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Difference between ELCB and RCCB
A circuit breaker is an electrical switch that is designed to operated manually as well as automatically either in normal conditions or in case of a fault in the system. Therefore, a circuit breaker can also function as a protective device which can protect the system equipment and the operators.
There are several circuit breakers are designed for this purpose, two of them are ELCB and RCCB. In this article, you will learn what ELCB and RCCB are, and what are the major differences between them.
What is an ELCB?
ELCB stands for Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker. The ELCB is a safety device that protects a person from the electric shock when it comes in contact with a faulty device.
An ELCB consists of a coil that is connected in series with the earth terminal. When phase wire comes in contact with the body of the equipment, a voltage is developed in the earth conductor. This voltage operates the ELCB to trip the circuit.
There are following three types of ELCBs (Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers) available −
- AC – for alternating current
- A – for square wave current
- B – for direct current
The earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) is not commonly used nowadays, and is replaced by a new circuit breaker known as RCCB.
What is an RCCB?
RCCB stands for Residual Current Circuit Breaker. The residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) works on the principle of core balancing current transformer, i.e. it compares the currents flowing through the phase and neutral wires.
RCCB monitors the vector sum of currents through the phase wire and neutral wire, if the current flowing through the phase wire to the load returns back to the supply through the neutral wire, then their vector sum is zero. Hence, the RCCB does not operate.
Now, if there is any fault or a living being touches the phase wire, which results in the flow of some leakage current from phase wire to the earth. In this case, current in the phase wire and neutral wire becomes unequal and thus their vector sum is not equal to zero. Under this condition, the core balancing current transformer of RCCB sends an unbalance current to the relay’s operating coil. Therefore, the RCCB trips the circuit and isolate the faulty circuit from the healthy circuit.
Difference between ELCB and RCCB
Both RCCB and ELCB are the protecting devices. However, there are several differences between ELCB and RCCB that the following table highlights-
| Basis of Difference | ELCB | RCCB |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | ELCB stands for Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker. | RCCB stands for Residual Current Circuit Breaker. |
| Definition | A safety device that is used in the electrical installation with high earth impedance to prevent the electric shock is called earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB). | A safety device used in electrical installation that trips the circuit against the electrical leakage currents to ensure the protection from electric shocks due to indirect contacts is called residual current circuit breaker (RCCB). |
| Type of device | ELCB is a voltage operated device. | RCCB is a current operated device. |
| Connection | ELCB is connected to phase, neutral and earth wires. | RCCB is connected to phase and neutral wires only. |
| Fault detection | ELCB detects only those electrical faults in which the earth leakage current flows through the main earth wire. | RCCB can detect any kind earth faults. |
| Working principle | The working principle of an ELCB is based on the earth leakage current flowing through the main earth wire. | The working of an RCCB is based on the principle of core balancing current transformer (CBCT). |
| Monitoring of earthing status | ELCB monitors the earthing status of the system. It ensures that the system is perfectly connected to the earth. | RCCB does not monitor the earthing status of the electrical system. |
| Need of earth connection | ELCB requires an earth connection to function. | In case of RCCB, there is no need of an earth connection to function. |
| Nuisance tripping | The nuisance tripping is the beak in the power supply without the situation being really hazardous. In ELCB, the nuisance tripping is less. | The nuisance tripping in an RCCB is high. |
| Cost | The cost of ELCB is more. | RCCB is comparatively less expensive. |
| Applications | ELCB is an old safety device used in electrical installations to,protect from electric shocks. | RCCB is a new technology used in almost all wiring systems to provide protection against earth leakage currents. |
Conclusion
Both ELCB and RCCB are used for the same purpose, i.e. to provide protection against electric shocks. But, their operating principle and wiring connections in the system are different. ELCB is connected to phase, neutral and earth wires, while RCCB is connected to phase and neutral wires only.
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