Residual current devices (RCDs) are apparatus commonly used for protection against electric shock in low-voltage electrical installations. They protect people in the case of an earth fault or even in the case of direct contact with the live parts. However, to be effective protective devices, RCDs have to detect residual currents of various waveform shapes which appear in modern electrical installations. For this purpose, RCDs...

Residual current devices (RCDs) are apparatus commonly used for protection against electric shock in low-voltage electrical installations. They protect people in the case of an earth fault or even in the case of direct contact with the live parts. However, to be effective protective devices, RCDs have to detect residual currents of various waveform shapes which appear in modern electrical installations. For this purpose, RCDs are...

Low-voltage electrical installations are verified initially – before being put into operation, as well as periodically – during their utilization. According to the IEC standards, the scope of the verification includes measurements of both the tripping current and the disconnection time of residual current devices (RCDs). Experiences in RCDs testing show that disconnection times of two or more similar RCDs can be quite different....

In low-voltage networks, earth fault loop impedance (EFLI) measurement is the basis for assessing the effectiveness of automatic disconnection of supply. Such a measurement is performed during initial and periodical verification, especially in a TN low-voltage network. Nowadays, due to widespread application of residual current devices (RCDs), such test is difficult in many circuits because RCDs operate during the test. In this...

Recent trends in green energy development make that photovoltaics and electric vehicles are applied on an increasing scale. In both photovoltaic and electric vehicle charging installations, a significant value of DC component of the earth fault current may appear, which is a challenge, in particular, for commonly used residual current devices (RCDs). This paper presents results of the laboratory test on the operation of F-type...