Module 1

Section 4
Duration : 1 Hour

ELECTRO MECHANICAL COMPONENTS:

1. RELAYS &
2. CONTACTORS.

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 ELECTROMECHANICAL
COMPONENTS
• Electromechanical components use electromagnetic
force to produce mechanical effects.
• Devices which carry out electrical operations by using
moving parts are known as electromechanical
devices.
• They are very widely used in electronic applications
for controlling purposes.
• Electromechanical components include:
1. Relays and
2. Contactors
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 THE RELAYS
• A relay is an electrically operated switch made up of
an electromagnet and a set of contacts.
• An electromagnetic relay is an electromechanical
switch, used to provide an electrical connection
between two or more points in a circuit in response

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 CONSTRUCTION OF
ELECTROMECHANICAL RELAYS
•There are four parts in every relay:
1.The Electromagnet
2.The Armature that is attracted by the
electromagnet
3.A Spring
4.A Set of electrical contacts
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ELECTROMECHANICAL
RELAY

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 CONSTRUCTION OF
ELECTROMECHANICAL RELAYS
• The flow of current through
an electrical conductor causes a
magnetic field at right angles to the
current flow direction.
• If this conductor is wrapped to form a
coil, then the magnetic field produced
gets oriented along the length of the
coil.
• If the current flowing through the
conductor increases, then the magnetic
field strength also increases (and vice-
versa).
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 CONSTRUCTION OF
ELECTROMECHANICAL RELAYS
• In electromechanical relay construction,
the magnetic field produced in coil is used to exert
mechanical force on magnetic objects.
• This is similar to permanent magnets used to attract
magnetic objects, but here the magnetic field can be
turned on or off by regulating current flow through
the coil.
• Thus, we can say that the electromechanical relay
operation is dependent on the current flowing
through the coil.
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 CONSTRUCTION OF
ELECTROMECHANICAL RELAYS

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 ELECTROMECHANICAL
RELAY WORKING
• If there is no supply given to the coil terminals, then the
relay remains in the off condition as shown in the below
figure and the load connected to relay also remains turned
off as no power supply is given to load.

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 ELECTROMECHANICAL
RELAY WORKING
• If the relay coil is energized by giving supply to the coil
terminals at ‘C’, then the movable contact of the relay is
attracted towards the fixed contact, and the supply is
connected to the load as shown in the below figure.

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 ELECTROMECHANICAL
RELAY WORKING EXAMPLE

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 TYPES OF RELAYS

• Based on number of Poles:

1. SP: Single Pole
2. DP: Double Pole
• Based on number of Throw:
• Throw describes what happens to the contacts
when the coil is energized.
1. Single Throw
2. Double Throw

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 TYPES OF RELAYS II
• The different types of
relays are
1. SPST (Single Pole
Single Throw)
2. SPDT (Single Pole
Double Throw)
3. DPST (Double Pole
Single Throw)
4. DPDT (Double Pole
Double Throw)

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SINGLE BULB EXAMPLE

This is an example of single pole single throw

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DOUBLE BULB EXAMPLE

This is an example of single pole double throw

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 TYPES OF RELAYS III
• Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) – This type of
relay has a total of four terminals.
• Out of these two terminals can be connected or
disconnected.
• The other two terminals are needed for the coil.
• Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) – This type of a
relay has a total of five terminals.
• Out of these, two are the coil terminals.
• A common terminal is also included which connects
to either of two others.
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CHANGE OVER (CO)/ DOUBLE
THROW (DT) CONTACTS

This is an example of Double pole Double throw

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 TYPES OF RELAYS IV
• Double Pole Single Throw (DPST) – This relay has a
total of six terminals.
• These terminals are further divided into two pairs.
• Thus they can act as two SPST’s which are actuated by a
single coil.
• Out of the six terminals two of them are coil terminals.
• Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) – This is the
biggest of all.
• It has mainly eight relay terminals.
• Out of these two rows are designed to be change over
terminals.
• They are designed to act as two SPDT relays which are
actuated by a single coil.
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 NORMALLY OPEN (NO) RELAY
• In this relay, it’s natural state is in the normally
open state.
• It is also called a make contact.
• When the coil is energized the contacts are
closed, allowing power to flow through the
contact leads.
• The contacts of a NO relay are open when no
current is passed through the coil.
• An example of this is a car horn, which cannot
have a high current applied directly to the
steering wheel.
• A Form A (NO) relay can be used to switch the
high current to the horn.
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 NORMALLY CLOSED (NC)
RELAYS
• In this relay, the natural state of it is in the normally
closed state.
• It is also called a break contact.
• When the coil is energized the contacts are opened.
• The contacts of an NC relay are closed when no
current is passed through the coil.
• Current through the coil causes the contacts to open,
preventing power from flowing through the contact
leads.
• An example of this is a machine’s motor that needs to
run at all times, but when the motor must be stopped,
the operator can do so by activating a Form B relay
and breaking the circuit.
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 SYMBOLS OF
CONTACTS
Normally Open Contact

Normally Closed Contact

Normally Open Contact with

terminals

Normally Closed Contact with

terminals

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 RELAY APPLICATIONS
• Relays are used to realize logic functions.
• They play a very important role in providing safety
critical logic.
• Relays are used to provide time delay functions.
• They are used to time the delay open and delay close
of contacts.
• Relays are used to control high voltage circuits with
the help of low voltage signals.
• Similarly they are used to control high current
circuits with the help of low current signals.
• They are also used as protective relays.
• By this function all the faults during transmission and
reception can be detected and isolated.

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RELAYS
Factors when looking
at a relay
•Coil terminals
•Number of switching
contact sets
•Rating of the coil
•Rating of the contact
•Structure of the pin
layout
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 PARAMETERS OF RELAY
• Coil Voltage: The voltage that must be applied
across the coil to open or close the contacts.
• Coil Current: The amount of current that can pass
through the coil.
• Contact Rating or contact Current: The amount
of current that can pass through the contact leads.
• Default state of the contacts: The contacts can be
either open (switched OFF) or closed (switched ON)
by default.

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 ADVANTAGES OF RELAY
• Contacts can switch AC or DC.
• Low initial cost.
• Very low contact voltage drop, thus no heat sink is
required.
• High resistance to voltage transients.
• No off – state leakage current through open contacts.
• A relay takes small power to turn ON, but it can control
high power devices to switch ON and OFF.
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 LIMITATIONS OF
ELECTROMECHANICAL RELAY
• Low speed of operation.
• Change in characteristics over a period due to ageing
effects.
• Shorter mechanical lifetime.
• Component failure leading to relay failure.
• Relay is bulky.
• Excessive power consumption.

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 CONTACTOR
• A contactor is an electrically controlled switch used for
switching an electrical power circuit, similar to a relay
except with higher current ratings.
• Relays and Contactors are electromagnetic switches.
• The only difference is that relays are usually used for
low voltage applications while contactors are used for
higher voltage application.
• Contactors usually have Overload protection.
• They usually have arc suppression mechanisms.
• Contactors can be used for example, to start motors or a
number of motors that require a higher voltage in order
for the motor or motors start working.
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CONTACTOR CONSTRUCTION
• A contactor has three components.
• The contacts are the current carrying part of the contactor.
• This includes power contacts, auxiliary contacts, and
contact springs.
• The electromagnet (or "coil") provides the driving force to
close the contacts.
• The enclosure is a frame housing the contact and the
electromagnet.
• Enclosures are made of insulating materials to protect and
insulate the contacts and to provide some measure of
protection against personnel touching the contacts.
• Open-frame contactors may have a further enclosure to
protect against dust, oil, explosion hazards and weather.
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CONTACTOR - EXAMPLE

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CONTACTOR

Auxiliary
contacts
Main
Contacts or
power
contacts
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Example

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 CONTACTOR
• A contactor is a heavy-duty relay with higher current
ratings, used for switching electric motors and
lighting loads.
• When a relay is used to switch a large amount of
electrical power through its contacts, it is designated
by a special name: contactor.
• Contactors typically have multiple contacts, and
those contacts are usually (but not always) normally-
open, so that power to the load is shut off when the
coil is de-energized.
• Perhaps the most common industrial use for
contactors is the control of electric motors.
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CONTACTORS FOR
MOTOR CONTROL

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• The top three contacts switch the respective phases of the
incoming 3-phase AC power, typically at least 480 Volts for
motors of 1 horsepower or greater
• The three “opposed-question-mark” shaped devices in series
with each phase going to the motor are called overload
heaters.
• Each “heater” element is a low-resistance strip of metal
intended to heat up as the motor draws current.
• If the temperature of any of these heater elements reaches a
critical point (equivalent to a moderate overloading of the
motor), a normally-closed switch contact (not shown in the
diagram) will spring open.
• This normally-closed contact is usually connected in series
with the relay coil, so that when it opens, the relay will
automatically de-energize, thereby shutting off power to the
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 CONTACTORS FOR
MOTOR CONTROL
• The auxiliary contact is often used in a relay logic
circuit, or for some other part of the motor control
scheme, typically switching 120 Volt AC power instead
of the motor voltage.
• Large electric motors can be protected from overcurrent
damage through the use of overload heaters and
overload contacts.
• If the series-connected heaters get too hot from
excessive current, the normally-closed overload contact
will open, de-energizing the contactor that was sending
power to the motor.
• A contactor is a large relay, usually used to switch
current to an electric motor or other high-power load.
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 DIFFERNCE BETWEEN
RELAYS & CONTACTORS
Relay Contactor
Relatively smaller in size. Larger when compared to relays.
Used in circuits with lower ampacity. Used in circuits with low and higher
(Max 20A) ampacity up to 12500A.
Mainly used in control and automation Used in the switching of motors,
circuits, protection circuits and for capacitors, lights etc.
switching small electronic circuits.
Cheaper Costlier
Faster Slower
Consists of at least two NO/NC Consists of minimum one set of three
contacts. phase power contacts and in some
cases additional auxiliary contacts are
also provided.

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