The constant increase of the population has more demand and the consumption of electrical energy in the market as such elevates and that of electrical and electronic equipments are also more expensive. So to protect the electrical system from overload or short circuit here is a possibility, which is by ultrafast acting electronic circuit breaker. A circuit breaker is an automatic operation switch designed to turn off the power supply when it is overloaded. The trip depends on the current passing through the CT that is connected in series with the load. Use the PIC microcontroller in which the program is downloaded for operation. The unit is extremely fast and on comes the drawback of thermal breaker of the type like MCB based on a bimetallic lever-trip mechanism which is very slow. Here is an electronic circuit breaker that relies on the detection of current through an element in the series typically a CT (current transformer). The detected current is compared to the preset value proportional to the voltage by the comparator which is incorporated in PIC Micro controller to generate an output that drives a relay through a MOSFET to trigger the load very quickly.
The concept of electronic circuit breaker came into the focus of the account that conventional circuit breakers like MCBs take longer to shoot. Therefore, for sensitive loads, it is very important to activate the trigger mechanism in the shortest possible time, preferably instantaneously.
This project demonstrates the fast firing mechanism against a slower one like the MCB. The electronic circuit breaker relies on the voltage drop across a series element proportional to the load current, typically a low value resistor.
This voltage is detected and rectified to the DC which is compared to a voltage pre-set by a level comparator to generate an output that drives a relay through a MOSFET to trigger the load. The unit is extremely fast and overcomes the inconvenience of the thermal type. Use a PIC16F8 family microcontroller.