REWIRABLE FUSES

This kind of fuse is most commonly used in the case of domestic wiring and small scale usage.
Another name for this type is the KIT-KAT type fuse. The main composition is of a porcelain
base which holds the wires.
The fuse element is located inside a carrier that is also made out of porcelain. It is possible for
you to remove the fuse carrier without any risk of electrical shock. Normally what happens is
that when the fuse blows, you can replace it without having to change the complete thing.
The main metals or alloys used in making fuse wire include lead, tinned copper, aluminum or tin
lead alloy.

When there is an over surge that causes the fuse element to blow off, you can replace it. A new
fuse carrier is inserted in the base.
The main advantage of this type of fuse is that it is easy to install and also replace without
risking any electrical injury. But there are certain shortcomings associated with it too. For
instance, with this fuse you would have an element of unreliability. There is a level of lack of
discrimination and a small time lag, which may hinder its functionality.

With a slow speed of operation, you also get a low rupturing capacity.
Other types have current limiting features, and this one does not.
All this being said it is still a valuable fuse device for small scale usage.

HRC Fuse or High Rupturing Capacity Fuse

HRC fuse or high rupturing capacity fuse- In that type of fuse, the fuse wire or element can
carry short circuit heavy current for a known time period. During this time if the fault is
removed, then it does not blow off otherwise it blows off or melts.
The enclosure of HRC fuse is either of glass or some other chemical compound. This enclosure
is fully air tight to avoid the effect of atmosphere on the fuse materials. The ceramic enclosure
having metal end cap at both heads, to which fusible silver wire is welded. The space within the
enclosure, surrounding the fuse wire or fuse element is completely packed with a filling powder.
This type of fuse is reliable and has inverse time characteristic, that means if the fault current is
high then rupture time is less and if fault current is not so high then rupture time is long.

Operation of HRC Fuse

When the over rated current flows through the fuse element of high rupturing capacity fuse the
element is melted and vaporized. The filling powder is of such a quantity that the chemical
reaction between the silver vapor and the filling powder forms a high electrical resistance
substance which very much help in quenching the arc.

MCB

A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect

an electrical circuit from damage caused due to excess passage of current. Its basic
function is to detect a fault and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately
discontinue electrical flow. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then has to be
replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume
normal operation. Circuit breakers are made in various sizes, from small devices
used to protect an individual household appliance up to large switchgear designed
to protect high voltage circuits to supply an entire city.

A MCB is a mechanical switching device which is capable of making, carrying and breaking
currents under normal circuit conditions and also making, carrying for a specified time and
automatically breaking currents under specified abnormal circuit conditions such as those of
short circuit. In short, MCB is a device for overload and short circuit protection. They are used in
residential & commercial areas.
What Are Molded Case Circuit Breakers ?
Molded case circuit breakers are the circuit breakers which Their current carrying
parts, mechanisms and trip devices are completely contained within a molded case
of insulating material. MCCBs are available in various frame sizes with various
interrupting ratings for each frame size.
Molded case circuit breakers are designed to provide circuit protection for low
voltage distribution systems. They protect connected devices against overloads
and/or short circuits.
Molded case circuit breakers are available with special features making them
suitable for the protection of motor circuits when used in conjunction with a
separate overload protection device. In these applications, they are often referred to
as motor circuit protectors (MCPs).
A molded case circuit breakers manufactured, all are made up of five main
components. of These are:
Molded Case or Frame
Operating Mechanism
Arc Extinguishers
Contacts
Trip Units

Figure 1. Five Main Components of an MCCB

ACB
This type of circuit breakers, is those kind of circuit breaker which operates in air at atmospheric
pressure. After development of oil circuit breaker, the medium voltage air circuit breaker
(ACB) is replaced completely by oil circuit breaker in different countries. But in countries like
France and Italy, ACBs are still preferable choice up to voltage 15 KV. It is also good choice to
avoid the risk of oil fire, in case of oil circuit breaker. In America ACBs were exclusively used
for the system up to 15 KV until the development of new vacuum and SF6 circuit breakers.
Working Principle of Air Circuit Breaker

The working principle of this breaker is rather different from those in any other types of circuit
breakers. The main aim of all kind of circuit breaker is to prevent the reestablishment of arcing
after current zero by creating a situation where in the contact gap will withstand the system
recovery voltage. The air circuit breaker does the same but in different manner. For interrupting
arc it creates an arc voltage in excess of the supply voltage. Arc voltage is defined as the
minimum voltage required maintaining the arc. This circuit breaker increases the arc voltage by
mainly three different ways,
It may increase the arc voltage by cooling the arc plasma. As the temperature of arc plasma is
decreased, the mobility of the particle in arc plasma is reduced; hence more voltage gradient is
required to maintain the arc.

It may increase the arc voltage by lengthening the arc path. As the length of arc path is increased,
the resistance of the path is increased, and hence to maintain the same arc current more voltage is
required to be applied across the arc path. That means arc voltage is increased.
Splitting up the arc into a number of series arcs also increases the arc voltage.

Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB)

An Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) is a device used to directly

detect currents leaking to earth from an installation and cut the power and mainly
used in TT earthing systems.
There are two types of ELCBs:
1. Voltage Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (voltage-ELCB)
2. Current Earth Leakage Current Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (Current-ELCB).
Voltage-ELCBs were first introduced about sixty years ago and Current-ELCB was
first introduced about forty years ago. For many years, the voltage operated ELCB
and the differential current operated ELCB were both referred to as ELCBs because
it was a simpler name to remember. But the use of a common name for two
different devices gave rise to considerable confusion in the electrical industry.
If the wrong type was used on an installation, the level of protection given could be
substantially less than that intended.
To ignore this confusion, IEC decided to apply the term Residual Current Device
(RCD) to differential current operated ELCBs. Residual current refers to any current
over and above the load current.