LT Switchgear

Switchgear:
 combination of electrical disconnect switches (fuses or circuit breakers) used to control,
protect and isolate electrical equipment.
 used both to de-energize equipment
 to allow work to be done and
 to clear faults downstream.

Fuse:
 A short piece of metal wire, inserted in series with the circuit for protection purpose.
 It melts when predetermined (rated) value of current flows through it and breaks the circuit
 Switch Fuse Unit (SFU): LT Switchgear

 This is nothing but the fuse (a short piece of metal wire),

connected in series with the circuit for protection purpose.

 Under normal condition (current value is below the

predetermined value), it carries the load current without
overheating itself .

 However, when load draws an excessive current which is

more than or equal to the predetermined value (for which
the fuse is designed) then the fuse undergoes to its
abnormal condition. Therefore, temperature of the fuse
rises. As a result, it melts and opens/disconnects the
circuit.

 In this way, it protects the machines/apparatus from

damage that can be caused by the excessive current.
Switch Fuse Unit (SFU): LT Switchgear
 Switch Fuse Unit (SFU): LT Switchgear

Time-current characteristics:
 Time required to blow out a fuse depends
upon the magnitude of excessive current.

 Larger the current, smaller is the time taken

by the fuse to blow out.

 Hence, a fuse has invers time-current

characteristics, which is desirable for a
protective device.
Switch Fuse Unit (SFU): LT Switchgear

Advantages:
 Very low cost

 No maintenance

 Interrupts heavy current without noise and smoke

 More suitable for over current protection due to its

inverse time-current characteristics

Disadvantages:
 Considerable time lost in rewiring or replacing it (fuse)
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear

 an electromechanical device which guards an electrical

circuit from an over current, that may effect from short circuit,
overload or imperfect design.

 This is a better option to a Fuse since it doesn’t require alternate

once an overload is identified.

 In simple conditions this circuit breaker is a switch which

routinely turns off when the current flows through it and passes
the maximum acceptable limit. Generally, these are designed to
guard against over current and overheating.
Characteristics of MCB
 Rated current is not more than 100 amperes
 Normally, trip characteristics are not adjustable
 Thermal/thermal magnetic operation
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear

Construction:
Main parts of the MCB are:

1. Outer body or housing

2. Contacts

3. Operating mechanism

4. Arc extinguishing chamber

5. Fixing arrangement

6. Mechanical interlocking of multiple MCBs

Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear

Construction:
1. Outer body or housing
 It is molded from a special grade glass fiber-reinforced polyester
 It is fire-retardant, anti-tracking and non-hygroscopic
 It has ability to withstand high-temperature and mechanical impact
2. Contacts:

 Contacts of MCB are made of pure silver

 It has special features like: a. long contact life,
b. low contact resistance,
c. quick arc removal and
d. low heat generation
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear

Construction:
3. Operating Mechanism:
 All the components of the operating mechanism are made of special plastic that they are self lubricating
 Therefore, it eliminates wear and tear, rust, and corrosion
 Very light weight and have very low inertia
 It is most reliable and ruggedness

4. Arc extinguishing chamber:

 Inside this chamber, the arc produced during breaking of circuit is extinguished abruptly
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear

Construction:
5. Fixing arrangement:

 This arrangement is provided for easy mounting and removal of MCB by a simple operation with a
screw driver.
 This saves the fixing/removal time

6. Mechanical interlocking of multiple MCBs

 This is provided when multiple (more than one) MCBs are installed together at one point
 The levers of all the MCBs are connected internally by mechanical interlocking to ensure the
simultaneous tripping of all the poles even if the fault develops in any one of the phases
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear

Working/Operation:
 It operates under the following three conditions

a. Moderate overload condition

b. Short circuit condition Abnormal

c. Manually OFF (by hand)

Displacement of Release of Movement of Separation of

Latch Point deformed spring moving contact moving contact
from fixed contact

MCB Flow of current

OFF Stopped
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear

Working/ Operation:
 If circuit is OVERLOAD for a long time, the bi-metallic strip becomes over heated and deformed. This
deformation causes displacement of latch point. The moving contact of the MCB is arranged by means of
spring pressure with this latch point. Therefore, a little displacement of latch causes release of spring and
makes the moving contact to move for opening the MCB.
 During SHORT CIRCUIT fault, the magneto-motive force (mmf) of the current coil (trip coil placed) causes its
plunger to hit the same latch point and make the latch to be displaced.
 Again, when operating lever of the MCB is operated by hand to make it OFF (manually OFF), the same latch
point is displaced as a result moving contact separated from fixed contact in same manner.
 When the moving contact separated from fixed contact, there may be a high chance of arc. This arc then
goes up through the arc runner and enters arc splitters and is finally quenched. When we switch it on, we
reset the displaced operating latch to its previous ON position and the MCB is ready for another switch
OFF/Trip operation.
 It has a very small breaking time (5 milliseconds).
Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): LT Switchgear

Application:
Based on rating
 Available current-voltage rating: 0.5 A, 1.6 A, 2 A, 2.5 A, 3 A, 4 A, 5 A, 6 A, 7.5 A, 10 A, 16 A, 25 A, 32 A, 35
A, 40 A, 63A with 240/415 VAC and upto 220 VDC
 Employed to important and sophisticated appliances used commercially and for domestic purposes (e.g.
computers, air conditioners, compressors, refrigerators etc.)
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(ELCB):

 It is used to protect the circuit/human/nature during the electrical earth leakage fault.

 When someone (human/nature ) gets an electric shock, then this circuit breaker cuts off the power
at the time of 0.1 secs for protecting the personal safety and avoiding the gear from the circuit
against short circuit and overload.
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(ELCB):
 Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

 If any current(ELCB):
leaks from any electrical installation, there may be
any insulation failure in the electrical circuit. It must be properly
detected and prevented, otherwise there may be a high chance
of electrical shock if anyone touches the installation.

 An ELCB does it efficiently. Means it detects the earth leakage

current and makes the supply off by opening the associated
circuit breaker.

 two types of ELCB: voltage ELCB and current ELCB.

Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(ELCB):
Voltage ELCB

 One terminal of the relay coil is connected to the metal body of the
equipment (to be protected against earth leakage) and other
terminal is connected to the earth directly.
 If any insulation failure occurs or live phase wire touches the metal
body of the equipment, there is a voltage difference across the
terminal of the coil connected to the equipment body and earth.
This voltage difference produces a current to flow the relay coil.
 If the voltage difference crosses a predetermined limit, the current
through the relay becomes sufficient to actuate the relay for
tripping the associated circuit breaker to disconnect the supply.
 Disadvantage: it can detect and protect only that equipment or
installation with which it is attached. It cannot detect any leakage of
insulation in other installation of the system.
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(ELCB):
Current ELCB

 It is also called as Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB).

 Here one CT core is energized from both phase wise and neutral
wire.
 The polarity of the phase winding and neutral winding on the core
is so chosen that in normal condition, mmf of one winding opposes
that of another.
 In normal operating conditions the current goes through the phase
wire will be returned via neutral wire if there's no leakage in
between. As both currents are same, the resultant mmf produced
by these two currents is also zero-ideally.
 The relay coil is connected with another third winding wound on
the CT core as secondary. The terminals of this winding are
connected to a relay system.
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(ELCB):
Current ELCB

 In normal operating condition there would not be any current

circulating in the third winding as here is no flux in the core due to
equal phase and neutral current.
 When any earth leakage occurs in the equipment there is a part of
phase current passes to the earth through the leakage path instead
of returning via mental wire.
 Hence the magnitude of the neutral current passing through the
RCCB is not equal to phase current passing through it.
Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(ELCB):
Current ELCB

 Three Phase Residual Current Circuit Breaker or Current ELCB:

When this difference crosses a predetermined value, the current in
the third secondary winding of the core becomes sufficiently high
to actuate the electromagnetic relay attached to it.
 This relay causes tripping of the associated circuit breaker to
disconnect the power supply to the equipment under protection.
 Residual current circuit breaker is sometimes also referred as
residual current device (RCD) when we consider the device by
disassociating the circuit breaker attached to RCCB. That means,
the entire parts of RCCB except circuit breaker are referred as RCD.
 Molded Case Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(MCCB):
 a type of electrical protection device that is commonly used when
load currents exceed the capabilities of miniature circuit breakers.
 They are also used in applications of any current rating that require
adjustable trip settings, which are not available in plug-in circuit
breakers and MCBs.
 This protection device can be used for a wide range of voltages, and
frequencies of both 50 Hz and 60 Hz.
 The main distinctions between molded-case and miniature circuit
breaker are that the MCCB can have current ratings of up to 2,500
amperes, and its trip settings are normally adjustable. An additional
difference is that MCCBs tend to be much larger than MCBs.
 Molded Case Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(MCCB):
 MCCB has three main functions:

• Protection against overload – currents above the rated

value that last longer than what is normal for the
application.

• Protection against electrical faults – During a fault such as a

short circuit or line fault, there are extremely high currents
that must be interrupted immediately.

• Switching a circuit on and off – This is a less common

function of circuit breakers, but they can be used for that
purpose if there isn’t an adequate manual switch.
 Molded Case Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(MCCB):
Operating Mechanism :
 protection mechanism employed by MCCBs is based on
the same physical principles used by all types of thermal-
magnetic circuit breakers.
Overload protection
 It is accomplished by means of a thermal mechanism.
 MCCBs have a bimetallic contact what expands and contracts in response to changes in temperature.
 Under normal operating conditions, the contact allows electric current through the MCCB.
 However, as soon as the current exceeds the adjusted trip value, the contact will start to heat and
expand until the circuit is interrupted.
 The thermal protection against overload is designed with a time delay to allow short duration
overcurrent, which is a normal part of operation for many devices.
 However, any overcurrent conditions that last more than what is normally expected represent an
overload, and the MCCB is tripped to protect the equipment and personnel.
Molded Case Circuit Breaker LT Switchgear

(MCCB):
Fault protection

 It is accomplished with electromagnetic induction, and the response is instant.

 Fault currents should be interrupted immediately, no matter if their duration is short or long.

 Whenever a fault occurs, the extremely high current induces a magnetic field in a solenoid coil
located inside the breaker – this magnetic induction trips a contact and current is interrupted.

 As a complement to the magnetic protection mechanism, MCCBs have internal arc dissipation
measures to facilitate interruption.
 Type of Wires and Cables: LT Switchgear

 Wire is a single electrical conductor, whereas a cable is a
group of wires swathed in sheathing.
 The term cable referred to a nautical line of multiple
ropes used to anchor ships, and in an electrical context,
cables (like wires) are used to carry electrical currents.
 Some factors that will affect the choice of
electrical wiring include color, label
information and applications.
 The information printed on the wire covering
is all that required to choose the correct wire
for home wiring.

Size of wire: Size of wire:

 Common wire sizes are 10, 12 and 14 – a
higher number means a smaller wire size, and
affects the amount of power it can carry.
 For example, a low-voltage lamp cord (10
Amps): requires 18-gauge wire,
 service panels or subpanels with 100 Amps
requires 2-gauge wire.
 The letters THHN, THWN, THW and XHHN represent
the main insulation types of individual wires.
• T – Thermoplastic insulation
• H – Heat resistance
• HH – High heat resistance (up to 194°F)
• W – Suitable for wet locations
• N – Nylon coating, resistant to damage by oil or gas
• X – Synthetic polymer that is flame-resistant
 Type of Wires and Cables: LT Switchgear

Types of wire:

1. Triplex Wires :

 It is usually used for overhead single-phase service (drop

conductors: between the power pole and weather heads).
 They are composed of two insulated aluminum wires
wrapped with a third bare wire which is used as a common
neutral.
 The neutral is usually of a smaller gauge and grounded at
both the electric meter and the transformer.
 Triplex cable contains three individual wires twisted around
each other: two insulated conductors called the "hot" legs
of the service and a bare or uninsulated wire which is the
neutral wire of the service.
 Type of Wires and Cables: LT Switchgear

Types of wire:

2. Main Feeder Wires

 Main power feeder wires are the wires that connect the
service weather head to the house.
 They’re made with stranded or solid THHN wire and the
cable installed is 25% more than the load required.
 Type of Wires and Cables: LT Switchgear

Types of wire:

3. Panel Feed Wires :

 Panel feed cables are generally black insulated THHN wire.

 These are used to power the main junction box and
the circuit breaker panels.
 Just like main power feeder wires, the cables should be
rated for 25% more than the actual load.
 Type of Wires and Cables: LT Switchgear

Types of wire:

4. Non-Metallic Sheathed Wires :

 Non-metallic sheath wire, or Romex, is used in most homes

and has 2-3 conductors, each with plastic insulation, and a
bare ground wire.
 The individual wires are covered with another layer of non-
metallic sheathing.
 Since it’s relatively cheaper and available in ratings for 15,
20 and 20 amps, this type is preferred for in-house wiring.
 Type of Wires and Cables: LT Switchgear

Types of wire:

5. Single Strand Wires :

 Single strand wire also uses THHN wire, though there are
other variants.
 Each wire is separate and multiple wires can be drawn
together through a pipe easily.
 Single strand wires are the most popular choice for layouts
that use pipes to contain wires.
 Type of Wires and Cables: LT Switchgear

Types of cable:

 There are more than 20 different types of cables available today, designed for applications ranging
from transmission to heavy industrial use. Non-Metallic Sheathed Cable
 Some of the most commonly-used ones include:. Underground Feeder Cable
Metallic Sheathed Cable
Multi-Conductor Cable
Coaxial Cable
Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable
 Non-Metallic Sheathed Cable : Ribbon Cable
Direct-Buried Cable
Twin-Lead Cable
Twinaxial Cable
Paired Cable
Twisted Pair
VIR (Vulcanised Indian Rubber) Cable
PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) cable
 Earthing: LT Switchgear

 It is the process of transferring the immediate

discharge of electricity directly to the earth plate, by
means of low resistance electrical cables or wires.
 The electrical earthing is done by connecting the
non-current carrying part of the equipment or
neutral of supply system to the ground.
 Mostly, the galvanised iron is used for the earthing.
 The earthingSheathed
Non-Metallic providesCable
the : simple path to the
leakage current. The shortcircuit current of the
equipment passes to the earth which has zero
potential. Thus, protects the system and equipment
from damage.
 In case of a short circuit due to leakages arising from
weak insulation or damage, the grounding wire
safely removes excess electricity and passes it on to
the ground.
 Earthing LT Switchgear

Types of earthing:
 The electrical equipment mainly consists of two non-current carrying parts. These parts are
neutral of the system or frame of the electrical equipment.
 From the earthing of these two non-current carrying parts of the electrical system earthing can
be classified into two types.

Neutral earthing: Equipment earthing:

InNon-Metallic
neutral earthing, the neutral
Sheathed Cable : of the system is
directly connected to earth by the help of the GI
wire.
 The neutral earthing is also called the system
earthing. Such type of earthing is mostly
provided to the system which has star winding.
 For example, the neutral earthing is provided in
the generator, transformer, motor etc.
 Such type of earthing is provided to the electrical
equipment.
 The non-current carrying part of the equipment
like their metallic frame is connected to the earth
by the help of the conducting wire.
 If any fault occurs in the apparatus, the short-
circuit current to pass the earth by the help of
wire. Thus, protect the system from damage.
 Earthing LT Switchgear

Importance of earthing:

 It protects the personnel from the shortcircuit current.

 Itprovides the easiest path to the flow of shortcircuit current even after the failure of the
insulation.
 Non-Metallic Sheathed Cable :
 It protects the apparatus and personnel from the high voltage surges and lightning discharge.