but at slower rate of rotation
slip

There are 2 ways to connect the squirrel-cage rotor
Star configuration
Delta Configuration

This experiment: Commissioning a
stirrer
This experiment is divided into 2 parts:

Control the motor in inching operation
motor runs only when PB pressed & as long as its
held
Control the motor with Self-holding circuit
motor turns on with ON PB (PB1) and stays on until
turned off by OFF PB (PB2)
Inching Operation
Primary circuit: 3-pole CB, contactor, motor with
PE
Control circuit: circuit closed (contactor energized
i.e. current goes through auxiliary contacts) only
when PB ON.
1-pole CB, PB NO, contactor
Self-holding Circuit
Primary circuit: 3-pole CB, contactor, motor with
PE
Control circuit:
contactor energized when PB1 ON (so PB1 NO),
but remains ON after released
contactor short-circuits PB1 (PB1 has no more
role) i.e. contactor in parallel to PB1 (use aux. block
of contactor following the numbers)
when PB2 pressed, contactor OFF so PB2 NC
Contactor not energized again till PB1 actuated