Circuit breaker two main principles
The two main principles of a circuit breaker are:
- Overcurrent Protection: A circuit breaker is designed to interrupt the flow of electric current in a circuit when the current exceeds a predetermined value, known as the trip current. This is typically set to a value that is slightly higher than the maximum expected current in the circuit, but lower than the maximum current that the circuit can handle without causing damage.
- Selective Tripping: A circuit breaker is designed to trip (interrupt the circuit) only when the fault is located in the specific circuit it is protecting, and not when a fault occurs in another circuit. This is known as selective tripping. This means that if a fault occurs in one circuit, the circuit breaker for that circuit will trip, but the circuit breakers for other circuits will not trip, even if they are connected to the same power source.
These two principles work together to ensure that a circuit breaker can effectively protect a circuit from overcurrents and faults, while also minimizing the risk of unnecessary tripping and disrupting other circuits.