Control Devices

Joseph F. Morco
https://www.galco.com/comp/prod/relay.htm
Relay(s)

 Relays are switches that open and close

circuits electromecanically or
electronically.
 Relays control one electrical circuit by
opening and closing contacts in another
circuit.
Relay (Purpose)

 Generally used to switch smaller currents in

a control circuit and do not usually control
power consuming devices.
 Relayscan “control” larger voltages and
amperes by having and amplying effect
because a small voltage applied to a relays
coil can result in a large voltage baing
switched by the contacts.
Relays

 Protective
relays can prevent equipment
damage by detecting electrical
abnormalities, including:
Overcurrent
Undercurrent
Overloads
Reverse currents
Two Types of Relays

 Electromechanical Relays(EMR)
 Solid State Relays(SSR)
Electromechanical Relay (EMR)

 Contactsare opened or
closed by a magnetic
force.
Solid-State Relay(SSR)

 There are no contacts and switching is

totally electronic.
How to choose a relay

 Thedecision to use EMR or SSR depends on

an application’s electrical requirements,
cost constraints and life expectancy.
 EMR VS SSR

 SSRswitch the current using non-moving

electronic devices such as silicon controlled
rectifiers.
 Althoughsolid-state relays have become
very popular, electromechanical relays
remain common.
Solid-State Relay (Advantage)

 Lessvoltage is required to “turn” Solid-

State Relays on or off.
 Turnon and turn off faster because there
are no physical parts to move.
 SSRs
must be replaced when any part
becomes defective.
Electromechanical Relay (Advantage)

 Contacts on EMRs can be replaced.

 EMRs provide a cleaner ON or OFF condition
because of the relatively large distance
between contects, which acts as form of
isulation.
Basic Parts of Electromechanical
Relays

 Frame
 Coil
 Armature
 Contacts
Basic Parts of Electromechanical
Relays
 Frame: Heavy-duty frame that contains and
supports the parts of the relay.
 Coil: Wire is wond around a metal core.
The coil of wire causes an electromagnetic
field.
Basic Parts of Electromechanical
Relays
 Armature: a relays moving part. The
armature opens and closes the contacts.
An attached spring returns the armature to
its original position.
 Contacts:
the conducting part of the switch
that makes (closes) or breaks(opens) a
circuit.
Two Circuits involved in Relays

 Energizing Circuit
 Contact Circuit
Types of Relays: Electromechanical

 General Purpose Relays

 Machine Control Relays
 Reed Relays
General Purpose Relays

 Areelectromechanical swithes, usually

operated by a magnetic coil. General
purpose relays operate with AC or DC
current, at common voltages such as 12V,
24V, 48V and 230V.
Finder Min General Purpose Relay
Dayton 120VAC Coil Volts, Plug-In
Relay
Machine Control Relays

 Operated by a magnetic coil

 They are heavy-duty relays used to control
starters and other industrial components.
 Althoughthey are more expensive than GPR
generally they are more durable.
 Expandable functionality of MCRs by adding
of accessories.
IEC Style Control Relay, 24VDC @
240V, 10A @ 24V, 10 Pins
Reed Relays

 Area small, compact, fast operating switch

design with one contact, which is ON.
 RRare hermetically sealed in glass
envelope, which makes the contacts
unaffected by contaminants, fumes or
humidity, allows reliable switching, and
gives contacts a higher life expectancy.
Reed Relay & Reed Switch
Reed Relay & Reed Switch
Solid-State Relays

 SSRconsist of an input circuit, a control

circuit and an output circuit.