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    MCB - Miniature Circuit Breaker Construction

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    Engr. Abdullah
    Miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) provide overcurrent protection for electrical networks using a thermal and magnetic trip unit. The thermal unit protects against overloads by opening contacts when heat from increased current bends a bimetal strip. The magnetic unit protects against short circuits by opening contacts within 0.5 milliseconds when a magnetic field attracts an armature. MCBs limit arc energy during tripping using arc runners and chutes that segment arcs into low-voltage sections to dissipate energy harmlessly.

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    MCB - Miniature Circuit Breaker Construction

    Uploaded by

    Engr. Abdullah
    307 views4 pages
    Miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) provide overcurrent protection for electrical networks using a thermal and magnetic trip unit. The thermal unit protects against overloads by opening contacts when heat from increased current bends a bimetal strip. The magnetic unit protects against short circuits by opening contacts within 0.5 milliseconds when a magnetic field attracts an armature. MCBs limit arc energy during tripping using arc runners and chutes that segment arcs into low-voltage sections to dissipate energy harmlessly.

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    CB construction

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    Miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) provide overcurrent protection for electrical networks using a thermal and magnetic trip unit. The thermal unit protects against overloads by opening contacts when heat from increased current bends a bimetal strip. The magnetic unit protects against short circuits by opening contacts within 0.5 milliseconds when a magnetic field attracts an armature. MCBs limit arc energy during tripping using arc runners and chutes that segment arcs into low-voltage sections to dissipate energy harmlessly.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    307 views4 pages

    MCB - Miniature Circuit Breaker Construction

    Uploaded by

    Engr. Abdullah
    Miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) provide overcurrent protection for electrical networks using a thermal and magnetic trip unit. The thermal unit protects against overloads by opening contacts when heat from increased current bends a bimetal strip. The magnetic unit protects against short circuits by opening contacts within 0.5 milliseconds when a magnetic field attracts an armature. MCBs limit arc energy during tripping using arc runners and chutes that segment arcs into low-voltage sections to dissipate energy harmlessly.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
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    MCB - Miniature Circuit Breaker Construction | EEP

    electrical-engineering-portal.com /mcb-miniature-circuit-breaker-construction
    Edvard Translate Get PDF

    MCB - Mi n i a tu r e Ci r cu i t b r e a ke r Co n s tr u cti o n ( AB B )

    Int roduct ion t o MCB


    The miniature circuit breaker (MCB) plays an important role in providing overcurrent protection and a disconnect means in electrical networks. Recent advancements in circuit breaker technology has increased breaker performance and protection. A breaker is a device designed to isolate a circuit during an overcurrent event without the use of a fusible element. A breaker is a resettable protective device that protects against two types of overcurrent situations; Overload and Short Circuit.

    MCB Const ruct ion Det ails

    T hermal / Magnetic trip units


    ABB Current Limiting Breakers use an electromechanical (Thermal /Magnetic) trip unit to open the breaker contacts during a overcurrent event. The thermal trip unit is temperature sensitive and the magnetic trip unit is current sensitive. Both units act independently and mechanically with the breakers trip mechanism to open the breakers contacts. Current Flow

    Overload protection
    The thermal trip unit protects against a continuous overload. The thermal unit is comprised of a bimetal element located behind the circuit breaker trip bar and is part of the breakers current carrying path. When there is an overload, the increased current flow heats the bimetal causing it to bend. As the bimetal bends it pulls the trip bar which opens the breakers contacts. The time required for the bimetal to bend and trip the breaker varies inversely with the current. Because of this, the tripping time becomes quicker as current increases in magnitude.Overload protection is applicable to any installation, conductor, or component which can be subjected to low- magnitude but longtime overcurrents. Low- magnitude, long- time over- currents can be dangerous because they reduce the life of the electrical installation, conductor, and components and if left unchecked could result in fire.

    MCB - Mi n i a tu r e ci r cu i t b r e a ke r co n s tr u cti o n d e ta i l s

    Magnetic trip units (short circuit protection)


    The Magnetic trip unit protects against a short circuit. The magnetic trip unit is comprised of an electromagnet and an armature.

    Components of a magnetic trip unit


    When there is a short circuit, a high magnitude of current passes through the coils creating a magnetic field that attracts the movable armature towards the
    MCB - Cu r r e n t fl o w d u r i n g o p e r a ti o n ( Al l h i g h l i g h te d co m p o n e n ts a r e e n e r g i z e d d u r i n g o p e r a ti o n )

    field that attracts the movable armature towards the fixed armature. The hammer trip is pushed against the movable contact and the contacts are opened. The opening of the breakers contacts during a short circuit is complete in .5 milli- seconds.

    Arc runners / Arc chutes


    The arc runner and arc chute limit and dissipate the arc energy during the interruption of an overload or short circuit event. During an overload or short circuit event, the contacts of the breaker separate and an electrical arc is formed between the contacts through air. The arc is moved into the arch chute by running the arc down the interior of the breaker along the arc runner. When the arc reaches the arc chute it is broken into small segmented arcs. The segmented arcs split the overall energy level into segments less than 25V. Each 25V segment does not have a high enough energy level to maintain an arc and all energy is naturally dissipated.

    MCB O ve r l o a d p r o te cti o n

    Breaker curves T hermal Trip Unit (region one)


    The first sloping region of the breaker curve is a graphical representation of the tripping characteristics of the thermal trip unit. This portion of the curve is sloped due to the nature of the thermal trip unit. The trip unit bends to trip the breakers trip bar in conjunction with a rise in amperage (temperature) over time. As the current on the circuit increases, the temperature rises, the faster the thermal element will trip. Example using the curve below: If you had a 10A breaker and the circuit was producing 30 amps of current, the breaker would trip between 2 seconds and 1 minute. In this example you would find the circuit current on the bottom of the graph (Multiples of rated current). The first line is 10 amps (10 amp breaker x a multiple of one), the second line is 20 amps (10 amp breaker x multiple of 2), and the third line is 30 amps (10amp breaker x multiple of 3). Next you would trace the vertical 30A line up until it intersects the red portion of the breaker thermal curve. If you follow the horiz ontal lines, on both sides of the red curve, to the left you will see that the breaker can trip as fast as 2 seconds and no slower than 1 minute.
    MCB Co m p o n e n ts o f a m a g n e ti c tr i p u n i t MCB Ma g n e ti c tr i p u n i ts

    Magnetic Trip Unit (region two)

    Magnetic Trip Unit (region two)


    This region of the breaker curve is the instantaneous trip unit. ABBs MCB miniture circuit breakers instantaneous trip unit interrupts a short circuit in 2.3 to 2.5 milliseconds. Because of this the curve has no slope and is graphically represented as a vertical straight line. Example using the curve above: If you had a 10 amp breaker the magnetic trip element would interrupt a short circuit between 10 and 30 amps (10 amp breaker x multiple of 2 and 3) in 2.3 to 2.5 milliseconds.

    Breaker Contacts (region three)

    MCB Ar c r u n n e r s / Ar c ch u te s

    This region of the curve is the time required for the contacts of the breaker to begin to separate. The contacts will open in less than .5 milliseconds and is graphically represented by the bottom vertical portion of the curve.

    Reference: ABB Application guide | Miniature circuit breakers

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    MCB - Mi n i a tu r e cu r cu i t b r e a ke r cu r ve s

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