Why does lightning cause ELCB to trip
Why does lightning cause ELCB to trip?
ELCB stands for Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker, which is a device that detects and interrupts the flow of electric current when there is a leakage to the ground. ELCB is designed to protect people and equipment from electric shocks and fires caused by faulty wiring or insulation.
One of the common causes of ELCB tripping is lightning. Lightning is a natural phenomenon that involves a discharge of high-voltage electricity between clouds or between clouds and the ground.
When lightning strikes near a power line, it can induce a surge of current in the line, which can travel to the electrical appliances connected to it. This surge of current can exceed the normal operating range of the ELCB, causing it to trip and cut off the power supply.
There are two types of ELCB: voltage-operated and current-operated. Voltage-operated ELCB detects the voltage difference between the live wire and the earth wire, and trips when it exceeds a certain threshold.
Current-operated ELCB detects the imbalance between the incoming and outgoing currents in the circuit, and trips when it exceeds a certain percentage. Both types of ELCB can be affected by lightning, but in different ways.
Voltage-operated ELCB can trip when lightning causes a transient increase in the earth voltage, which makes the ELCB think that there is a leakage to the ground.
Current-operated ELCB can trip when lightning causes a transient increase in the line current, which makes the ELCB think that there is an imbalance in the circuit. In both cases, the ELCB is doing its job of protecting the circuit from overvoltage or overcurrent.
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