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ACont Powr CKT EEng 3203
ACont Powr CKT EEng 3203
ACont Powr CKT EEng 3203
Push buttons can be either normally open (NO) or normally (NC). Some types can be
stacked to have multiple sets of NO and NC contacts.
Open State: The pins on either side are electrically the same point. With the button
released, there is no path for electrons between pins 1, 4 and 2, 3.
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Closed State: With the button pressed, a conductive material bridges the gap allowing
electrons, and thus current, to flow.
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Electromagnetic Relays
- An electromagnetic relay is a switch, which is driven electromagnetically and is
used in cases of low power control. Those relays are mainly applied in control circuits,
communication systems and data transmission. The structure of a relay is shown in
fig.1.3.
Function:
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An octal base relay (like the one shown fig 1.4 below) is one of the most common
electrical devices in use today. Also referred to as general purpose relays, they're widely
available in both 8 and 11 pin models, with 8 being the most common. The base of the
relay is designed to plug into a socket, which makes installation and replacement (if
required) very easy.
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This basic relay is constructed of 5 main parts the Coil, Armature, Contacts, the Base
(which consists of the socket pins), and the Molded Plastic Frame.
The relay works on the principle of electromagnetic force. When the coil is energized, it
becomes magnetized. The armature (made of a ferromagnetic material and in close
proximity to the coil) - is attracted to the coil by this magnetic force and moves towards it
until it comes to rest against the coil's iron core.
Attached to the pivoting end of the armature is a spring. The purpose of the spring is to
return the armature to its original position (away from the coil) when the coil is de-
energized. Also attached to the armature are the arms of the movable set of contacts (the
common contacts). See the illustration in fig.1.5 below:
In an 8 pin relay (as shown in fig.1.5) there are 2 common contacts, 2 normally open
contacts, and 2 normally closed contacts. In an 11 pin relay, there are 3 of each of the
aforementioned. These contacts are made of an electrically conductive material such as
copper. The common contacts have this material embedded on both sides of the movable
arms. The relationship of all of the contacts is explained as follows:
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The common contacts carry the supply voltage that is to be connected to another
electrical device(s). In the de-energized state of the relay, these common contacts are in
contact with (touching) the normally closed contacts.
Before we go too far, it's important to think of a relay as an electrical switch. That is, a
remote controlled switch, designed to direct the current path from one part of the circuit
to another. You must also understand that although there are (in this case) 2 of each type
of contact (common, normally open and normally closed), each is designed to complete a
path independent and separate from the other contact of similar type.
Also, when we use the term "normally closed" it means that in the normal state of the
relay (de-energized) the common contacts are providing conductive paths to their
normally closed contact partners and only to these contacts. At the same time, there is no
completed path to the "normally open" contacts.
So then, when the relay is de-energized, the common contact #1 is making contact with
the normally closed contact #1 and the common contact #2 is completing a circuit path
with the normally closed contact #2. When the relay is energized, the situation is
reversed. Now the common contact #1 is completing a conductive path to the normally
open contact #1 and at the same time, the common contact #2 is making contact with the
normally open contact #2. The electrical conductive paths that did exist with the
"normally closed" contacts have now been "opened". The paths no longer exist. The Pin
Out connections on the base of the relay are as follows:
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Figure 1.6. Analog display relays Figure 1.7. Digital display relays
Overload protection (as shown in fig.1.8) is installed in the motor circuit and/or motor to
protect the motor from damage from mechanical overload conditions when it is
operating/running. The effect of an overload is an excessive rise in temperature in the
motor windings due to current higher than full load current. Properly sized overload
protection disconnects the motor from the power supply when the heat generated in the
motor circuit or windings approaches a damaging level for any reason. Since the switch
contacts remain closed if power is removed from the circuit without operating the switch,
the motor restarts when power is reapplied which can be a safety concern.
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Will trip and open a circuit if current is high enough to cause motor damage over a
period of time.
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2. Contactors
-A contactor is an electromagnetically driven switch applied for electrical power
engineering.
Function:
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Figure 2.3. A contactor with two one NO and one NC auxiliary contacts.
You can control contactor circuits by timers with on –or off delay. This is important for
motor control circuits like star-delta start circuit.
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Since a contactor is required for a higher load, a relay is always cheaper than a
contactor.
A relay is used only in control circuit while a contactor can be used in both
control and power circuits.
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This stating method is not used for motors with power rating of greater than 5KW. Thus
is due to high starting current and starting torque.
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As shown in Fig.2.5 power circuit, when the coil of the contactor energized the
contactor closes the contacts and the motor receives a three phase supply. In the
control circuit of Fig.2.3 separate push-buttons are provided for energising and de-
energising a contactor. For starting, a push-button with an NO contact (S3) and for
stopping another push-button with an NC contact (S2) is used. A normally open (NO)
auxiliary contact (-K1-13-14) of the contactor is connected in parallel with the start
push-button S3 so that the contactor should remain energised even when the pressure
on the start push-button is with drown. Thus the contactor would continue to remain
energized by receiving supply through its own contact –K1. Contact –K1 here has been
used as a self-hold -on contact as it holds on the supply even after the pressure on the
push-button has been released. Thus the motor continues to rotate once the start push
button has been pressed. For stopping the motor S2 is pressed. Here –S1 is the
emergency switch and –F5 is overload relay for overload protection.
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Figure 2.6 Star- delta starting contactors, push-buttons, and overload relays
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Immediately we notice the primary reasons for using star delta starters on electric motors:
The starting current is reduced from 1495 A to 500 A (by approximately 67%).
Because the motor is not intended to actually run in this connection, the reduction
in full load speed, power factor and efficiency is not significant for this discussion.
The reason for these 67% changes becomes clear when we examine the phase
voltage on the motor, we see that the phase voltage when the motor is connected in
Delta is 380 Volt.
When the motor is however connected in Star, the Phase Voltage will be 219.3
Volt. Thus, when the motor is started in the star connection, the phase voltage of
the motor is reduced by a factor of √3.
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The relations for star and delta connections are as listed in a Table as follow.
The reductions in starting current, starting power and starting torques for a reduced
Voltage can each be calculated as follow:
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As shown in the control circuit of fig.2.7 when push-button –S2 is pressed contactor –K3
energised thus, intern makes NO(13,14) of contactor –K3 to close and NC(21,22) to
open, as a result contactor –K1 energised and contactor –K2 de- energised . This helps
the motor to run in star connection. When push-button –S3 is pressed contactor –K3
de-energised, both –K1 and –K2 energised, and the motor operated in delta.
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As shown in the control circuit of fig.2.8 when push-button –S2 is pressed both
contactors –K3 and –K1 energised and the motor runs in star after a pre defined time NC
contact of the off delay timer (-K4T) opens, thus makes contactor –K3 to de-energise and
contactors -K2 and -K1 to energise, and the motor operates in delta.
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Push-button interlocking is one of the methods of preventing two contactors from being
energising simultaneously. As shown in fig.2.9 power circuit, through contactor –K1, the
motor is fed with a three phase supply for forward rotation whereas through contactor
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–K2, the motor is fed for reverse direction rotation. Both the NO and NC contacts of the
forward and reverse Push-button have been used. When the forward Push-button (-S3)
is pressed, contactor –K1 get energized by getting supply through the NC contact of the
reverse Push-button (-S2). The contactor remains energized even when the pressure on
the Push-button is withdrawn as the NO contact (-K1:13-14) of the contactor –K1 is now
closed (this is called self-hold-on contact). When the reverse Push-button (-S2) is
pressed contactor –K1 gets de-energised first and then contactor –K2 B gets energized.
This ensures that it is not possible to energise both the contactors simultaneously.
When the Push-button -S3 is pressed, contactor –K1 get energized and provides a three-
phase supply to the motor for forward operation. When pressure on the Push-button
-S3 is released the contactor remains energized because of the closing of the self hold
on contact -K1. It should be noted that when a contactor –K1 is energized it is not
possible to energise contactor -K2 because NC of contactor –K1 is used in contactor -K2.
Similarly, when contactor –K2 is energized it is not possible to energized contactor –K1
because NC of contactor –K2 is used in contactor –K1. In this circuit changing the
direction of the motor is achieved either by using the stop push button in between or by
using push-buttons –S2 and –S2. It is necessary to stop the motor before receiving its
direction of rotation. The motor stops running when stop push-button (–S1) is pressed.
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Figure 2.1.1 power and control circuit of sequence start of two motors
Let us consider the operation of two motors one (-K1) and two (-K2) in sequence. The
condition is such that it should not be possible to start motor two unless motor one is
first started. The control circuit is shown in fig.2.1.1 It is to be noted that contactor –K2
has been connected to the supply through –K1:23, 24 NO contact of contactor –K1.
Hence, unless contactor –K1 is energized, which closes –K1:23, 24 NO contact, it is not
possible to energise contactor –K2 by pressing Push-button S2. In the same manner it
should not be possible to stop motor one unless motor two is first stopped. Hence
contactor –K1 has been connected to the supply through –K2:13, 14 NO contact of
contactor –K2 it is not possible to de-energise contactor –K1 by pressing Push-button S4.
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