Presentation

On
NEW TECHNOLOGY
CIRCUIT BREAKERS

PRESENTED BY:
ISHIKA CHANDRA ( A2324617013)
HARSH BHARDWAJ (A2324617014)
WHAT IS A CIRCUIT
BREAKER?
 CIRCUIT BREAKER
• A circuit breaker is an automatically
operated electrical switch designed to protect
an electrical circuit from damage caused by excess
current from an overload or short circuit.
• Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after a fault
is detected. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then
must be replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset (either
manually or automatically) to resume normal operation.
• Circuit breakers are made in varying sizes, from small
devices that protect low-current circuits or individual
household appliance, up to large switchgear .
Types of Circuit Breaker
According different criteria there are different
types of circuit breaker.

According to their arc quenching media:

1) Oil circuit breaker
2) Air circuit breaker
3) SF6 circuit breaker
4) Vacuum circuit breaker

According to their services:

5) Outdoor circuit breaker
6) Indoor breaker
According to the operating mechanism of
circuit breaker:
1) Spring operated circuit breaker
2) Pneumatic circuit breaker
3) Hydraulic circuit breaker

According to the voltage level of installation:

4) High voltage circuit breaker
5) Medium voltage circuit breaker
6) Low voltage circuit breaker
 VIDEOS
• Circuit breaker working
https://youtu.be/wGFnooeA6Iw
 Conventional mechanical CBs protect AC and DC circuits from
overload and short circuit conditions.

Electronic circuit breakers offer more features compared to

mechanical ones. Some of the features offered are - nearly unlimited
short circuit capability by current limitation, programmable rated
current, programmable trip time curve, wire break indication, remote
controllability and monitoring functions for current and voltage. In
addition it offers millions of operations without any abrasion.

The life of an electronic circuit breaker and the one of a mechanical

circuit breaker are differently defined and are therefore not
comparable.
Electronic CBs do not provide physical isolation due to the
leakage current at OFF-state and they are especially
susceptible to line induced voltage spikes, which have to be
suppressed by additional components like suppressor diodes.
To protect against field induced electromagnetic pulses
additional shielding is required. Therefore electronic circuit
breakers often use an electrical contact in series with the
power semiconductor, which will stay open in the OFF- state
thus withstanding the required isolation voltages.
Some New Technology
Circuit Breakers
Overhead Circuit Breakers
These overhead circuit breakers are essential
to in-flight safety, hence their accessibility to
both pilots while remaining seated .The
primary function of these breakers relates to
the safe operation of the aircraft, i.e., power
to flight instruments, communication
systems, navigation systems, and aircraft
performance instruments. Of concern to the
system’s engineer, is the extremely limited
amount of space available to install any more
circuit breakers on the Battery Bus, and of
course, the limited capacity of the battery
itself.
Overhead Circuit Breakers
• https://youtu.be/vqY69
e_ktVQ
Smart Circuit Breakers
Several firms have looked at adding
monitoring for appliances via electronics or
using a digital circuit breaker to monitor the
breakers remotely. Utility companies in the
United States have been reviewing use of the
technology to turn on and off appliances, as
well as potentially turning off charging of
electric cars during periods of high electrical
grid load. These devices under research and
testing would have wireless capability to
monitor the electrical usage in a house via a
smartphone app or other means.
Smart Circuit Breakers
• https://youtu.be/kM7n
F3Ojk0Y
Solid-State Circuit Breakers

• Mechanical circuit breakers rely on a

mechanical switch that is opened when the
fault condition is detected. Although widely
deployed in power distribution networks,
their disadvantages include a slow response
to the fault resulting in high current levels
during the current interruption and the
creation of an arc across the mechanical
contact. The arc results in significant wear of
the contacts in the mechanical circuit breaker
and can be hazard for environments with
explosive gasses.
• Solid state technology applied to this traditional
device has resulted in circuit breakers free from
arcing and switch bounce, that offer
correspondingly higher reliability and longer
lifetimes as well as faster switching times. A
typical solid state circuit breaker will switch in a
matter of microseconds, as opposed to
milliseconds or even seconds for a mechanical
version.

• New solid state CBs utilize the benefits associated

with power MOSFETs to deliver a product far
superior to earlier silicon versions. Power
MOSFETs offer low on resistances (as compared
to bipolar transistors), low voltage drops, low
EMI, faster switching times and good thermal
stability of key parameters.
Solid-State Circuit Breakers
ABB reinvents the circuit breaker - breakthrough digital
technology for renewables and next-gen power grids

• ABB has developed a revolutionary solid-state circuit

breaker concept, which meets the highest demands of next-
generation power applications as they enter the digital age.
• The ABB solid-state breaker concept works by replacing the
traditional moving parts of an electro-mechanical circuit
breaker with power electronics and advanced software
algorithms that control the power and can interrupt extreme
currents faster than ever before.
• the ABB breaker concept is the first of its kind to use a patented
integrated gate-commutated thyristor (IGCT) semiconductor
technology. This technological breakthrough is combined with
new embedded predictive power management software,
protection algorithms and higher levels of connectivity.
• The ABB circuit breaker will make electrical distribution systems
more reliable and efficient and will drive down maintenance costs
while meeting the demands of next-generation electrical grids.
• The solid-state circuit breaker will be around 100 times faster
than traditional electro-mechanical breakers. Its speed maximizes
the performance of power distribution systems, while maintaining
service continuity.
• The new ABB breaker will also improve safety and protection for
people and equipment. As there is no energy release when the
current is interrupted, there is no risk of arc energy exposure.
Some other Circuit Breakers…….

Breakers for protection against earth faults too small

to trip an over-current device:

• Residual-current device (RCD), or residual-

current circuit breaker (RCCB) — detects current
imbalance, but does not provide over-current
protection.

• Residual-current circuit breaker with over-

current protection (RCBO) — combines the
functions of a RCD and a MCB in one package.
Residual current device Residual current CB
• Earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) — This
detects current in the earth wire directly rather than
detecting imbalance. They are no longer seen in
new installations as they cannot detect any
dangerous condition where the current is returning
to earth by another route - such as via a person on
the ground or via plumbing.

• Recloser — A type of circuit breaker that closes

automatically after a delay. These are used on
overhead electric power distribution systems, to
prevent short duration faults from causing sustained
outages.

• Polyswitch (polyfuse) — A small device

commonly described as an automatically resetting
fuse rather than a circuit breaker.
Earth leakage CB Recloser Polyswitch
 Atom Power Is Launching the Era of Digital Circuit Breakers

• New digital circuit breakers that combine computing power

with wireless connectivity may finally replace an 140-year-
old electromechanical technology
• The circuit breakers switch off current flow when there is risk
of an overload or short circuit, keeping you safe from fires or
electrocution. It’s a critical job, and one that breakers have
been doing with a fairly simple, 140-year-old
electromechanical technology.
• But circuit breakers are about to get a digital overhaul. New
semiconductor breakers that combine computing power and
wireless connectivity could become the hub of smart, energy-
efficient buildings of the future.
• Today’s circuit breakers are simple electromechanical switches. If
current through a small electromagnet exceeds a certain level, the
energy of the magnet throws off a mechanical switch. The
mechanical process takes a few milliseconds.
• Atom Power’s digital breaker works 3,000 times faster. It is
essentially a large silicon carbide transistor circuit that measures
load current and switches the transistor off when the current level is
dangerous. The user can choose to wire the panel into a wireless
router or into a closed LAN network, but the circuit breaker can run
autonomously without an online connection.
• Compared to silicon, silicon carbide transistors work at higher
temperatures and switching speeds. The breaker detects a short
circuit and cuts it off in 10 microseconds
Digital Circuit Breakers
 Bypass Circuit Breaker
• The Bypass breaker allows the user to transfer
the loads in parallel with the incoming AC,
whether it be from grid or generator, effectively
isolating the output side of the inverter.
• This is useful when troubleshooting or if the
batteries are too severely discharged, the
customer can have power to 
critical loads in BYPASS.
• An interlock must be in place that prevents
BYPASS and inverter OUTPUT breakers from being
energized simultaneously. 
• If installed correctly, critical loads can have power
in BYPASS assuming grid or generator is available.
• AC input breakers have no effect on the
Bypass Circuit Breaker
THANK YOU