ELECTRICAL PROTECTION

MICHAEL BOWMAN
 ELECTRICAL PROTECTION

ELECTRIC PROTECTIVE DEVICES EQUIPMENT APPLIED TO ELECTRIC POWER

SYSTEMS TO DETECT ABNORMAL AND INTOLERABLE CONDITIONS AND
TO INITIATE APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. THESE DEVICES
INCLUDE LIGHTNING ARRESTERS, SURGE PROTECTORS , FUSES, AND
RELAYS WITH ASSOCIATED CIRCUIT BREAKERS, RECLOSERS, AND SO
FORTH.
 ELECTRICAL PROTECTION

PROTECTIVE DEVICES ARE INSTALLED WITH THE AIMS OF PROTECTING

THE USER, ASSETS AND ENSURING CONTINUED SUPPLY OF ENERGY.

SWITCHGEAR IS A COMBINATION OF ELECTRICAL DISCONNECT

SWITCHES, FUSES OR CIRCUIT BREAKERS USED TO CONTROL, PROTECT
AND ISOLATE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
CATEGORIES OF CIRCUIT PROTECTION DEVICES
• CIRCUIT BREAKERS.
• ELECTRONIC FUSES/FUSES
• POWER CONDITIONER
• LIGHTNING ARRESTERS.
• SURGE PROTECTOR.
• RESETTABLE FUSES.
• GFCI
• RECLOSERS
 CIRCUIT BREAKERS
• The I.E.F regulations define a circuit-breaker as : a mechanical device for making and breaking
A circuit both under normal conditions and abnormal conditions, such as those of a short
circuit, the circuit being broken automatically

• The circuit breaker is generally opened and closed by hand (manually) but is automatically
opened under fault conditions by an over-current release.

• Over-current release. – The over current release is operated by the magnetic effect of the line
current flowing through the circuit. This current flows through a current coil consisting of a
few turns of heavy-gauge copper wire of copper tape. When a continual overload is placed on
the protected circuit the electromagnet field, due to the current flowing in the coil, draws up
a plunger which operates a mechanical trip, thus isolating the circuit from the supply.
 CIRCUIT BREAKER RATINGS

• THE NAMEPLATE OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER INDICATES;

• THE MAXIMUM STEADY CURRENT
• MAXIMUM INTERRUPTING CURRENT
• THE MAXIMUM LINE VOLTAGE
• THE INTERRUPTING TIME IN CYCLE.
CIRCUIT BREAKERS
 THE FUSE
A FUSE IS AN ELECTRICAL SAFETY DEVICE THAT OPERATES TO PROVIDE
OVERCURRENT PROTECTION OF AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT. ITS ESSENTIAL
COMPONENT IS A METAL WIRE OR STRIP THAT MELTS WHEN TO MUCH
CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH IT, THEREBY INTERRUPTING THE CURRENT. IT
IS A SACRIFICIAL DEVICE; ONCE A FUSE HAS OPERATED IT IS AN OPEN
CIRCUIT, AND IT MUST BE REPLACED OR REWIRED, DEPENDING ON TYPE.
 RESETTABLE FUSES
• THIS IS A HANDY LITTLE DEVICE THAT CAN SAVE YOUR SYSTEM FROM SMOKING. A
RESETTABLE FUSE (ALSO KNOWN AS A PTC) IS A RESISTOR THAT HAS VERY UNIQUE
PROPERTIES.
• FOR THIS MODEL, IF YOUR CIRCUIT TRIES TO DRAW MORE THAN 250MA OF CURRENT (IF
YOU HAVE A BAD SHORT FOR INSTANCE) THE PTC WOULD 'TRIP' (BY HEATING UP). THE
INCREASED RESISTANCE (TRIP STATE) WOULD BREAK THE CIRCUIT AND ALLOW ONLY A
SMALL LEAKAGE CURRENT.
• THE LEAKAGE CURRENT MAY STILL BE ENOUGH TO HURT SOME ELECTRONICS BUT IT'S
MUCH LESS THAN THE 3A THAT THE SHORT MAY HAVE ALLOWED. REMOVING THE SHORT,
THE PTC 'RESETS' AND ALLOWS CURRENT UP TO 250MA TO FLOW AGAIN. IT'S A
RESETTABLE FUSE THAT PROTECTS YOUR SYSTEM! GOOD FOR USE ON BATTERY POWERED
DEVICES THAT NEED TO PROTECT AGAIN HIGH-CURRENT ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGES.
THE FUSE
 ISOLATORS
ISOLATORS: A MECHANICAL DEVICE CAPABLE OF OPENING OR CLOSING A CIRCUIT UNDER
CONDITIONS OF NO LOAD OR NEGLIGIBLE CURRENT.
 LIGHTNING ARRESTERS
THE DEVICE WHICH IS USED FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE
EQUIPMENT AT THE SUBSTATIONS AGAINST TRAVELLING WAVES,
SUCH TYPE OF DEVICE IS CALLED LIGHTNING ARRESTER OR SURGE
DIVERTER. IN OTHER WORDS, LIGHTNING ARRESTER DIVERTS THE
ABNORMAL HIGH VOLTAGE TO THE GROUND WITHOUT AFFECTING
THE CONTINUITY OF SUPPLY. IT IS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE LINE
AND EARTH, I.E., IN PARALLEL WITH THE EQUIPMENT TO BE
PROTECTED AT THE SUBSTATION.
LIGHTNING ARRESTERS
 SURGE PROTECTOR
A SURGE PROTECTOR IS AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE THAT IS USED TO PROTECT
EQUIPMENT AGAINST POWER SURGES AND VOLTAGE SPIKES WHILE
BLOCKING VOLTAGE OVER A SAFE THRESHOLD (APPROXIMATELY 120 V).
WHEN A THRESHOLD IS OVER 120V, A SURGE PROTECTOR SHORTS TO
GROUND VOLTAGE OR BLOCKS THE VOLTAGE. WITHOUT A SURGE
PROTECTOR, ANY VOLTAGE HIGHER THAN 120V CAN CREATE COMPONENT
ISSUES, SUCH AS PERMANENT DAMAGE, REDUCED LIFESPAN OF INTERNAL
DEVICES, BURNED WIRES AND DATA LOSS.
SURGE PROTECTOR
 POWER CONDITIONER
A POWER OR LINE CONDITIONER IS AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT
DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF POWER SUPPLIED TO A
ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS BY SUPPLYING VOLTAGE AT THE LEVEL
THAT ALLOWS THAT COMPONENT TO OPERATE PROPERLY.
ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY THERE IS NO SINGLE CORRECT DEFINITION
FOR A POWER CONDITIONER, IT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH A
VOLTAGE REGULATOR, WHICH IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF POWER
THROUGH TRANSIENT IMPULSE PROTECTION, POWER FACTOR
CORRECTION OR NOISE SUPPRESSION.
 POWER CONDITIONER
A POWER CONDITIONER HAS THE ABILITY TO REGULATE AND CLEAN
AC POWER BY DELIVERING DYNAMIC POWER ADJUSTMENTS AND
REMOVING SPIKES, SURGES, NOISE, SAGS AND FREQUENCY
IRREGULARITIES, WHICH MAY DAMAGE OR ADVERSELY AFFECT THE
PERFORMANCE OF ANY EQUIPMENT LOAD.
POWER CONDITIONER
 GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS (GFCI)
• THE GFCI WILL “SENSE” THE DIFFERENCE IN THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY FLOWING
INTO THE CIRCUIT TO THAT FLOWING OUT, EVEN IN AMOUNTS OF CURRENT AS SMALL
AS 4 OR 5 MILLIAMPS. THE GFCI REACTS QUICKLY (LESS THAN ONE-TENTH OF A SECOND)
TO TRIP OR SHUT OFF THE CIRCUIT

• GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS (GFCI) ARE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF

PREVENTING SEVERE ELECTRICAL SHOCK. GFCIS ARE INSTALLED TO PROTECT AREAS OF
THE HOME, SUCH AS THE KITCHEN, BATHROOM OR LAUNDRY, WHERE ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES OR PRODUCTS MAY COME INTO CONTACT WITH WATER.
GFCI CIRCUIT BREAKER
GFCI CIRCUIT BREAKER
 EARTH-LEAKAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER (ELCB)
• AN EARTH-LEAKAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER (ELCB) 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.

• IF ANY CURRENT LEAKS FROM ANY ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION,

THERE MUST-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
EARTH-LEAKAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER (ELCB)
 RECLOSERS
RECLOSERS ARE SMALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS LOCATED AT THE TOP OF
DISTRIBUTION POLES AND ARE TYPICALLY USED ON VERY LONG
DISTRIBUTION FEEDERS. THEIR FUNCTION IS TO ISOLATE A SECTION OF THE
FEEDER IN FAULT OR OVERLOAD CONDITIONS AND THEREBY MINIMIZE THE
NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS WITHOUT SERVICE. SINCE THEY ACT AS SMALL
CIRCUIT BREAKERS, THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO RESTORE POWER
AUTOMATICALLY IN TEMPORARY FAULT SITUATIONS, HENCE THE NAME
"RECLOSER
RECLOSERS