The arc contacts positioned in such a way- make first break last during opening and closing of contacts.

Their purpose to ensure any arcing taking place at the contacts, before the main contacts touch. The arcing contacts can thus break once main contacts touch each other. During opening the reverse happens. Extinguishing arc very important in l.v. switch gear. Extinguish arc as quickly as possible. Arc once formed, tends to move away from the origin by forming the contact system carefully, the magnetic field generated by the current flow is used to move the arc into an arcing chamber where its extinction is aided. In arcing chamber- number of arc splitter plates which have a slot or V- shaped cut into the in order to encourage the arc to run into the arcing chamber. The plates split the arc into number of small arcs, having the effect of lightening and cooling the arc. The arc is then extinguished if the voltage drop across it is equal to voltage drop across open contact. If the arc can be extinguished quickly before the full prospective fault current is reached, the maximum current passed through the breaker is limited. Many designs are based on forming the current carrying conductors with the circuit breakers in such a way that the electromagnetic forces created by the current force the arc into the arcing chamber very quickly. A particular development of this is to form blow-out coils from the current carrying conductor. The opening and closing mechanism generally uses the energy developed in releasing a charged spring. The spring charged manually or with the aid of winding mechanism attached to motor. The charge is usually held until a release mechanism is activated. Once spring energy released to the main spring- transfer energy to the compressing moving contact spring and it is these spring that provide energy to open the contacts when required. Attached to and interfacing with the main mechanism is tripping mechanism which is used to open contacts. i.e. the means of tripping an air of a c.b. is a coil, which may be--shunt trip: it is current operated, consists of winding on a bobbin with moving core at its centre. an under voltage coil; similar to above only the moving core is held in place by magnetic flux against the spring, if the voltage across the winding falls this allows the spring to release the core and operate the trip mechanism. Polarized trip coil: the o/p is used to nullify the magnetic field from the permanent magnet that is set in coil, when the coil is energized the permanent magnetic field is overcome and using the spring energy, a moving core is released to operate the trip mechanism. The release coil receives the signal from the over current detecting device, which is basically an electronic tripping unit.

Some mccbc will include electro mechanical thermal trip and electromagnetic trip in place of electronic trip unit. Electromechanical thermal trip: consists heater and bimetal. The heater being part of main current carrying circuit. Overload: heater causes deflection of metal which is time related depending on the current flowing through the heater. Bimetal deflection: trip mechanism and time current characteristics. Electromagnetic trip consists of U shaped coil around the current carrying circuit of mccb, together with moving pole piece. When fault current passes- magnetic flux within U shaped coils pulls the pole pieces and this movement is used to trip the c.b. MCBs It also has 1) a contact system 2) means of arc quenching

3) tripping and protection sytem Earlier the devices were of zero cutting type, and during the short circuit the current has to pass to zero before teh arc was extinguished. Most of them housed in Bakelite moulding. Single pole construction in single phase circuit Housed in plastic moulding Contact: fixed and moving Contact tip: attached to each Contact tip provides a low resilience contact junction to resist welding Modern mcbs fitted with arc chutes consisting of metal plates which are held in position by insulating material Sometimes runners are provided to run arc into arc chutes. Tripping mechanism consistes of thermal magnetic arrangement.

Thermal : by bimetal with heater. Bimetal forms the current path, heat generated causes deflection which activate tripping mechanism. Characteristics are chosen to provide particular delays under certain overload or fault currents according to required time current characteristics. High resistance bimetal for low current devices and low resistance bimetal for high current device. In low current device, heater is incorporated to generate sufficient heat for deflection. The magnetic tripping consists of a coil wrapped around a tube, there being spring loaded slug with the tube. Movement of slug operates the tripping mechanism to open MCB. It can also used be used to assist in opening the contacts by locating the coil close to moving contact. When fault current flows, the high magnetic field generated by the coil overcomes the spring force holding the slug in position. The slug then moves to the tripping mechanism and then moving the contact apart by striking the moving contact arm. For low MCB coil is formed of thin wire with many turns and for higher rating the wire is thicker with fewer turns. RESIDUAL CURRENT DEVICES (RCD) Detect earth fault currents and interrupt supply is earth current flows. Main application to prevent electrocution but RCDs can also be used to protect the equipment against fire. It can be opened and closed manually to switch normal loads currents and opens automatically when earth fault current flows. The main feature include toroidal transformer on which load currents and neutral are wound in opposite direction. It carries a detecting winding. If no earth fault current flows. both the windings carry current in the same direction and hence no net flux and no current but when the fault current flows, there is difference in the currents of both the windings which generate the resultant flux and induces the current in the detecting winding. The current operates the relays which opens the contact. The detecting winding has to produce very small output to operate the tripping mechanism. So two methods: 1) o/p signal electronically amplified 2) polarized relay operating on sensitive mechanical trip mechanism. Operation of RCD described for a single phase operation. But can be used for 3 phase as well.( in industrial system for protection against fire) There are two arrangements for 3 phase RCD: 1) either of 3 phases are wound around current transformer 2) 3 phase and neutral are wound on balancing transformer It has limited current breaking capacity and not a replacement for overcurrent protection devices.

Residual c.b. over current: property with an over current tripping mechanism and enhanced contacts to cope with interruption of fault condition. CLASSIFICATION OF h.T. C.B. They can be divided into: Oil and oiless c.b. oil c.b. can be divided into bulk oil c.b. ( large quantity of oil) and low oil c.b. which operate on minimum amount of oil also known as minimum oil c.b. (MOCB) In bulk oil the transformer oil ----- extinguishes the arc during opening of contacts and insulate the current conducting parts from one another and from the earthed tank. In low oil c.b. the oil serves only the arc extinction, their current conducting parts are insulated by air and porcelain, or organic insulating materials. Types of oil less c.b.: 1) Water c.b. in which water is used for arc extinction 2) Hard gas c.b. in which the arc is extinguished by gases generated when the wall surfaces of the arc extinguishing chambers, lined with insulating materials capable of producing large amount of gases are decomposed by the arc ( such materials are fibre organic glass etc.) 3) Air blast c.b. in which compressed air extinguishes the arc. 4) SF6: used as arc extinguisher 5) Vacuum interrupters where due to vacuum, rate of arc extinction is high.

OCB: Advantages of oil as an arc quenching medium: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) The absorption of arc energy in decomposing the oil. Good cooling properties of gas formed Cooling surface- close proximity of arc Ability of cool coil of high dielectric strength to flow in the arc space after the current is zero The action of oil as an insulator

Disadvantages: 1) Easily flammable 2) Form an explosive mixture with air 3) Requires maintenance Movement of oil in arc space after the current zero is affected 1) By the pressure due to natural head of oil; above the contacts 2) Pressure generated by the arc current itself 3) Pressure set up by external means Other names: 1) Plain break oil c.b. 2) Self generated pressure coil c.b. ( forced blast oil c.b. or impulse oil c.b.) 3) Externally generated pressure coil c.b. PLAIN BREAK OIL C.B. Consists of strong, weather tight, earthed tank containing oil certain level and an air cushion above oil level.

 a) b) c) d)

Fixed and moving parts immersed in oil It is called double break breaker because it provides two breaks in series. When moving contacts separate from the fixed contacts, an arc is struck which vaporizes oil into gas. The sudden formation of the gas by the arc may cause the whole of the oil above the contact to be shifted violently against the tank cover or the gas may pass through the oil into the air and form an explosive mixture. Tank and top have to be strong The extinguishing action is due to the arcs passing from contact to contact through the gaseous medium mainly consisting of hydrogen which has high heat conductivity and high dielectric strength. Arc extinctionby elongation of arc as contacts separate and by the intense turbulent motion of the oil resulting from the gases passing through it. Thos type of oil breaker thus suffers from the defect of permitting rather long and inconsistent arc time. In DBPCB .... two breaks in series, a rapid arc length is achieved without a need of specially fast moving contact speed. But unequal voltage distribution across the breaks resulting uneven sharing of total interrupting duty. In order to equalize the voltage-----Z added at each break. They of specific magnitude to damp the effect f the stray capacitances C/R can be used It is common to use non- linear resistors for the Z of the capacitors is low enough, except at high rates of rise, to produce the required damping effect Main features effecting the performance: Length of the break Speed of the contact movement Head of oil above contacts Clearance of the earth metal adjacent to contacts

SELF GENERATED PRESSURE OIL CIRCUIT BREAKERS: 1) Pressure generated by the arc is utilized in speeding up the movement of oil into the contact space immediately after current zero. 2) Done by surrounding the contact by the pressure chamber or pot 3) The breaking capacity increased while arcing time is reduced 4) Pressure set up by action of arc itself--- dependent on the magnitude of the current 5) Pressure should be sufficient to extinguish the arc of low current nd it should not be excessive to break the pot of heavy current Therefore there is variety of pots: PLAIN EXPLOSION POT: 1) Fixed and moving parts are enclosed in strong shell of insulating material 2) Moving contact comprises stud which moves vertically out of fixed finger contacts and relatively closed fitting throat at the lower end 3) When contacts part. Gas generated produce very high pressure 4) Pressure+ vapour streams flowing turbulently in arc= arc extinction 5) Not achieved if moving contact still in pot, when it leaves the axial high velocity blast of gas which is released through the throat 6) Therefore referred as axial extinction pot also 7) Drawback: a) Low current: arcing time is long b) Heavy current: pot burst due to high pressure c) Pressure set up limits the breaking capavity

CROSS JET EXPLOSION: 1) It is an adoption of plain explosion pot which shows 4 stages

2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

State 1: moving contact separated fixed contact and an arc is formed Stage 4: the final arc extinction which occurs when the moving contact is about to unseal throat Gas formed in the early part of the contact movement generates pressure which causes the enclosed oil to flow. Flow in the direction of the arc which is driven on to insulating barriers acting as arc splitters ARC SPLITTER: obtain an increased arc length corresponding to given amount of contact travel and provide cutting edges across the arc is attenuated weakened and finally interrupted 7) Oil is checked by the pressure of the arc itself until a current zero (pressure then is very low) when the contacts are ejected across the arc path 8) CROSS JET EXPLOSION: name because it performs cross or transverse extinction of the arc 9) Performance gr8 when heavy short circuit currents are to be broken Elements: a) Explosion chamber b) Oil c) Moving contact d) Throat e) Arc splitters f) Arc g) Fixed contact h) Gas SELF COMPENSATED EXPLOSION POT: 1) Cross jet+ plain explosion pot 2) Thus operate at low and heavy current 3) Consists of two chambers: upper: cross jet explosion with two lateral orifices and lower is plain explosion pot 4) On heavy short ckt: rate of generation of gas is high and device operates as cross jet. Arc extinction occurs when first and second lateral surfaces are uncovered 5) In low short circuit, the rate of generation of gas is low so tip of moving contact has time to reach the lower chamber while the pressure builds 6) Very little pressure leakage occurs through the orifice since the movement is restricted by right angular bends 7) When the tip of moving contact emerges from the throat, and also by the presence of the arc. 8) When the tip of the moving contact emerges from the throat the arc is extinguished by plain explosion pot action ELEMENTS: A) Fixed contact B) Cross jet explosion pot C) Lateral orifices D) Moving contact OIL BLAST EXPLOSION POT: i) Axial extinction+double break

ii) 1st the intermediate and lower moving contacts move downward together iii) arc struck between fixed and intermediate chamber iv) arc causes the upper chamber to be subjected to high pressure and this is not released until intermediate element reaches top. v) when the intermediate part has reached the maximuym level then arc is struck in between the lower part vi) since the lower contact consists of a hollow rod, the oil is shot down this rod into the main tank by the pressure which was established by the first arc.

vii) long arcing time is a drawback of this type. EXTERNALLY GENERATED PRESSURE OIL C.B. ( OR IMPULSE TYPE C.B.) Instead of relying on the arc to generate pressure, pressure applied from external source---- piston actuated by moving contacts or spring released by the tripping mechanism. Arrangement enables high speed interruption. Performance at low current> self generated pressure type since the rate of dielectric built up is independent of fault current. Advantage: quantity of oil reduced to and the possibility of current chopping which exists when small inductive current are interrupted necessitates damping by resistance switch. SPECIAL PROBLEMS: 1) Current chopping: it takes place when excessive deionizing forces are applied to interrupt small current. The self regulating characteristic controls the chopping action 2) Capacitive currents interruption: