Electrical circuit breaker is a switching device which can be operated manually and automatically for controlling and protecting an electrical power system. A circuit breaker consists of fixed and moving contacts which touch each other and carry the current when the circuit breaker is closed.
source/image(PrtSc): Warped Perception
If you’ve ever wondered how that pesky circuit breaker Works inside when your lights turn off, then this is the episode you need to watch.I open up a household circuit breaker and replicate a couple very common household fault scenarios, I film it with the high-speed cameras to reveal exactly what’s going on inside that circuit breaker. Watch the video from Warped Perception for more info:
Once a fault is detected, the circuit breaker contacts must open to interrupt the circuit;this is commonly done using mechanically stored energy contained within the breaker, such as a spring or compressed air to separate the contacts.
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Circuit breakers may also use the higher current caused by the fault to separate the contacts,such as thermal expansion or a magnetic field. Small circuit breakers typically have a manual control lever to switch off the load or reset a tripped breaker, while larger units use solenoids to trip the mechanism, and electric motors to restore energy to the springs.This experiment is done in an controlled environment by a professional, DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME.
