Thermal Trip Element

A thermal trip element circuit breaker uses a bimetallic element that is heated by the load current.

The bimetallic element is made from strips of two different metals bonded together. The metals expand at different rates as they are heated. This causes the bimetallic element to bend as it is heated by the current going to the load. Figure 19 shows how this can be used to trip the circuit breaker.

Figure 19, view A, shows the trip element with normal current. The bimetallic element is not heated excessively and does not bend. If the current increases (or the temperature around the circuit breaker increases), the bimetallic element bends, pushes against the trip bar, and releases the latch. Then, the contacts open, as shown in figure 19, view B.

The amount of time it takes for the bimetallic element to bend and trip the circuit breaker depends on the amount the element is heated. A large overload will heat the element quickly. A small overload will require a longer time to trip the circuit breaker.