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Home / Technical Articles / Time-Current Curves explained in details

How fast a breaker will trip

Time-current curves are used to show how fast a breaker will trip at any magnitude of current. The following illustration shows how a time-current curve works. The figures along the bottom (horizontal axis) represent current in amperes. The figures along the left side (vertical axis) represent time in seconds.

Time Current Curves

To determine how long a breaker will take to trip at a given current, find the level of current on the bottom of the graph. Draw a vertical line to the point where it intersects the curve. Then draw a horizontal line to the left side of the graph and find the time to trip. For example, in this illustration a circuit breaker will trip when current remains at 6 amps for 0.6 seconds.

It can be seen that the higher the current, the shorter the time the circuit breaker will remain closed. It can be seen from the time-current curve on the following page that actual time-current curves are drawn on log-log paper, and the horizontal line is in multiples of the breaker’s continuous current rating.
From the information box in the upper right hand corner, note that the time-current curve illustrated on the following page defines the operation of a CFD6 circuit breaker.

For this example a 200 ampere trip unit is selected.

Multiples of Circuit Breaker Continuous Current Rating

Overload protection component of the time-current curve

The top part of the time-current curve shows the performance of the overload trip component of the circuit breaker. Time-current curves are shown as bands, and the actual performance of any one breaker can fall anywhere within the band. Using the example CFD6 breaker and 200 ampere trip unit, the time the breaker will trip for any given overload can easily be determined using the same procedure as previously discussed.

For example, the breaker will trip between 25 seconds and 175 seconds at 600 amps with a 40°C ambient temperature, which is 3 times the the trip unit rating.

This is illustrated by the time-current curve below.

Instantaneous trip component of the time-current curve

The bottom part of the time-current curve shows the performance of the instantaneous trip component (short circuit) of the circuit breaker. The maximum clearing time (time it takes for breakers to completely open) decreases as current increases. This is because of the blow-apart contact design which utilizes the magnetic field built-up around the contacts.

As current increases the magnetic field strength increases, which aids in opening the contacts. This circuit breaker has an adjustable instantaneous trip point from 900 A to 2000 A, which is 4.5 to 10 times the 200 A trip unit rating. If the trip point adjustment is set to minimum (900 A), and a fault current of 900 amps or greater occurs, the breaker will trip within 1 cycle (16.8 ms). If the trip point setting is set to maximum (2000 A), and a fault current of 900 amps occurs, the breaker will trip between approximately 12 and 55 seconds.

A greater fault current will cause the breaker to trip faster.

Multiples of Curcuit Breaker Continuous Current Rating

SOURCE: Siemens

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Edvard Csanyi

Electrical engineer, programmer and founder of EEP. Highly specialized for design of LV/MV switchgears and LV high power busbar trunking (<6300A) in power substations, commercial buildings and industry facilities. Professional in AutoCAD programming.

14 Comments


  1. Louie
    Aug 20, 2023

    Thank you sir for this information.


  2. Shailesh
    Jun 01, 2021

    This is very good site for an Electrical Engineer for their daily base work


  3. ELISHA BANDA
    May 30, 2021

    These are good notes sir.
    Thanks.


  4. DINGISWAYO NDHLOVU
    Sep 11, 2020

    This has been quite inspiring.I used to give up easily whenever i came across anything about breaker trip curves,i never had any hope of bumping into so easy to understand material such as above.Thank you so much Mr. Edvard.


    • Edvard
      Sep 11, 2020

      You’re welcome! It’s nice to hear this!


  5. Charles
    Feb 20, 2020

    Thanks for sharing


  6. hamidreza
    Jun 12, 2019

    How is the energy curve adjusted to the Circuit Braker (MCCB)?


  7. Keval V Shah
    Aug 16, 2018

    Very good explaination.


  8. shreyas
    Mar 15, 2018

    plz explain this as per understanding of class 11 student


  9. Hussein Itani
    Apr 25, 2014

    “If the trip point adjustment is set to minimum (900 A), and a fault current of 900 amps or greater occurs, the breaker will trip within 1 cycle (16.8 ms).” Could you please elaborate further on that because I didn’t get why would it take 1 cycle for the breaker to trip if it is set to a minimum trip point adjustment and a fault of 900A occurs. In the last figure, a vertical line is drawn from the 450% point up till it reaches 1.68 ms (1 cycle). However, the vertical line hits the curve at infinite points and can trip anywhere between 1 ms and 55 seconds. Appreciate your help.


    • Rizwan
      Nov 23, 2016

      Exactly that is what I see. Vertical bar doesn’t mean that minimum setting is 900A


  10. pavankumar
    Apr 22, 2014

    sir,would you please send me the explanation of characteristic curves of mcb with the graphs that shows the difference between B,C,D curves…. and selection of mcb with protection like close and coarse overcurrent protection


  11. Suraj Ram
    Jan 02, 2014

    sir , can you please explain . what is low instantaneous and high instantaneous setting


  12. Marcelino Vargas
    Aug 02, 2011

    Please send me update/s if available in videos via my email address I like the technical explanations because they are more simplified. Thanks
    M.C. Vargas

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