Miniature circuit breaker

Miniature circuit breaker is one of the most widely used electrical protection device in the world.
It is available in a wide variety of ratings that allows it to protect electrical installations of many
types in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
What is a Miniature Circuit Breaker and what are its Functions?
A miniature circuit breaker, or MCB, is a compact electromechanical device that can work in
circuits of both 60 Hz and 50 Hz. It has a rated current under 125 amperes, and has several
functions such as:

Protecting electric circuits from overload conditions

Protecting against short circuits and other electric faults

Circuit switching, although this is not very frequent and isnt the main function of the
MCB

Miniature circuit breakers are available in a wide variety of current ratings, which allows them
protect many different types of loads. They have a very important role in the prevention of fire
and electric shock, by interrupting dangerous currents before they have a chance to melt the
insulation of wiring.
Miniature Circuit Breaker Working Principle
The miniature circuit breaker is simply a thermal magnetic circuit breaker of compact size. It has
the same mechanism used for electrical protection in all thermal magnetic circuit breakers:

The miniature circuit breaker has thermal protection against overcurrent conditions. It
has a bimetallic contact that expands with the heat caused by electric current and is
calibrated to trip the miniature circuit breaker when the rated current is exceeded. The
thermal protection is not instantaneous to allow for low duration overcurrent, which is
normal in several electric devices such as motors.

The miniature circuit breaker has magnetic protection against electric faults, where the
current is higher and more dangerous. The MCB has an internal solenoid that produces a
strong magnetic field when there is a high current. This magnetic field opens the metallic
contact and disconnects the circuit. Unlike thermal protection, magnetic protection
operates in an instant to prevent the dangerous fault currents from causing damage.

Miniature circuit breakers are also equipped with a manual interruption mechanism,
allowing disconnection of an electric circuit for maintenance, retrofitting or installation of
new equipment.
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In addition to the miniature circuit breaker, there are alternative electrical protection devices
such as the molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) and the fuse. Their general purpose is the same,
but important differences exist between the three.

Difference between Miniature Circuit Breaker and Molded Case Circuit Breaker
The molded case circuit breaker (MCCB) is another type of electric protection device that is
commonly used. Internally, the MCB and MCCB are both thermal magnetic circuit breakers.
However, there are very important differences:

The miniature circuit breaker is much smaller than the molded case circuit breaker.

Miniature circuit breaker current ratings are below 125 amperes, while molded case
circuit breakers have higher current ratings of up to 2,500 amperes.

Miniature circuit breaker trip settings are fixed during factory production, and cant be
adjusted. Molded case circuit breakers, on the other hand, often allow adjustment of the
current rating and protection response.

The MCB is more affordable, thanks to its simplicity compared with the MCCB.

Difference between Miniature Circuit Breaker and Fuse

Fuses are an alternative electric protection device, with a very different operating principle
compared with the miniature circuit breaker. The differences are the following:

The MCB disconnects the electric circuit when there is a fault or overload, without
suffering damage. Normally, the MCB can be reutilized for protection multiple times and
will only become damaged when it is subject to a very severe fault or if it wears out due
to a long service time.

The fuse, on the other hand, can only protect the electric circuit one time. Instead of
tripping, the fuse interrupts the circuit by burning out when there is excessive current. For
this reason, a fuse must be discarded and replaced with a new one every time there is an
electric fault.

In the long term, MCBs are more economical than fuses because the same device can provide
protection for an extended period of time. Fuses, on the other hand, require constant replacement
and are more dangerous for the user since the electric contacts have to be reconnected every time
the fuse is replaced. With an MCB it is only a matter of switching the device back on once the
cause of the electric fault has been found and eliminated.
Miniature Circuit Breaker Applications
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The miniature circuit breaker has the advantage of cost and simplicity compared with the
MCCB, as well as the advantage of durability compared with the fuse. Thanks to the benefits it
offers, the MCB has a wide range of applications in electrical protection. The MCB is used in
buildings of all types, including homes, commercial buildings and industrial plants. It is very
common to find miniature circuit breakers protecting devices such as:

Lighting circuits

General purpose electric outlets

Data centers and computers

Kitchen devices

Laundry equipment

Air conditioners, heat pumps and fans

Small water pumps

Low horsepower industrial motors

Electric relay systems for automation and control

In each case it is very important to select the miniature circuit breaker correctly according to the
electric current that is consumed by the device being protected. It is also important to consider
the number of poles of the MCB, which must match with the number of live wires in an electric
circuit.
Miniature Circuit Breaker Technical Specifications (Ratings and Types)
Miniature circuit breakers are characterized according to several technical specifications. It is
very important to know these specifications, in order to select the correct MCB to protect an
electric circuit:

Rated working voltage (Un) is the normal operational voltage for which the circuit
breaker is designed.

Rated insulation voltage (Ui) is the voltage value for which the miniature circuit
breaker is tested. The rated insulation voltage is much higher than the rated working
voltage to provide a margin of safety.

Rated impulse withstand voltage (Uimp) is the maximum peak voltage a miniature
circuit breaker can withstand without failure during an electric fault. The MCB may
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suffer permanent damage from a voltage spike that exceeds the rated impulse withstand
voltage.

Rated current (In) is the current value under which the circuit breaker will allow
continuous operation without tripping. If the rated current value is exceeded, the thermal
protection mechanism will activate and disconnect the MCB.

Rated service short-circuit breaking capacity (Ics) is the fault current that a miniature
circuit breaker can interrupt without suffering permanent damage. The MCB can be
reused if the fault that was interrupted is below this breaking capacity.

Rated ultimate short-circuit breaking capacity (Icn) is the maximum fault current that
circuit breaker can interrupt. The MCB cant interrupt fault currents above this value. If
the fault current is below the ultimate breaking capacity (Icn) but above the service
breaking capacity (Ics), the MCB will be able to interrupt it, but it will suffer permanent
damage and must be replaced.

The poles of a miniature circuit breaker simply refer to the number of parallel contacts,
and they depend on the type of circuit. MCBs can have anywhere from one to four poles;
single pole MCBs protect circuits with a single live conductor, while four pole MCBs can
protect up to three phase conductors and a neutral conductor. In the case of the neutral
conductor, it can be connected to a circuit breaker of multiple poles. However, it must
never be connected individually to a single pole circuit breaker, because it creates the risk
of interrupting the wrong conductor during a fault.

The types of miniature circuit breakers are B, C and D, and they describe the tripping
behavior of the MCB. This topic is described in greater detail below.

The mechanical life of a circuit breaker refers to the number of times its switch can be
operated manually before failure, while electrical life refers to the number of times the
MCB can trip.

Miniature Circuit Breaker Types

There are three types of miniature circuit breakers, according to how they respond to fault
currents:

Type B miniature circuit breakers trip when a fault current of 3 to 5 times the rated value
is present. Type B miniature circuit breakers are used in applications where high currents
are not expected, such as in circuits proving electric power to lamps or general purpose
electric outlets. Sensitive equipment that can be easily damaged by high currents is
normally protected by Type B miniature circuit breakers.

Type C miniature circuit breakers trip when a fault current 5 to 10 times the rated value is
present. Type C circuit breakers are used in circuits where it is normal to have higher
current values for short periods of time. For example, it is normal for electric motors
driving fans or pumps to draw up to 8 times the rated current during startup. In these
cases, a type B circuit breaker would trip, preventing the motor from starting! Therefore,
it is necessary to use a type C circuit breaker.

Type D miniature circuit breakers trip with fault currents of 10 to 20 times the rated
value, and are normally used in specialized industrial applications where very high
currents are normal for short periods of time.

Hiring professional services is highly recommended when determining the types of miniature
circuit breakers that will be used in an electrical installation. If MCBs are selected incorrectly,
they will not be able to provide adequate protection!

Miniature Circuit Breaker Sizing

A miniature circuit breaker must be sized according to the estimated current in the circuit that
will be protected. MCBs are typically selected with a current rating that is slightly above the
current drawn by the circuit.
For example, a motor with a full-load current of 16 amperes can be protected effectively by an
MCB rated at 20 amperes. If the motor suffers an overcurrent condition, the MCB will trip and
protect the motor from overheating. It is very important to size the MCB adequately:

If the MCB is undersized, for example at 10 amperes, the electric device will not be able
to operate because the current exceeds the MCB rating and makes it trip.

If the MCB is oversized, for example at 40 amperes, the electric device will not be
protected effectively. If there is an overcurrent of 30 amperes, a 16 ampere motor will
surely be damaged. However, the MCB will not trip because it is rated at 40 amperes.

It is very important to select wiring with a capacity above the rated current of the MCB. Even if
the MCB is selected correctly according to the load, the insulation of undersized wiring can melt
and cause an electric accident.
How to Install a Miniature Circuit Breaker
The installation of miniature circuit breakers is very easy, since they are designed to be installed
with a DIN rail. The procedure is very simple:

First of all, the circuit breaker must be in the OFF position to allow safe installation.
There is risk of an electric accident if connection is carried out in the ON position!

The circuit breaker is installed on the DIN rail, it has a specially designed base for it.

Then, the wire that will feed power to the electric circuit must be cut and the ends must
be inserted into the contacts of the MCB while it is kept OFF. The circuit breaker is
equipped with a pair of screws that allow the wire connection to be tightened, preventing
an accidental disconnection.

It will be necessary to connect from one to four wires depending on the type of electric
circuit that will be protected, and the number of poles in the MCB.

Once connection is finished, the circuit breaker is turned ON. Now, it allows electric
current to flow through the circuit and electrical devices can operate.

If there is an electric fault, the circuit breaker will automatically switch to the OFF
position. The electric fault must be investigated before turning it back on, or otherwise it
will trip again!

Miniature Circuit Breaker Advantages and Conclusions

The miniature circuit breaker is a very versatile electrical protection device that is available in a
wide variety of ratings. Its main advantage is that it can be used multiple times for protection of
an electric circuit and will only be damaged if there are very large voltage spikes or fault
currents. The MCB also offers the following advantages:

Thanks to its compact size, it requires little space.

It is safe thanks to its insulation and screw mechanism to tighten electrical connections.

It can be easily mounted on a DIN rail, and multiple MCBs can be mounted in the same
rail.

The miniature circuit breaker plays a very important role in the protection of most electrical
circuits in homes, and plenty of electrical circuits in businesses. The miniature circuit breaker is
available in various current ratings for both single-phase and three-phase circuits, and there are
three different types designed for the protection of electric devices with different characteristics