RTUFirst Year (Common)Yr 2023 · Sem 12023

Q9Basic Electrical Engineering

Question

2 marks

Explain MCB.

Answer

An MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) is an automatic electromagnetic switch designed to instantly protect circuits from overcurrents and short circuits.

Unlike a fuse that must be physically replaced after blowing, an MCB can be simply manually reset after tripping. It contains two tripping mechanisms:

  • Thermal Trip: Uses a bimetallic strip that bends and trips the mechanism during prolonged, slow overloads.
  • Magnetic Trip: Uses a solenoid coil that acts instantly to pull the trip latch during massive, sudden short-circuit currents.
Back to Paper