Fault Protect

(Cont.)
• Names the three types of over current protection
relay and describe principle of operation of each
• Explain the advantage and disadvantage of high
rupturing-capacity
• Name the protection provide against:
-Short circuit
-small overload
• Describe the procedure when-
Construction
An HRC fuse is a type of cartridge fuse, in which the fuse element is enclosed
within a transparent capsule, usually made up of steatite–a ceramic material
having good mechanical strength. Manufacturers are now using epoxy resins
instead of ceramic material. The capsule is provided with two end caps. The fuse
element is connected between end caps within the body. The whole setup is
designed such that it can withstand the high pressure developed under short
circuit conditions. Powdered quartz, which acts as an arc extinguishing agent, fills
the space between the fuse element and the envelope.

Fuse Element
Silver or copper is normally used as the fuse element due to its low specific
resistance. The fuse element normally has two or more sections joint by means of
tin joints. Tin has a lower melting point of 2400 C that is three times lesser than the
melting point of silver (980o C). Hence the melting of tin joints prevents the fuse
from attaining high temperatures during overload and short circuit conditions.
A fuse is a protection device used to protect a device or a circuit from severe damage caused due to
overcurrent or short circuit faults.
High rupturing capacity (HRC) fuses are totally enclosed fuses with definitely known, high breaking
capacities which have been developed after intensive research by manufacturers and supply engineers.
Process of Fusing
On the occurrence of a fault, the current flowing through the fuse element exceeds its
predefined maximum value and the temperature of the fusing element rises and results in the
following:
1.Melting of silver elements (pre-arcing)
2.Vaporization of the elements (Arcing)
3.Fusion of silver vapor and filling powder
4.Arc extinction

Fuse Action
Normally the fuse elements are connected in the middle by a tin bridge. This tin bridge has a
precise melting point of 230 oC. Once the temperature of the element rises above this
temperature, the tin bridge starts melting. Thereby an arc is established between the molten
ends of the fuse element. The temperature produced by the arc is sufficient for the sudden
melting of the remaining fuse element. The silver vapor thus produced reacts with the quartz
powder filling. The chemical reaction between silver vapor and filling powder establishes a high
resistance between ends of the blown out fuse elements.
Gradually, this high resistance changes over into insulator and the current is cut off. A transient
voltage is created within the fuse at the instant of fault current interruption. The temperature
and the internal pressure of the fuse increase to a higher value.
HRC fuses are sometimes used as backup protection for the circuit breakers. The characteristic
of the fuse and the circuit breaker is coordinated as such that all the faults within the range of
the circuit breaker are cleared by it, whereas those beyond its range are cleared by the fuse.
Preferred rating of HRC fuses are 2, 4, 6, 10, 16, 25, 30, 50, 63, 80, 100, 125, 160, 200, 250,
320, 400, 500, 630, 800, 1000, and 1250 amperes.
 High rupturing capacity HRC fuses

High Capacity HRC Cartridge Fuses

This type of fuse was developed by General Electric Company. In this of fuse, the breaking capacity is
increased by using two or more separate silver elements in parallel. The sizes of the elements are varied so
that the elements fuse in a sequence, one after the other. The body is made up of cylindrical ceramic
material and is closed by metallic end caps to which the fuse elements are fixed. The fuse elements are
surrounded by silica, which acts as the arc quenching medium. An indicator, normally a fine resistance
wire, is connected in parallel to the fuse element. In this type of fuse, the whole fault current is not shed
immediately due to the usage of more than one fuse element. This construction avoids voltage transients
in the circuit.
Advantages of HRC fuses

1. When compared to other circuit interrupters of same capacity HRC fuses are the cheaper one.
2. Simple and easy to install.
3. No maintenance required.
4. High breaking capacity.
5. They are consistent in performance.
6. Their inverse time characteristic makes them much suited for overload protection.
7. They are capable of clearing high as well as low currents.
8. Quick operation.
9. They are capable clearing high as well as low currents.
10. During severe faults, an HRC fuse breaks the circuit before the peak current of the fault is reached.
Disadvantages

1. These fuses once blown out cannot be reused.

2. Causes over heating of adjacent contacts.
3. The possibility of interlocking is greater.
Protection against short circuits and overload
An overload current is caused in a faultfree circuit through the overload of a single
load or multiple loads operated simultaneously that exceed the permissible total
current. By contrast, a short circuit is a conducting connection, e.g. phase – neutral
conductor, caused by a fault. Short circuits in electrical plants can occur suddenly
and conduct extremely high voltages that are discharged explosively. Wherever they
occur, their destructive potential is enormous. If there are no protective measures in
place against short circuits or overload, cables may overheat, possibly leading to a
fire or to damage to the plants.

Effectively interrupting overcurrent

According to the requirements outlined in international standards and installation
requirements, electrical equipment, including cables and conductors, must be
effectively protected against overload and short circuits by implementing relevant
protective measures. In order to guarantee this, overload protection devices must
interrupt the current before insulation, connection points, terminals or areas
adjacent to the conductors may be damaged
Comprehensive line protection
For overcurrent protection, DIN VDE 0100 Part 430 [1] is applicable as a joint
standard. MCBs and fuse systems are used above all in building installations. For
optimal protection of the plant and its devices, it is imperative to take a closer look at
selectivity and backup protection.
Graded disconnection
In the event of a fault, selectivity enables the triggering only of the protective
device that is closest to the fault, without addressing the upstream protective
device. Selectivity limits the consequences of a fault to a minimum and ensures
high plant availability.

Effective switching device protection

Backup protection devices protects MCBs, RCCBs and other devices in the circuit
as the upstream protection devices safeguards the downstream protection
devices from excessive short-circuit current. This is necessary if a device is not
able to switch the prospective short-circuit current without a backup in case of a
fault. Miniature circuit breakers, for example, have a rated breaking capacity of
10 kA, which is sufficient in most household-like applications. In non-residential
buildings, short-circuit currents higher than 10 kA may well occur, which makes
backup protection necessary.
 Fault Protect
(Cont.)
• Explain how status indicator lamps are usually
supplied with power
• Describe the procedure if fault develops with a
miniature circuit breaker
• Adjusts, maintains and test fault protection
normal encounter
• Status Indicators
• Most UPSes come with a variety of indicators to tell you the current status of the
UPS. These normally come in two basic categories. Visual indicators (usually LEDs)
are used to indicate the general status of the UPS as well as problem
conditions. Audible indicators, sometimes called alarms, are used to draw
attention to problem situations specifically. The exact number and type of
indicators varies from model to model, with more expensive units generally having
more of each type. As always, check your user manual for details.
• These are some of the typical status indicators that you will find on a typical UPS:
• Online: An LED that turns on when the unit is running on line power. For a typical
standby or line interactive UPS, this is the light that is on during normal operation.
• On Battery: An LED that is on when the UPS is running on battery power. The
"Online" LED will be out.
• Overload: This light will illuminate if you try to power up more equipment than
the unit can handle. You may need to resize the UPS or use less demanding
equipment.
• Site Wiring Fault: This LED may be in the back of the unit instead of the front.
When powered on, the UPS will test the three signals that come into it from its
power cord: the hot, neutral and ground pins on the plug. Possible problems
include the socket having the hot and neutral lines reversed, or the ground
disconnected, for example. If this LED is lit, it is an indication of a possible problem
in the circuit feeding the UPS, not the unit itself. You should have a qualified
electrician examine the circuit.
Wiring fault indicator LED from the back of a UPS.
• Replace Battery: As mentioned in the section discussing the battery, the UPS will check
the battery periodically to ensure that it is charging properly and staying within operating
parameters. If the battery fails the test, this LED will be illuminated, indicating that the
battery needs to be replaced.
• Note: Some units will illuminate the "Replace Battery" LED when the battery is low due to
having been discharged during a power failure. Always try to charge the battery by
plugging in the UPS and leaving it off before concluding that the battery is shot.
• Low Battery: Some UPSes have an LED that will illuminate when the UPS detects that the
battery is almost exhausted, warning that shutdown is imminent. (The UPS will not
normally drain the battery fully, as this can damage it.)
• Battery Status: Larger and more expensive units will often include an array of several
LEDs that show how full the battery is. For example, some models have five green LEDs in
a vertical "bar graph" configuration; when all five are lit the battery is 100% full, when
only four are lit it is 80% full and so on. This can be very helpful during extended power
outages.
• Load Status: Similar to the battery status LEDs, some units have an array of LEDs that
show (approximately of course) what percentage of the unit's maximum capacity is
currently being drawn by equipment that it is powering. This can be used to dynamically
determine how much more capacity the UPS has as you plug equipment into it.
• Note: Some units intentionally make some of the LEDs flash in "railroad-crossing" or
"marquee" patterns to tell you if the unit has shut down due to its battery running low
after a power failure. Check your unit's manual. Any unusual illumination or flashing of
one or more LEDs on your UPS that is not mentioned in your user manual may be an
indication of a problem within the unit. If so, contact your manufacturer's technical
support department.
 Diagram of the status LEDs of a
consumer-grade APC UPS,
showing the symbol associated
with each LED, as well as
the location of the main power
switch.

The second thing to keep in mind is that this button needs to be protected from accidental (or
mischievous) access. I have found that on many UPSes the position of the main switch is such that it
can easily be pressed by accident. If this happens, of course, your equipment will shut down, negating
the advantage the UPS provided in the first place. A better design would be to have the switch on the
back of the unit, or have it protected with a cover. You can easily rig something yourself to protect a
switch that is too easy to press, though it might be pretty ugly.
Finally, if the UPS unit is not plugged in (for example, if it is being stored or transported) make sure the
power is off and cannot be turned on by accident. Otherwise, the UPS will interpret the situation as
being plugged in with the AC power off, and the batteries will be drained!
MCBs or Miniature Circuit Breakers are electromechanical devices which protect an electrical
circuit from an overcurrent. The overcurrent, in an electrical circuit, may result from short
circuit, overload or faulty design. An MCB is a better alternative to a Fuse since it does not
require replacement once an overload is detected. Unlike fuse, an MCB can be easily reset and
thus offers improved operational safety and greater convenience without incurring large
operating cost.
The principal of operation is simple. An MCB functions by interrupting the continuity of electrical flow
through the circuit once a fault is detected. In simple terms MCB is a switch which automatically turns off
when the current flowing through it passes the maximum allowable limit. Generally MCB are designed to
protect against over current and over temperature faults (over heating).

There are two contacts one is fixed and the other moveable. When the current exceeds the predefined
limit a solenoid forces the moveable contact to open (i.e., disconnect from the fixed contact) and the MCB
turns off thereby stopping the current to flow in the circuit. In order to restart the flow of current the MCB
is manually turned on. This mechanism is used to protect from the faults arising due to over current or
over load.
To protect against fault arising due to over heating or increase in temperature a bi-metallic strip is used.
MCBs are generally designed to trip within 2.5 millisecond when an over current fault arises. In case of
temperature rise or over heating it may take 2 seconds to 2 minutes for the MCB to trip.
This article covers the insight of a single pole MCB commonly used in the house hold. The following image
shows the different internal parts of an MCB with top casing removed. The subsequent sections will
examine each part and its function.
• The principal of operation is simple. An MCB functions by interrupting the continuity of electrical flow through the
circuit once a fault is detected. In simple terms MCB is a switch which automatically turns off when the current
flowing through it passes the maximum allowable limit. Generally MCB are designed to protect against over current
and over temperature faults (over heating).
•
• There are two contacts one is fixed and the other moveable. When the current exceeds the predefined limit a
solenoid forces the moveable contact to open (i.e., disconnect from the fixed contact) and the MCB turns off thereby
stopping the current to flow in the circuit. In order to restart the flow of current the MCB is manually turned on. This
mechanism is used to protect from the faults arising due to over current or over load.
• To protect against fault arising due to over heating or increase in temperature a bi-metallic strip is used. MCBs are
generally designed to trip within 2.5 millisecond when an over current fault arises. In case of temperature rise or
over heating it may take 2 seconds to 2 minutes for the MCB to trip.
• This article covers the insight of a single pole MCB commonly used in the house hold. The following image shows the
different internal parts of an MCB with top casing removed. The subsequent sections will examine each part and its
function.
Tripping mechanism of MCB
The following image illustrates the tripping mechanism of the MCB. The circuit breaker contacts and the
position of the knob can easily be seen in both, ON and OFF, state. In the ON state the moveable contact
touches the fixed contact as shown in the image
• The path of the current in the ON state is shown in the image below. The live wire is
screwed at the input terminal. From the input terminal the current flows to the fixed
contact which is touching the input terminal. The current then moves to the moving
contact (since in the ON state it is touching the fixed contact). The moving contact is
connected to the electromagnetic coil of the solenoid by means of a thick wire. The
current from the moving contacts enters the electromagnetic coil. The current from the
coil goes to the bimetallic strip by means of another thick wire and finally to the output
terminal where it is collected by the neutral wire of the line.
Connections of the coil
The following images clearly show the connection of the endpoints of the coil with the other
parts of the circuit and how the current enters and exits the coil.
Switching Mechanism
The switching or the tripping mechanism can
be closely observed in the following images.
This mechanism is used to automatically cut
off the supply of the current when the current
exceeds the permissible limits thereby
preventing any damage to the appliances.

Let us understand this system in further

detail. The image below shows a closure look
of the different parts of the tripping
mechanism. The moving part of the solenoid
is called the plunger. It is like a solid semi
cylinder connected to a hammer at one end.
The moveable contact is positioned slightly
above the plunger and moves axially along
the plunger. It does not touch the plunger.
Role of Plunger
The heart of this mechanism is the solenoid which works on the principle of electro mechanism. As
mentioned earlier one end of the coil is connected to the moveable contact by means of a thick wire for
current to pass through it in the ON state. The coil of the solenoid is designed in such a way that when
current passing through it is within the permissible value, the magnetic force produced is not enough to
pull the plunger. When the current exceeds the permissible value, the magnetic force also increases and
this magnetic force pulls the plunger inside towards the center of the coil.
When the plunger moves it also pulls the moveable contact and forces it to separate from the fixed
contact thereby tripping the circuit. The moveable contact is connected to the knob by means of
mechanical arrangement and forces the MCB knob to fall down. The plunger is connected to a spring from
inside the electromagnetic coil and as the plunger moves towards the center of the coil, the spring gets
loaded. After the MCB trips (i.e., the moveable contact separates from the fixed contact and the current
stops flowing) the spring forces the plunger back to its normal state without disturbing the moveable
contact.
Mechanical Assembly
On further disassembling, different parts of this
mechanical system can be seen. The images below
shows all the parts of the switching mechanism
which are further detailed in the subsequent images.

The following image shows the connection of the

moveable contact with the coil. A thick wire carries
the current from the movable contact to the coil.
Structure of Plunger
The image shows how the spring loaded
mechanism works. The spring which is connected
to the rod of the plunger pushes the plunger back
to its rest position once the tripping has taken
place.

The image below shows the structure and

arrangement of plunger, the moveable
contact and the spring.
Arrangement of mechanical parts
The dismantled mechanical parts used to pull the
knob when the tripping takes place. When the MCB
gets tripped the moveable contact which is
connected to the knob using these mechanical parts
pulls the knob to the off position.

The following image shows the arrangement

of the plunger, coil and the spring.
Parts of MCB
The outgoing and incoming terminals have
been shown in the following image.

All the parts of this single pole MCB have been

shown together in the following image.
Arc quenching
Arc quenching in MCB (Miniature Circuit Breakers)
Another important point to be considered in the design of circuit breakers is Arc quenching. To understand
how MCB carries out the arc quenching, it is important to know about the electric arc and how is it
produced. When an overcurrent is interrupted by the circuit breaker by opening its contacts, current tries
to bridge the gap. In an attempt to maintain the circuit, the air heats up and becomes a conductor. As a
result an arc forms. In general, when air and gases are heated, they become electric conductors. The hotter
they get, the better they conduct. The following image shows how an electric arc looks like.
The heat from an uncontrolled arc in a circuit breaker can cause a rapid and violent expansion of the nearby
air and could severely damage the circuit breaker. Therefore, besides separating the electrical contacts, a
circuit breaker also has to quickly extinguish the arc. A number of factors can be employed for quenching the
arc, such as, speed, distance, dielectric strength, cooling etc.
a) Speed : When the contacts separate rapidly, there is less time for the arc to form and maintain itself.
b) Distance : When the distance between opened contacts is more, the arc has to stretch more to
maintain the current flow which requires more voltage.
c) Cooling : When the arc is forced against a cold material, it absorbs and dissipates the heat.
d) Dielectric Strength : When the arc is submerged in a medium with higher dielectric strength than air
(sulfur hexafluoride, SF6), the insulating nature of the medium helps in quenching the arc.
In an MCB, arc chutes or arc dividers are used for arc quenching. When the contacts of an MCB separate,
generating an electrical arc between them through air, the arc is moved into the arch chute where it is
divided into small segments. The overall energy level of the arc gets split up which is not sufficient to sustain
the arc and therefore it gets dissipated.
Arc Chutes
The image below shows the arc chute used in the
MCB for arc quenching purposes.

Finally the next images shows how the arc chute is

positioned in the MCB. The fixed contact is extended
to the arc chute. This is done so as to transfer the arc
to the interior of the breaker. The arc is broken into
smaller arc by the arc chute. These segmented
smaller arc have a very small potential and hence get
naturally dissipated.
On removing the holder which holds the arc chute, the
mechanical structure and arrangement of the arc
chute is visible in the next image.

Over heat protection

Over heat protection
The MCB’s also provide protection against overheating. It uses a
bimetallic strip for the same. The arrangement of the bimetallic
strip is shown in the image below. The bimetallic strip is made up of
two metals with different temperature coefficients. When the
current flows through the bimetallic strip, it gets heated. The
heating results in bending of the bimetallic strip. The more is the
heating, the more is the bending. The bimetallic strip is
mechanically connected to the tripping mechanism by means of a
metal strip as shown in the image. When the bimetallic strip bends
it forces the metal strip to pull the plastic flap which in turn triggers
the tripping mechanism after certain allowed temperature limit for
which the bimetallic strip is designed.