What is MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) ?
- An MCB is an automatically operated electrical switch. Miniature circuit breakers are intended to prevent damage to an electrical circuit as a result of excess current.
- They are designed to trip during an overload or short circuit to protect against electrical faults and equipment failure.
- MCB stands for “Miniature Circuit Breaker”.
- Rated current under 100 amps.
- Interrupting rating of under 18,000 amps.
- Trip characteristics may not be adjusted.
- Working principle based on the thermal or thermal-magnetic operation.
- Suitable for low current circuits (low energy requirement), i.e. home wiring.
- Generally, used where normal current is less than 100 Amps.
What is MCCB (Molded Case Circuit Breaker) ?
- A moulded case circuit breaker (MCCB) is a type of electrical protection device that is used to protect the electrical circuit from excessive current, which can cause overload or short circuit.
- MCBB stands for “Molded Case Circuit Breaker“.
- Rated current in the range of 10-2500 amps.
- Thermal operated for overload and & magnetic operation for instant trip in SC (short circuit conditions).
- Interrupting rating can be around 10k – 200k amps.
- Trip characteristics is adjustable.
- Suitable for high power rating and high energy i.e. commercial and industrial use.
- Generally, used where normal current is more than 100 Amps.
What is ELCB (Earth-leakage circuit breaker) ?
- An Earth-leakage circuit breaker is a safety device used in electrical installations with high earth impedance to prevent shock.
- It detects small stray voltages on the metal enclosures of electrical equipment and interrupts the circuit if a dangerous voltage is detected.
- An ECLB is one kind of safety device used for installing an electrical device with high earth impedance to avoid shock. These devices identify small stray voltages of the electrical device on the metal enclosures and intrude the circuit if a dangerous voltage is identified.
- The main purpose of the Earth leakage circuit breaker (ECLB) is to stop damage to humans & animals due to electric shock.
- An ELCB is a specific type of latching relay that has a structure’s incoming main power associated through its switching contacts so that the circuit breaker detaches the power in an unsafe condition.
- The ELCB notices fault currents of human or animal to the earth wire in the connection it guards.
- If ample voltage seems across the ELCB’s sense coil, it will turn off the power, and remain off until manually rearrange.
- A voltage sensing ELCB doesn’t detect fault currents from human or animal to the earth.
- The ELCB notices fault currents of human or animal to the earth wire in the connection it guards. If ample voltage seems across the ELCB’s sense coil, it will turn off the power, and remain off until manually rearrange. A voltage sensing ELCB doesn’t detect fault currents from human or animal to the earth.
What is RCCB (Residual Current Circuit breaker) ?
- A residual-current device, residual-current circuit breaker or ground fault circuit interrupter is an electrical safety device that quickly breaks an electrical circuit with leakage current to ground.
- It is to protect equipment and to reduce the risk of serious harm from an ongoing electric shock.
- RCCB is named as Residual current circuit breaker because of it protects against residual current. Residual current means flow of leakage current between live conductor to earth. Current can flow in two different path, one is neutral and another one is earth.
- In this, under normal condition the load is always connected in between the phase terminal to neutral terminal, hence the flow of phase current (load current) is equal to neutral current. Consider earth fault is occurred in the load means the leakage current starts flow through a new path, from phase terminal to earth.
- This leakage current is called residual current. RCCB is specially designed to protect the electrical circuit against earth fault and humans from electrical shock.
What is RCD or RCB (Residual current device) ?
- An RCD, or residual current device, is a life-saving device which is designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live, such as a bare wire. It can also provide some protection against electrical fires.
- RCDs offer a level of personal protection that ordinary fuses and circuit-breakers cannot provide.
- An RCD is a sensitive safety device that switches off electricity automatically if there is a fault.
- An RCD is designed to protect against the risks of electrocution and fire caused by earth faults. For example, if you cut through the cable when mowing the lawn and accidentally touched the exposed live wires or a faulty appliance overheats causing electric current to flow to earth.
- An RCD constantly monitors the electric current flowing through one or more circuits it is used to protect. If it detects electricity flowing down an unintended path, such as through a person who has touched a live part, the RCD will switch the circuit off very quickly, significantly reducing the risk of death or serious injury.
