Difference between Relay and Circuit Breaker

The application of electricity is innumerable but at the same time if left unprotected and uncontrolled it is very dangerous. An excess or overload of electricity can damage your equipment. From the refrigerator to air conditioners, short circuits and in consistent power load can damage most household items. In order to protect these electronics, there are two different devices which make sure that you receive controlled and secure electricity. Both relay and circuit breaker are basically switches which control electricity through a dedicated method. Relay controls the path of electricity whereas circuit breaker is a different kind of switch which works on an electromechanical technique to obstruct the damage from a power overload.

Instructions

  • 1

    Relay

    The actual path that electricity takes is controlled by a relay as it acts as a circuit breaker. This device also controls many other switches which are connected to the actual relay. The main idea is to control the flow off electricity through an electromechanical assembly. Considered as a solid state circuit, this assembly controls the path of electricity in a very reliable manner. It is controlled by a low power signal which is in isolation between the controlled circuits. Along with the relay control switches which work on an electromechanical assembly, there are also many other kinds which include, Reed relay, Mercury-wetted relay, Latching relay, Machine tool relay, Ratchet relay, Contactor relay, Solid-state relay, Solid state contactor relay, Polarized relay, Buchholz relay, Forced-guided contacts relay and Overload protection relay. Whenever expert electricians choose relay switches, they always keep the following factors in mind that includes the number and type of contacts, contact sequence, voltage rating of contacts, coil current, switching time, assembly mounting, radiation-resistance and environment just to make sure that it will give protection in the long run.

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  • 2

    Circuit breaker

    Circuit breaker is a different kind of switch which works on an electromechanical technique to obstruct power overload damage. Unlike a relay, a circuit breaker is considered to be an older device. Circuit breaker is always kept on a specific voltage as it has a solenoid inside. This material basically helps a breaker trigger mechanism to stay in balance. As soon as any fault occurs in the flow of electricity due to overload or short circuit, the solenoid material provokes the switch to trigger and the flow of the current is disconnected temporarily. This cut in the flow of electricity is what saves your electronic equipment from getting seriously damaged.

    - Image Courtesy: google.com

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