Definition of a Circuit

In electronics, a circuit is a complete circular path that

electricity flows through. A simple circuit consists of a
current source, conductors and a load.
The term circuit can be used in a general sense to refer to any
fixed path that electricity, data or a signal can travel through.

TRANSMISSION OF POWER FROM THE GENERATING

STATION TO THE CONSUMER
Electric power is generated at the power generating stations
which are usually located very far from the areas where it is
consumed.
At the generating station, the electric power is generated at 11
kV because generation at voltage higher than 11 kV causes
insulation difficulties, while generation at voltage lower than
11 kV involves very high current.
The power generated at the generating station is not directly
transmitted to the consumers at 11 kV, but before its
transmission, its voltage is raised to reduce the loss of energy
in the form of heat in the transmission line wires.
Why DC is not used ?
Since it is not possible to step up or step down the d.c. voltage,
the voltage generated is alternating of frequency 50 Hz.

Thus, the alternating voltage generated is first stepped up

from 11 kV to 132 kV at the grid substation using the step-up
transformer. It is then transmitted to the main sub-station.
At the main sub-station, the voltage is stepped down from 132
kV to 33 kV using the step-down transformer and is then
transmitted to the heavy industries and intermediate sub-
stations.
At the intermediate substation, the voltage is again stepped
down from 33 kV to 11 kV using the step-down transformer
and from here it is transmitted to light industries and city
sub-station.
At the city sub-station, it is further stepped down from 11 kV
to 220 V using the step-down transformer to supply it to the
domestic consumers.
POWER DISTRIBUTION TO A HOUSE
To supply the electric power to a house from the city sub-
station, either the overhead wires or a cable on poles or an
underground cable is used.
The cable has three wires: (1) live (or phase) wire (L), (2)
neutral wire (N), and (3) earth wire (E). The neutral and the
earth wires are connected together at the local sub-station so
that the neutral and earth wires are at the same potential
(i.e., at 0 V). The live wire, also called the phase wire, carries
current from the source to the distribution board, while the
neutral wire is for the return of current back to the source.
Before connecting the cable from pole to the meter in a house,
first a fuse of high rating is connected in the live wire at the
pole (or just before the meter). This fuse is called the company
fuse (or pole fuse). Only the persons of the electric supply
company are authorised to handle it. The rating of the fuse
depends on the load for which the connection is taken from
the company (e.g. rating is 50 A for connection of load 10
kW). After the company fuse, the cable is connected to a kWh
meter. The kWh meter is usually mounted on the front (or
outside) wall of the house. From the meter, connections are
made to a main switch and to a main fuse (or miniature
circuit breaker MCB) in the distribution box. The main switch
(or ELCB) is connected in both the live and neutral wires,
while the main fuse (or MCB) is connected only in the live
wire.
The main switch is a double pole switch. It has an iron
covering. The covering is earthed (i.e., connected to the earth
wire E). A Double Pole switch is a switch that controls two
circuits at the same time. In terms of residential switching,
this normally means it switches the live and neutral at the
same time.
The advantage of using the main switch is that it breaks the
connections of the live as well as the neutral wires
simultaneously from the main supply. The earth wire from
the meter is locally earthed (in the compound of the house).
From the distribution board, the wires go to the different

parts of the house.

HOUSE WIRING (Ring System):
A separate connection is taken for each appliance from the
live wire of the ring.
One terminal of the
appliance is connected to
the live wire through a
separate fuse and a
separate switch, while the
other terminal of the
appliance is directly
connected to the neutral
wire. The earth terminal or metal covering of the appliance is
connected to the earth wire. For each appliance, the wires
used for connection should be of proper current carrying
capacity.

Advantages of the Ring System:

1) this system reduces the cost of wiring .
2) Each appliance has a separate fuse. Therefore, if due to
some fault, the fuse of one appliance burns, it does not affect
the operation of the other appliances.
3) In this system, all the plugs and sockets used can be of
same size.
(4) While installing a new appliance in a room, a new line up
to the distribution box is not required, but it can be directly
connected to the ring circuit in that room.
Fuse: An electric fuse is a safety device
which is used to limit the current in an
electric circuit. The use of a fuse
safeguards the circuit and the
appliances connected in that circuit
from being damaged.

Principle of FUSE : Heating Effect of Current

Factors Affecting the fuse depends upon:
(i) current rating, I
(ii) its radius r
It is found to be directly proportional to the square of current
rating and inversely proportional to the cube of its radius.
It does not depend on the length of the wire.

Material of Fuse: A fuse is a short and thin piece of wire of

uniform area of cross-section. It is made up of a material of
low melting point, so that it may easily melt due to
overheating when current in excess to the prescribed limit,
passes through it.
Generally, an alloy of lead and tin is used as the material of
the fuse wire because its melting point is low (= 250 °C) and
specific resistance is high (more than that of copper,
aluminium, etc.)
A copper or aluminium wire is unsuitable for use as the fuse
wire because they have high melting point (= 1080 °C).
Construction: One of the most
common fuse arrangements in
which the fuse wire F is stretched
between the two metallic
terminals T, and T₂ in a porcelain
holder. This holder fits into a
porcelain socket having two
metallic terminals. Thus, the fuse
wire gets connected in the live
wire.

Working: When current in the

circuit exceeds the specified value
the temperature of the fuse wire
rises to the extent that it melts. As a
result, a gap is produced and the
circuit breaks. Now current does
not flow through the live wire and
the appliance (or the circuit) is
saved.

Nowadays costly appliances such as

refrigerator, air conditioner, geyser,
television, etc. are provided with a
cartridge type fuse.
Reason for connecting the fuse in the live wire
The fuse is always connected in the live wire before the
appliance, so that as the current in circuit exceeds the rating
of fuse, it melts and breaks the circuit first, before the current
reaches the appliance. Thus,
no current flows in the
appliance.

It is unsafe to connect the fuse

in the neutral wire. If due to
some defect in the appliance an
excessive current flow in the
circuit, the blows off and current stops flowing in the circuit,
but the appliance still remains connected to the high potential
point of the supply through
the live wire.

Now if a person touches

the faulty appliance, he
gets an electric shock
because the person comes
in direct contact of the
mains through the live wire. Thus, it is highly unsafe to use
fuse in the neutral wire.

Current rating of a fuse:

In our houses, the electric wiring for light and fan circuits
uses a thin fuse wire of low current rating (= 5 A) because the
live wire has a current carrying capacity of 5 A.
A thick fuse wire of higher current rating (= 15 A) is used in
the line of power circuit for heavy current consumed by the
appliances such as air conditioner, geyser, washing machine,
etc. because the line wire for such appliances has a current
carrying capacity of 15 A.

Current rating of fuse in a circuit =

MCB: Now a days instead of a fuse, a miniature circuit

breaker (MCB) is used for each individual circuit. If due to
short circuiting (or some fault), a heavy current flow in the
line, the MCB falls down (or trips) to switch off the circuit in a
very short time (= 25 milli-second).

Switches: A switch is an on-off device for current in a circuit

(or in an appliance). It is connected in the live wire.

Kinds of switches:
1) Single Pole Switch: The switch used with an appliance to
start or stop the flow of current in it, is the single pole switch.
A single pole switch disconnects only the live wire from the
appliance.
2) Double Pole Switch: The main switch at the distribution
board, used to switch on or off the
mains, is the double pole switch. A
double pole switch disconnects both
the live and neutral wires
simultaneously.

Reason for connecting the switch in the

live wire
The switch should always be connected in the live wire. The
appliance gets connected to the high potential point through
the live wire and current flows in the appliance because the
circuit is complete as the neutral wire provides the return
path for the current.
In the 'off' position of switch S, the circuit is incomplete and
no current reaches the appliance through the live wire. The
appliance does not operate. It is now safe to carry out repairs
in the appliance, if required.
Even the live wire connecting the terminal of the appliance
can be touched if the switch is in
'off' position because both the
live terminal wire and neutral
wire connected with the
appliance are at zero potential.
It is deceptive and dangerous to
connect a switch in the neutral
wire. Switch is connected in the
neutral wire.

Safety precaution while using a switch:

A switch should never be touched with wet hands. If water
reaches the live wire, it forms a conducting layer between the
hand and the live wire of the
switch due to which a current
pass to the hand through it and
the person may get a fatal
shock.

Earthing (Grounding):
a) Local Earthing:
The local earthing is done in the house near the kWh meter.
For this purpose, a hole nearly 2-3 metre deep is dug in the
ground.
A copper rod covered by a hollow insulating pipe, is inserted
in the hole.
A thick copper plate of dimensions 50 cm x 50 cm is welded at
the lower end of the copper rod and it is buried inside the
ground. The plate is surrounded by a mixture of charcoal and
salt to make a good contact between the plate and the earth.

Safety by Local Earthing: If due to some reason such as short

circuiting, an excessive current flow through the line wires, it
will pass to earth through the earth wire if there is local
earthing, otherwise the line wires may get over heated and it
may cause a fire.

b) Earthing of an Appliance: It is essential to provide a good

earthing connection
for an electrical
appliance such as
refrigerator, toaster,
geyser, electric iron,
electric cooler, etc.
which we handle
physically. The outer metallic case of these appliances are
provided with a terminal on the case.

Safety by Earthing of an Appliance: When the live wire of a

faulty appliance comes in direct contact with its metallic case
due to break of insulation after its constant use (or
otherwise), the appliance acquires the high potential of the
live wire. A person touching the appliance will get a fatal
shock because current flows through his body to the earth.

Three-Pin Plug:
In a three-pin plug, the top pin
is for earthing, the pin on the
left is for live and the pin on the
right is for neutral.
The earth pin is thicker and
longer than the other two. The
earth pin is made long so that
the earth connection is made before the live connection.
Socket: The upper bigger hole in the
socket is for earth connection, while
the hole on the right side is for
connection to the live wire and the
hole on the left side is for connection
to the neutral wire of electric supply

Safety precautions for plug and socket: While inserting the

plug into a socket, the following two main precautions are
taken:
1) The hands must be completely dry.
2) The plug pins should fit in the socket tightly. Any loose
connection will give rise to sparking and burning of either the
socket or the plug.

Colour coding of wires in a cable:

The colour coding of wires helps us to connect the switch,
fuse, socket etc. through proper wire in the circuit of house
wiring.
Wire Old colour New Colour
Live Red Brown
Neural Black Light Blue
Earth Green Green or yellow

High Tension Wires:

Each wire in a cable is capable of
withstanding up to a specific limit of
current. If current exceeds this limit
(due to short circuiting or high voltage
fluctuations), the wire may burn due to
excessive heating, and it may cause a
fire. [To avoid it, for high voltage and
heavy current, a special type of wire, called the high-tension
wire, is used. A high-tension wire has a low resistance and
large surface area.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHILE

USING THE ELECTRICITY:
While using the electricity,
precautions are taken to avoid
the two major dangers: (1) a fire,
and (2) an electric shock.

(1) A fire is caused when there is

overheating of the live wires (or
cable) for various reasons such
as break of insulation or short
circuiting, etc. To avoid it, one must use wires (or cable) of
current carrying capacity higher than the total current which
can flow through the circuit while using all the appliances
simultaneously.
(2) An electric shock may be caused from an appliance due to
(a) damaged or poor insulation of wires,
(b) touching the appliance with wet hands,
(c) no earthing of the appliance,
(d) no fuse provided with the appliance,
(e) no local earthing.