Written by Fraser Cowie, Product Marketing Manager- Interface
A constant energy supply and secure data links are critically important for the operational reliability of electrical systems, installations, and devices.
Phoenix Contact meets all of these requirements with the TRABTECH product line. Coordinated solutions consisting of surge protection, monitoring, device circuit breakers and EMC products offer consistently high power and signal quality for maximum availability.
System failures can be caused by various factors. A permanent overload, for example, can damage the load and lead to the downtime of the system or a system part. Customers need to provide selective fuse protection for the control circuits in their systems in order to increase system availability.
Device circuit breakers are a key factor in high system availability. In the event of overload and short circuit, they selectively shut down the faulty circuit. All other system parts remain in operation.
In practice, around 90% of all systems are operated with 24 V DC control and Phoenix Contact has a variety of DC rated device circuit breakers which provide the most suitable protection for critical and non-critical DC loads. Products include:
- Thermomagnetic circuit breakers
The thermomagnetic device circuit breakers are used in information and communication technology as well as process engineering. Due to the various tripping characteristics, the circuit breakers can be used in a range of applications. The reactivation and immediate remote signalling of the operating state ensure availability.
- Electronic circuit breakers
Electronic device circuit breakers are often used in automation and communication technology. The active current limitation prevents the interruption of the output voltage at the switched-mode power supply unit in the event of an error. All other circuits remain unaffected.
In the event of a short circuit, electronic device circuit breakers trip within a few milliseconds. The current is limited to 1.25 times the nominal current. Even with a high cable resistance, the circuit breakers disconnect the circuit within the shortest possible time.
- Multi-channel, electronic circuit breakers
The multi-channel electronic device circuit breaker provides protection for four or eight loads, depending on the version. The individual channels can be configured individually and have an electronic locking mechanism to prevent accidental changes. The status of each channel is displayed directly on the device and can also be queried as group remote signalling using the connections provided for this purpose.
The voltage remains at a constant level due to the dynamic limiting of the current. Other loads will not be influenced. The individual adjustability of the 4 and 8-channel devices provides a convenient and space-saving solution for any application.
- Circuit Breaker Boards
Device circuit breaker boards combine the advantages of CB device circuit breakers with easy and space-saving potential distribution. The switching states of the circuit breakers are monitored and provided as group remote signalling in two groups via connection terminal blocks. Protect up to four loads simultaneously per channel (4 , 8 & 12 channels available). There is also the connection option for external relay contacts, such as for a safety-oriented shutoff.
For more information, contact Fraser on 07584 514963 or email fcowie@phoenixcontact.com
