Circuit Protection and Essential Components in Electrical Engineering
Learn about circuit protection, fusible links, fuses, circuit breakers, switches, relays, resistors, diodes, transistors, and more in electrical engineering.
Circuit Protection and Essential Components in Electrical Engineering
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Presentation Transcript
Circuit Protection • Protective Devices – terminate current flow in a circuit. • Located in series within a circuit • Excessive current flow results from a decrease in circuit resistance. • Excessive current flow can damage components and wiring. • Shorts – Undesirable, low resistance path for current to flow.
ELEMENTS OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING FIRST YEAR ELECTRICAL -2 • URVI JADAV (13ELEE174) • VAIBHAVI SHAHANE (13ELEE175
Fusible links • Special section of wire designed to melt(open) when current flow exceeds it’s rating • Fusible link usually 4 wire sizes smaller than the circuit it protects • Must be replaced with wire of same rating • Located near starter or Pos. battery terminal
Fuses • Glass Cartridge • Minifuse • Autofuse • Maxifuse
Fuse Ratings • Element within the fuse melts if current exceeds its rating • See figure 3-3 on page 53
Circuit Breakers • Protects circuits that are prone to overloading • Some reset themselves, others must be manually reset • Commonly used with head lights & power seats
ECB – Electronic Circuit Breakers • Solid state design – no moving or replaceable parts • Positive temperature coefficient – resistance increases as current increases, • ECB resets when it cools • Commonly found in power window motors and power door lock actuators
Switches • Control current flow through a circuit • Normally open – no current flow when switch is at rest • Normally closed – current flow when switch is at rest
Switches • SPST –Single pole single throw • Pole - number of input circuits • Throw – number of output circuits • SPDT – Single pole double throw • Ganged switch – several contacts move together, affect several circuits • Mercury switch – detects motion
Relays • Device that uses low current to control a high current circuit • Electro-magnetic switch
Solenoids • Electromechanical device that performs work • Electromagnet that moves an iron core one way, an internal spring resets core • Some solenoids require reverse polarity to reset core
Variable Resistors • Vary input voltage or current to an output device • Stepped resistor – several fixed resistor values • Rheostats – two wire regulator of electrical current – Resistance value changes • Potentiometer – three wire resistor that acts as a voltage divider, produces a continuously variable output signal proportional to a mechanical position
Diodes • One way electrical valve • Zener Diode – Allows voltage to pass in the opposite direction when voltage exceeds a certain limit
LED – Light-Emitting Diode • Forward biased LED that emits light • No filament, will last a very long time • Used in IP clusters and Tail lights • Requires very little current to operate
Clamping Diode • Used to suppress voltage spikes • Wired in parallel with a electromagnetic coil – A/C clutch • Connected to the circuit in reverse bias
Transistor • Regulates current or voltage and acts as a switch or gate for electronic signals • Solid state switching device
Phototransistors • A semiconductor device which conducts a current proportional to the light incident on it. It behaves like a normal transistor, except that it has a transparent top to its case and a small current is produced by photons generating electron-hole pairs in the base (photoelectric effect). This small current is amplified by the transistor action • Detects available light, used in automatic lighting systems
Phototransistor • Used on GM power sliding doors to monitor door movement and location
Circuit Defects • Open – A break in circuit continuity, stops current flow • Short – Current bypasses the normal circuit path • Short to ground • Short to power • Short to another circuit • High Resistance – unwanted opposition to current flow