Electronic Circuit Protector Does Hazardous Duty October 10, 2008
A combination of purely electronic trip characteristics and active current limiting enables the ESX10-T electronic circuit protector to perform selective disconnection of loads connected to 24-V dc power supplies. Selective load protection prevents complete shutdown of the system by quickly disconnecting the faulty path when an overload or short circuit occurs. The device offers Class I, Division 2 - Group A, B, C, and D, UL 1604 certification. Active current limitation allows the ESX10-T to respond much faster to overload or short-circuit conditions than the power supply. It limits the highest possible current to 1.3 to 1.8 times the rated capacity and is capable of switching on capacitive loads up to 20,000 µF, with disconnection only in the event of an overload or short circuit. Conventional protective elements cannot manage this as they either respond too slowly or are susceptible to nuisance tripping due to inrush currents. Upon detection of an overload or short circuit in the load circuit, the power-MOSFET switching output of the ESX10-T interrupts the current flow at 1.1 times rated current after 3 seconds. Failure and status indication are provided by a multicolor LED and status output signal. The ESX10-T electronic circuit protector is just 2.76-in. high by 0.5-in. wide and allows direct mounting on a 35-mm DIN rail, which simplifies installation and saves cabinet space. The Type ESX10-T electronic circuit protector is available from stock. E-T-A CIRCUIT BREAKERS, Chicago, IL. 847-827-7600.
