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