Types of Circuit Breakers: How to Classify Circuit Breaker?

Circuit Breakers are mechanical switching devices that can make, break, or carry a circuit manually or automatically under normal and abnormal conditions. 

The Circuit Breaker is described in short as CB; The characteristics of a Circuit Breaker are as follows:

A Circuit Breaker can make or break ae electrical circuit under normal operating conditions either manually or using a remote control.

Under abnormal or fault conditions, a Circuit Breaker can break the circuit automatically.

The Circuit Breaker can make the circuit under fault conditions either manually or using a remote control.

Under normal conditions, a circuit breaker can make, carry, or break currents, and under abnormal conditions, it can make or carry for a specific time and break the winds.

Common Types of Circuit Breakers

A Circuit Breaker contains two elements - 

• a thermal part that reacts to moderate overloads;
• a magnetic part that reacts to short circuits.

Basic types of the circuit breaker or MCB or Miniature Circuit Breaker you may find as below:

Type B

Trips between 3x and 5x the rated current.

For example - a 10A circuit breaker would need between 30A and 50A before it trips.

Type C

Trips between 5x and 10x the rated current. For example - a 10A circuit breaker would need between 50A and 100A before it trips.

Type D

Trips between 10x and 20x the rated current. For example - a 10A circuit breaker would need between 100A and 200A before it trips.

Type K

Less common, this type of trip is between 10x and 14x the rated current. This is within the trip range of the D type.

Type Z

Another uncommon option is type Z trips between 2x and 3x rated current. This puts it below the trip range of type B.

You may read the details of Air Circuit Breaker and Oil Circuit Breaker.

ABB, MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) Types and section conditions:

Electrical Substation Equipment: Circuit Breaker and Its Functions