Electrical control device.

It is a device or group of devices that serves to govern, in some predetermined way, the
electrical energy supplied to the devices to which it is connected. (NEMA)

To be clearer, an electrical control is a set of electrical or electronic elements that activate

contacts, all electrically interconnected through conductors, with the purpose of establishing a
control function over a piece of equipment or set of equipment. The control function consists
of allowing or closing the passage of electrical energy to the equipment or part of it.

The elements that make up an electrical control system can be classified according to the
function they perform. The following functions are defined within the electrical control system:

· Maneuvers

· Manual control

· Auxiliary or Automatic Control

· Signage

· Protection

For the execution of each of these functions there are specialized elements. Within the
electrical control system we have: Maneuvering elements, command elements, auxiliary
command elements, signaling elements and protection elements.

Maneuver Elements:

In electrical control circuits, the switching function consists of energizing or de-energizing the
system's power equipment; such as electric motors, lighting loads, heaters, etc.

Switching elements are all those devices that allow the passage or interruption of the network
current to an electrical load.

The maneuver elements can be grouped as follows:

1. Manual maneuvering elements: These are devices that require the action of an operator to
carry out the operation of energizing or de-energizing a load or electrical equipment. These
devices may or may not have breaking power. Breaking power refers to the device's ability to
interrupt a current or connect a load. Cutting capacity is usually expressed in amperes or Kilo-
amps.

The main elements of manual maneuvers used in electrical controls are the following:

• Switches: According to the IEC 60947-1 standard, switches are devices with a certain
breaking capacity to open and/or close circuits under normal load and occasionally in overload
conditions. It can withstand abnormal current conditions during a short circuit for some time
but does not interrupt them. Different models of switches are built; tilting (switchers), rotary,
blades, etc.

Its main technical characteristics are the following: Nominal voltage, Number of poles, Nominal
current, Interrupting capacity and Construction system.

Microswitches.

A microswitch or limit switch is a component that is operated by a lever pushed by a moving

element.

Depending on the way it is connected, it can behave as a switch or as a push button, being able
to select the initial position as normally open (NO or NO) or normally closed (NC).

The symbols that we will use will be the same as those on the switch and buttons, but we must
indicate on the circuit that these are limit switches.

To carry out practical assemblies, you must identify the pins of the microswitch . The leg that
is closest to the lever support is the common one, which must always be connected. The
middle one is the normally open one, and the last one is the normally closed one.
• Pushbuttons: They are maneuvering devices with a certain cutting power. They differ from
switches because they close or open circuits while an external force (from the operator or
user) acts on them in the operating mechanism; the device returns to its rest position once the
applied force ceases. The most familiar of these devices are those used in automobile horns
and residential doorbells. The main electrical characteristics are similar to those outlined for
manual switches. In electrical control circuits they are used more often as control elements
than as maneuvering elements.

• Disconnectors: According to the IEC 60947-1 standard, disconnectors are switching devices
without breaking power capable of opening and/or closing circuits when they are without load
or when the current to be interrupted or established is negligible.

The main technical characteristics of the disconnectors are the following: Voltage, nominal,
Number of poles, Nominal current, Construction system and Whether or not they house fuses.
2. Automatic Switching Elements: These are devices designed to open and/or close circuits
depending on the magnitudes reached by certain physical variables such as: current, voltage,
frequency, temperature, pressure, space, time, etc. The most important are the automatic
switches or circuit breakers; which are devices for connecting - disconnecting circuits; capable
of establishing, withstanding and interrupting currents under normal circuit conditions, as well
as establishing, withstanding for a certain time and interrupting short circuit currents.

The circuit breaker can trip due to overloads, short circuits, over-voltage or low voltages.
When any of these anomalies occur, they automatically disconnect the power supply from the
circuit. To recover the circuit again, a manual reset action is carried out. One of the most used
automatic switches is the breaker, which protects the branch circuits and feeders of electrical
installations.

Its main technical characteristics are the following: Nominal voltage, Number of poles,
Current, nominal, Interruption capacity, Construction system and Physical variables that drive
it. Contactors can also be grouped within automatic switching devices.

3. Protection devices: These are devices intended to interrupt the power supply of the circuit
when an irregularity occurs in its operation, particularly overloads and short circuits. Within
this category there are two particular elements:

· Fuses: They are conductors calibrated to allow the passage of a certain magnitude of current,
in such a way that when an overcurrent occurs the conductor will melt and disconnect the
power source from the load. In electrical control circuits, fuses are commonly used as
protection elements against short circuits and not against overloads. Fuses are constructed in a
wide variety of ways: plugs, bayonets, cartridges, blades, wire, etc.
· Automatic protection devices: These are devices designed to provide protection against
overloads and not against short circuits. They are used in combination with contactors to clear
overload problems in the circuit. The most used are thermal, thermo-magnetic and
electromagnetic relays, all of which will be studied later.

Control elements:

They are all those devices that open and close very low power circuits (control circuits) and
that are activated by an operator or user.

Types of control elements: Control elements can be grouped in various ways:

1. According to its appearance and external shape: The following command elements are
located in this group:

Pushbuttons: the control pushbuttons are defined in the same way as the pushbuttons used
for maneuvers, the fundamental difference is that the control pushbuttons handle very small
current intensities compared to the maneuver pushbuttons. They can take different forms:

• Flush: which prevent involuntary maneuvers.

• Projections: more comfortable to operate.

• Key: for operation of great responsibility.

• Mushroom: for emergency activation.

• Luminous: with built-in signage.

Selectors or rotary switches: these are devices that allow you to control or select a certain
part of the circuit or a certain function of the system. For example, the shut-off, manual
function or automatic function selectors of a pumping system. They come in various forms:

• Simple and handle: refers to the grip handle.

• Key: for authorized operation.

• Two and three positions: refers to possible selections with the device.

Manipulators: they are quite specialized control elements that are very often used in the
controls of overhead cranes. They are similar to the control sticks used in video games; such as
nintendo. They can be obtained in the following presentations:

• Two-position manipulator.

• Four-position manipulator.
2. According to the Function They Perform: The control elements have the function of
opening and/or closing circuits, which will depend on the number of contacts they have and
the state of each contact (NO or NC). These can be classified as follows:

• Normally closed (NC): to open a circuit.

• Normally open (NO): to close a circuit.

• Multiple disconnection (two or more NC): to open several circuits at the same time.

• Multiple connection (two or more NO): to close several circuits at the same time.

• Connection - disconnection (1NO + 1NC): to open one circuit and close another at the same
time.

• Multiple connection - disconnection (two or more NO + two or more NC): to open and close
several circuits at the same time.

When the control element is connection-disconnection, whether single or multiple, there are
three ways to switch the contacts.

Auxiliary control elements:

They are devices activated (open and/or close contacts) by physical variables of the system
subject to control, such as: position, time, temperature, pressure, etc. Together with the
control elements, they constitute the center of the control system and are what allow its
automation. There is a wide variety of elements that can be grouped as command auxiliaries:

• Position switches or limit switches.

• Time relays or timers.

• Pressure switches or pressure switches.

• Temperature switches or thermostats.

• Proximity detectors.

• Photoelectric detectors.

• Cam programmers.

• Level switches.

• Other detectors.

Signaling elements

They are devices intended to draw the attention of the user or operator to the normal or
abnormal state of operation of an equipment, machine, circuit or electrical load in general.
Appropriate signage results in greater ease in controlling equipment and safer operations, as
well as accurate indications to locate equipment failures.

In electrical controls, signaling is carried out in two basic ways: acoustic signaling and visual
signaling. We will see below the elements that make up these two types of signaling.

1. Acoustic signaling elements : These are devices that emit signals perceptible by the ear of
the operator or user. The most used are: doorbells, buzzers, sirens, etc.

2. Optical signaling elements: These are devices that emit signals perceptible to the sight of
the operator or user. The most used are: visual elements; which use symbols indicative of the
operations being carried out. (labels, brands, etc.). And the luminous signaling elements: which
use lamps or pilot lights of different colors.

Protective elements:

They are devices whose purpose is to protect the equipment, the machine, the circuit or the
electrical load in general, against potential damage caused by overcurrents, mainly caused by
overloads.

The main causes of overload in electrical equipment are the following:

• Overload on the machine driven by the electric motor.

• Low voltage in the electricity supply network.

• High inertia of the mechanical load, which causes the motors to be overloaded at start-up.

• Excessive switching of the machine in a short period of time, causing the motors to overheat.

• Loss of a power supply phase in three-phase motors.

• Heating due to high ambient temperatures.

The protection devices do not act directly in the disconnection maneuver, they de-energize the
contactor coil, which in turn disconnects the machine from the power source.

The main protection elements are the following:

Relays .

A relay is an automatic switch controlled by electricity . Relays allow electrical circuits to be

opened or closed without human intervention.

The relay is the element that gives the order to operate the motor of an automatic door, the
lights of a traffic light, the motor of an elevator, and a multitude of automatic systems.

Its operation is as follows:

When electric current is passed through the coil or electromagnet, it generates a magnetic
field around it, and attracts the armature which, with its movement, causes the contacts to
change position.

In this way we are acting on a switch through electric current, without physical contact.

The relay symbol varies depending on the number of contacts it has. It can be a switch, a
single-pole switch, a double or bipolar switch,…

Among them we also find:

• Thermal relays.

• Differential thermal relays.

• Thermomagnetic relays.

• Electromagnetic relays.

• Differential electromagnetic relays.

• Solid state overload relay.

CONTACTS

They are the elements whose objective is to close or open the circuits.
· Normally Open (NO): These are contacts that do not present electrical continuity at their ends
when the contactor coil is de-energized. Therefore, when the coil is energized the contactor
closes these contacts.

· Normally Closed (NC): these are contacts that present electrical continuity at their ends when
the contactor coil is de-energized. Therefore, when the coil is energized the contactor opens
these contacts

· Switch: Drive element composed of one input and two outputs. With this element, we can
light a lamp from two distant points.

Switches 1 circuits various positions:

A switch is an element that establishes an association between an input and one of the
multiple outputs it has. This connection lasts over time, until we flip the switch again. The two
position switch has 3 pins . The middle connection is the common one, and pins A and B are
the possible outputs.

Double or bipolar switch:

The element that you can see in the figure is a 2-circuit, two-position switch (6 contacts). It
consists of two two-position switches that are activated at the same time.