Relay: This Article Is About The Electronic Component. For Other Uses, See
Relay: This Article Is About The Electronic Component. For Other Uses, See
Relay: This Article Is About The Electronic Component. For Other Uses, See
Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the electronic component. For other uses, see Relay (disambiguation).
Automotive style miniature relay A relay is an electrical switch that opens and closes under the control of another electrical circuit. In the original form, the switch is operated by an electromagnet to open or close one or many sets of contacts. It was invented by Joseph Henry in 1835. Because a relay is able to control an output circuit of higher power than the input circuit, it can be considered, in a broad sense, to be a form of an electrical amplifier.
Contents
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1 Operation 2 Types of relay o 2.1 Latching relay o 2.2 Reed relay 2.2.1 Mercury-wetted relay o 2.3 Polarized relay o 2.4 Machine tool relay o 2.5 Contactor relay o 2.6 Solid state contactor relay o 2.7 Buchholz relay o 2.8 Forced-guided contacts relay o 2.9 Solid-state relay o 2.10 Overload protection relay 3 Pole & Throw
4 Applications 5 Relay application considerations 6 Protective relay 7 Overcurrent relay 8 See also 9 References 10 External links
[edit] Operation
When a current flows through the coil, the resulting magnetic field attracts an armature that is mechanically linked to a moving contact. The movement either makes or breaks a connection with a fixed contact. When the current to the coil is switched off, the armature is returned by a force approximately half as strong as the magnetic force to its relaxed position. Usually this is a spring, but gravity is also used commonly in industrial motor starters. Most relays are manufactured to operate quickly. In a low voltage application, this is to reduce noise. In a high voltage or high current application, this is to reduce arcing. If the coil is energized with DC, a diode is frequently installed across the coil, to dissipate the energy from the collapsing magnetic field at deactivation, which would otherwise generate a spike of voltage and might cause damage to circuit components. If the coil is designed to be energized with AC, a small copper ring can be crimped to the end of the solenoid. This "shading ring" creates a small out-of-phase current, which increases the minimum pull on the armature during the AC cycle.[1] By analogy with the functions of the original electromagnetic device, a solid-state relay is made with a thyristor or other solid-state switching device. To achieve electrical isolation, a light-emitting diode (LED) is used with a photo transistor.
A machine tool relay is a type standardized for industrial control of machine tools, transfer machines, and other sequential control. They are characterized by a large number of contacts (sometimes extendable in the field) which are easily converted from normally-open to normallyclosed status, easily replaceable coils, and a form factor that allows compactly installing many relays in a control panel. Although such relays once were the backbone of automation in such industries as automobile assembly, the programmable logic controller mostly displaced the machine tool relay from sequential control applications.
25 amp or 40 amp solid state contactors A solid state contactor is a very heavy-duty solid state relay, including the necessary heat sink, used for switching electric heaters, small electric motors and lighting loads; where frequent on/off cycles are required. There are no moving parts to wear out and there is no contact bounce due to vibration. They are activated by AC control signals or DC control signals from Programmable logic controller (PLCs), PCs, Transistor-transistor logic (TTL) sources, or other microprocessor controls.
environment as the motor, a useful though crude compensation for motor ambient temperature is provided.
Circuit symbols of relays. "C" denotes the common terminal in SPDT and DPDT types. Since relays are switches, the terminology applied to switches is also applied to relays. According to this classification, relays can be of the following types:
SPST - Single Pole Single Throw. These have two terminals which can be switched on/off. In total, four terminals when the coil is also included. SPDT - Single Pole Double Throw. These have one row of three terminals. One terminal (common) switches between the other two poles. It is the same as a single change-over switch. In total, five terminals when the coil is also included. DPST - Double Pole Single Throw. These have two pairs of terminals. Equivalent to two SPST switches or relays actuated by a single coil. In total, six terminals when the coil is also included. This configuration may also be referred to as DPNO.
DPDT - Double Pole Double Throw. These have two rows of change-over terminals. Equivalent to two SPDT switches or relays actuated by a single coil. In total, eight terminals when the coil is also included. QPDT - Quadruple Pole Double Throw. Often referred to as Quad Pole Double Throw, or 4PDT. These have four rows of change-over terminals. Equivalent to
four SPDT switches or relays actuated by a single coil or two DPDT relays. In total, fourteen terminals when the coil is also included. The contacts can be either Normally Open (NO), Normally Closed (NC), or change-over (CO) contacts.
Normally-open contacts connect the circuit when the relay is activated; the circuit is disconnected when the relay is inactive. It is also called Form A contact or "make" contact. Form A contact is ideal for applications that require to switch a highcurrent power source from a remote device. Normally-closed contacts disconnect the circuit when the relay is activated; the circuit is connected when the relay is inactive. It is also called Form B contact or "break" contact. Form B contact is ideal for applications that require the circuit to remain closed until the relay is activated. Change-over contacts control two circuits: one normally-open contact and one normally-closed contact with a common terminal. It is also called Form C contact or "transfer" contact.
[edit] Applications
A DPDT AC coil relay with "ice cube" packaging Relays are used:
to control a high-voltage circuit with a low-voltage signal, as in some types of modems, to control a high-current circuit with a low-current signal, as in the starter solenoid of an automobile, to detect and isolate faults on transmission and distribution lines by opening and closing circuit breakers (protection relays), to isolate the controlling circuit from the controlled circuit when the two are at different potentials, for example when controlling a mains-powered device from a low-voltage switch. The latter is often applied to control office lighting as the low voltage wires are easily installed in partitions, which may be often moved as needs change. They may also be controlled by room occupancy detectors in an effort to conserve energy,
to perform logic functions. For example, the boolean AND function is realised by connecting NO relay contacts in series, the OR function by connecting NO contacts in parallel. The change-over or Form C contacts perform the XOR (exclusive or) function. Similar functions for NAND and NOR are accomplished using NC contacts. Due to the failure modes of a relay compared with a semiconductor, they are widely used in safety critical logic, such as the control panels of radioactive waste handling machinery. to perform time delay functions. Relays can be modified to delay opening or delay closing a set of contacts. A very short (a fraction of a second) delay would use a copper disk between the armature and moving blade assembly. Current flowing in the disk maintains magnetic field for a short time, lengthening release time. For a slightly longer (up to a minute) delay, a dashpot is used. A dashpot is a piston filled with fluid that is allowed to escape slowly. The time period can be varied by increasing or decreasing the flow rate. For longer time periods, a mechanical clockwork timer is installed.
A large relay with two coils and many sets of contacts, used in an old telephone switching system. Selection of an appropriate relay for a particular application requires evaluation of many different factors:
Number and type of contacts - normally open, normally closed, changeover (double-throw) In the case of changeover, there are two types. This style of relay can be manufactured two different ways. "Make before Break" and "Break before Make". The old style telephone switch required Make-before-break so that the connection didn't get dropped while dialing the number. The railroad still uses them to control railroad crossings. Rating of contacts - small relays switch a few amperes, large contactors are rated for up to 3000 amperes, alternating or direct current Voltage rating of contacts - typical control relays rated 300 VAC or 600 VAC, automotive types to 50 VDC, special high-voltage relays to about 15,000 V Coil voltage - machine-tool relays usually 24 VAC or 120 VAC, relays for switchgear may have 125 V or 250 VDC coils, "sensitive" relays operate on a few milliamperes
Package/enclosure - open, touch-safe, double-voltage for isolation between circuits, explosion proof, outdoor, oil-splashresistant Mounting - sockets, plug board, rail mount, panel mount, through-panel mount, enclosure for mounting on walls or equipment Switching time - where high speed is required "Dry" contacts - when switching very low level signals, special contact materials may be needed such as gold-plated contacts Contact protection - suppress arcing in very inductive circuits Coil protection - suppress the surge voltage produced when switching the coil current Isolation between coil circuit and contacts Aerospace or radiation-resistant testing, special quality assurance Expected mechanical loads due to acceleration - some relays used in aerospace applications are designed to function in shock loads of 50 g or more Accessories such as timers, auxiliary contacts, pilot lamps, test buttons Regulatory approvals Stray magnetic linkage between coils of adjacent relays on a printed circuit board.
of thousands of these "silent sentinels" are still protecting transmission lines and electrical apparatus all over the world.
Basler Electric Contactors Ladder programming language Orion Italia Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories System Protection Services Wire spring relay
[edit] References
1. Vladimir Gurevich "Electrical Relays: Principles and Applications", CRC Press (Taylor & Francis group), London - New York, 2005, 704 pp. 2. Westinghouse Corporation, Applied Protective Relaying, 1976, Westinghouse Corporation, no ISBN, Library of Congress card no. 768060 - a standard reference on electromechanical protection relays (out of print - current edition published by ABB) 3. Terrell Croft and Wilford Summers (ed), American Electricians' Handbook, Eleventh Edition, McGraw Hill, New York (1987) ISBN 0-07013932-6
1. ^ Mason, C. R., Art & Science of Protective Relaying, Chapter 2, GE Consumer & Electrical