Why Circuit Breakers?

Defining Circuit Breaker

A piece of equipment which can:

Make or break a circuit either manually or by remote control und

normal conditions
Break a circuit automatically under fault conditions

Make a circuit either manually or by remote control under fault

conditions

Requirements Of Circuit Breaker

1.Normal working current and the short circuit

current must be safely interrupted by the circuit
breaker

2.Faulty section of the system must be isolated ASA

3.Should not operate with flow of overcurrent durin

healthy conditions.
4.Faulty circuit should only be isolated without
affecting the isolated one.

Principle Of Operation

Arc Phenomenon

ARC Current- Depends upon Arc Resistan

Degree of ionizationDecreases with increase in no

ionized particles
Length of the arc
-Increases with increase in length or
between electrodes

Cross section of the arc-increases with decrease

cross section

Principles Of Arc Extinction

Factors responsible for maintenance of arc:
1. Potential Difference between the contacts
(Not feasible in high voltage operation)

2. Ionized particles between contacts- By cooling the arc

removing the ionized particles

Methods Of Arc Extinction

High Resistance Method
Low Resistance Or Current Zero Method

High Resistance Method

Lengthening the arc- achieved by separation of contacts.

Cooling the arc- By a gas blast
Reducing the X-section- achieved by letting the arc pass through
narrow opening or having smaller area of cross section
Splitting the arc into a no. of small arcs in series

Low Resistance Or Current Zero Method

 Recovery Rate Theory (Slepains Theory)

Energy Balance Theory (Cassies Theory)

Recovery Rate Theory (Slepains Theory)

Energy Balance Theory (Cassies Theory)

Important Terms

Circuit Breaker Ratings

Breaking Capacity
Making Capacity
Short-time Capacity

Breaking Capacity

Making Capacity

Short-time Capacity

Normal Current Rating