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A residual-current device (RCD), residual-current circuit breaker (RCCB) or ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) [a] is an electrical safety device that interrupts an electrical circuit when the current passing through a conductor is not equal and opposite in both directions, therefore indicating leakage current to ground or current flowing to another powered conductor.
A ground conductor only carries significant current if there is a circuit fault that would otherwise energize exposed conductive parts and present a shock hazard. In that case, circuit protection devices may detect a fault to a grounded metal enclosure and automatically de-energize the circuit, or may provide a warning of a ground fault.
An insulation monitoring device monitors the ungrounded system between an active phase conductor and earth.It is intended to give an alert (light and sound) or disconnect the power supply when the resistance between the two conductors drops below a set value, usually 50 kΩ (sample of IEC standard for medical applications).
If a second ground fault occurs, a ground fault protection relay must trip the breaker to protect the circuit. On an HRG system, a sensing resistor is used to continuously monitor system continuity. If an open-circuit is detected (e.g., due to a broken weld on the NGR), the monitoring device will sense voltage through the sensing resistor and ...
In an electric power system, a fault or fault current is any abnormal electric current. For example, a short circuit is a fault in which a live wire touches a neutral or ground wire. An open-circuit fault occurs if a circuit is interrupted by a failure of a current-carrying wire (phase or neutral) or a blown fuse or circuit breaker.
A wire break in the fault to load section, or in the earth to ground section, will disable operation of the ELCB. Requirement of an additional third wire from the load to the ELCB. Separate devices cannot be grounded individually. Any additional connection to Earth on the protected system can disable the detector.
A GCM or ground continuity monitor (also called a ground integrity monitor or ground continuity tester) is an electrical safety device that monitors the impedance to ground of a temporary electrical circuit and can provide indication (or protective trip) in the event impedance rises to an unsafe value. A GCM is either an external testing device ...
Earth fault protection also requires current transformers and senses an imbalance in a three-phase circuit. Normally the three phase currents are in balance, i.e. roughly equal in magnitude. If one or two phases become connected to earth via a low impedance path, their magnitudes will increase dramatically, as will current imbalance.