18ARC53 BUILDING SERVICES

MODULE no.:NAME OF THE MODULE

MCBS/ ELCB

WHAT IS BREAKER?
• A BREAKER IS A DEVICE DESIGNED TO ISOLATE A CIRCUIT DURING OVER CURRENT EVENT WITH OUT USE
OF FUSIBLE ELEMENT.
• BREAKER IS A RESETTABLE PROTECTIVE DEVICE THAT PROTECTS AGAINST TWO TYPES OF OVER CURRENT.
• OVERLOAD AND SHORT CIRCUIT.
WHAT IS A MCB?
• MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKER (MBC) IS AN ELECTRO-MECHANICAL DEVICE.
• ELECTRO-MECHANICAL DEVICE, WHICH CARRY OUT ELECTRICAL OPERATIONS BY USING MOVING
MECHANICAL PARTS.
• IN GENERAL MCB IS AND ELECTRO-MECHANICAL DEVICE WHICH OPERATES AND DISCONNECTS THE
PARTICULAR CIRCUIT WHEN IT ATTAINS THE PRE-DETERMINED VALUES.
FUNCTIONS OF MCB:-

• THEY OPERATE UP TO 5-20% OF OVERLOADS.

• THEY CUT OFF THE CIRCUIT WHEN EVEN A SMALL OVERLOAD CURRENT FLOWS.
• DIRECT INDICATION OF FAULTY CIRCUIT (SWITCHING KNOB).
• IT IS ACCURATE IN VALUES AND SAFE PROTECTION.
• EASY TO INSTALL AND OPERATE, REVIVE THE CIRCUIT AS NO TOOL ARE REQUIRED.
FUNCTIONS OF MCB:-

• THEY OPERATE UP TO 5-20% OF OVERLOADS.

• THEY CUT OFF THE CIRCUIT WHEN EVEN A SMALL OVERLOAD CURRENT FLOWS.
• DIRECT INDICATION OF FAULTY CIRCUIT (SWITCHING KNOB).
• IT IS ACCURATE IN VALUES AND SAFE PROTECTION.
• EASY TO INSTALL AND OPERATE, REVIVE THE CIRCUIT AS NO TOOL ARE REQUIRED.
COMPONENTS OF MCB

WORKING PRINCIPLE OF MCB: -

• THERE ARE TWO ARRANGEMENT OF OPERATION OF MINIATURE
CIRCUIT BREAKER.
• ONE DUE TO THERMAL EFFECT OF OVER ELECTRIC CURRENT
AND
• OTHER DUE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC EFFECT OF OVER CURRENT.
BIMETALLIC STRIP (THERMAL EFFECT): -
• A BIMETALLIC STRIP IS USED TO CONVERT A TEMPERATURE
CHANGE INTO MECHANICAL DISPLACEMENT.
• THE STRIP CONSISTS OF TWO STRIPS OF DIFFERENT METALS
WHICH EXPAND AT DIFFERENT RATES AS THEY ARE HEATED,
USUALLY STEEL AND COPPER, OR IN SOME CASES STEEL AND
BRASS
COMPONENTS OF MCB
THE THERMAL OPERATION OF MINIATURE CIRCUIT
BREAKER:-
• IS ACHIEVED WITH A BIMETALLIC STRIP WHICH ARE
TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE.
• WHENEVER CONTINUOUS OVER ELECTRIC CURRENT
FLOWS THROUGH MCB, THE BIMETALLIC STRIP IS
HEATED AND DEFLECTS BY BENDING.
• THIS DEFLECTION OF BIMETALLIC STRIP RELEASES
MECHANICAL LATCH.
• AS THIS MECHANICAL LATCH IS ATTACHED WITH
OPERATING MECHANISM, IT CAUSES TO OPEN THE
MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTACTS.
ADVANTAGES OF MCB: -

• MCB IS MORE SENSITIVE TO CURRENT THAN FUSE. IT DETECTS ANY ABNORMALITY IN THE CURRENT FLOW AND
AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES OFF THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT.
• THE FAULTY ZONE OF ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CAN BE EASILY IDENTIFIED. FAULTY CIRCUIT TRIPS TO THE OFF
POSITION. ON THE OTHER HAND, IN CASE OF FUSE, THE COMPLETE FUSE WIRE NEEDS TO BE CHECKED BY
OPENING FUSE GRIP FOR CONFIRMING THE FAULTY ZONE.
• MCB IT IS VERY SIMPLE TO RESUME TO THE SUPPLY. YOU JUST NEED TO PUSH THE KNOB OF MCB BACK TO ON
POSITION. BUT IN CASE OF FUSE, THE ENTIRE FUSE WIRE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
• MCB PROVIDES A BETTER INTERFACE WITH THE HELP OF KNOB THAN A FUSE. IN CASE OF FUSE THE COMPETE,
HANDLE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OUT.
• HANDLING MCB IS ELECTRICALLY SAFER THAN HANDLING A FUSE.
• MCB IS REUSABLE AND HENCE HAS LESS MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT COST. WHEREAS A FUSE NEEDS TO
BE REPLACED WHENEVER IT GOES FAULTY.
EARTH LEAKAGE CIRCUIT BREAKERS (ELCB): -

• AN ELCB IS A DEVICE USED TO DIRECTLY DETECT CURRENTS LEAKING TO EARTH.

• AN ELCB IS A SAFETY DEVICE USED IN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS WITH HIGH EARTH IMPEDANCE TO PREVENT
SHOCK.
• IN GENERAL, ELCB ARE THE DEVICE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST ACCIDENTAL SHOCK WHICH
MAY BE PRESENT IN THE FAULTY ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTS AS A RESULT OF FAULT GROUND, INSUFFICIENT
INSULATION, INSULATION FAILURE.
TWO TYPES OF ELCB: -
• VOLTAGE ELCB.
• CURRENT ELCB.
EARTH LEAKAGE CIRCUIT BREAKERS (ELCB): -

DISADVANTAGES OF ELCB: -
• WITHOUT PROPER EARTH CONNECTION, ELCB WILL NOT WORK.
• ELCB IS ATTACHED BETWEEN EARTHED WIRE AND METALLIC BODY OF THE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. BUT THERE
ARE MANY OTHER PARALLEL PATHS FOR THE CURRENTS TO FLOW FROM THE CONNECTED DEVICE BODY TO
EARTH WITHOUT GOING THROUGH EARTHED WIRE.
• IF SOMEONE GETS IN TOUCH WITH LIVE PHASE WIRE, ELCB WILL NOT TRIP BECAUSE IN THIS CASE, THERE WILL
BE NO CURRENT FLOW IN THE EARTH WIRE. IN FACT, CURRENT IS FLOWING FROM THE LIVE WIRE TO EARTH
THROUGH THE PERSON’S BODY.
• WHEN A LIVE WIRE COMES IN CONTACT WITH NEUTRAL WIRE, SHORT CIRCUIT WILL OCCUR, HENCE, ELCB WILL
NOT TRIP BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO CURRENT IN THE EARTH WIRE.
RESIDUAL CURRENT CIRCUIT BREAKER (RCCB):-

• RCCB WORKS ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE CURRENT GOING TO THE ELECTRONICS DEVICE MUST COME OUT
FROM THE NEUTRAL WIRE, IF THERE IS NO OTHER WAY FOR CURRENT FLOW.
• IN SIMPLE WORDS, RCCB MEASURES THE CURRENT GOING INSIDE THE CONNECTED DEVICE AND COMING OUT
FROM THE DEVICE.
• IF BOTH OF THESE CURRENT ARE EQUAL, THEN THERE WOULD NO PROBLEM WITH THE NORMAL
FUNCTIONALITY OF THE DEVICE.
• THIS DEVICE IS ALSO KNOWN AS CURRENT OPERATED ELCB.
• THIS DEVICE IS MORE SENSITIVE AND ACCURATE THAN ELCB AND ITS FUNCTIONALITY DOES NOT (ENTIRELY)
DEPEND ON THE EARTHED RODE WIRE CONNECTION LIKE VOLTAGE ELCB.
THANK YOU ☺