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Solenoids  > Application Examples
Solenoids in Circuit Breakers
Solenoids are used in circuit breakers that range in size from the 15 amp, 120 volt breakers used in residential load centers to 500KV gas filled units used for long distance transmission switching. Our smallest open frame solenoids fit inside a standard load center breaker and are used in conjunction with appropriate sense electronics for ground fault and arc fault protection. These small solenoids are also used in "smart house" applications where the solenoid operates an auxiliary contact that can remotely turn a branch circuit on or off.

Solenoids are also used in molded-case and metal-clad switchgear circuit breakers. Unlike old breaker designs that depended on thermal or magnetic action to release a pre-set spring, modern breakers use electronic voltage and current sensing circuits. Typically a spring loaded, magnetically latched low profile solenoid is used so that there is no power dissipated while in operation. When a short or an overload is detected, energy from a capacitor is dumped to the solenoid coil. The resulting flux cancels the magnet's flux and the solenoid releases and activates the breaker's trip mechanism.

Additionally, solenoids are used to activate circuit breakers remotely and in applications that sense low voltage or other dangerous line conditions.

On high voltage applications above 100KV, breakers typically use vacuum, oil, or inert gases for arc suppression. In these applications response time is critical and high forces are necessary to activate the trip mechanisms. Our rugged low profile designs can be energized at up to 10 times rated power to speed up saturation times and deliver 40 pounds of force in 25 msec.


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