A DC Battery Breaker Isolation is used to protect electrical devices from short-circuiting. So with that knowledge, you can guess how important one would be in a Data Centre full of electrical devices. Skimping on a Battery Breaker Isolation unit can cause unnecessary power overloads, resulting in power shortage, equipment wearing out faster, etc.

With Synerflux DC Battery Breaker Isolation solutions, you won’t ever have to worry about such problems happening to your Data Centre setup.

How a DC Battery Breaker works

DC Battery Breakers work on the principles of thermal protection and magnetic protection.

Thermal Protection

Thermal protection activates the DC Battery Breaker when electric currents above the rated value are present. This method of protection uses bimetallic contact that heats, expands and trips the Battery Breaker.

The thermal protection speeds up as the current grows larger as more heat is generated to expand and open the electric contact. The main use of thermal protection is to protect against overload current in the Battery Breaker, which should only be slightly larger than the normal operating output.

Magnetic Protection

The purpose of magnetic protection is to trip the DC Battery Breaker when high fault currents are present. The response time for magnetic protection needs to be always instantaneous. DC Battery Breakers have a rated breaking capacity that represents the maximum fault current that can be interrupted.  

One thing to note for DC Battery Breakers is that the current being interrupted is constant, so the circuit breaker must open the electric contact further in order to disrupt the fault current. Magnetic protection in a DC Battery Breaker protects against short circuits and faults, which can cause much more of a headache than an overload.

Get the right kind of Battery Breaker

Here’s an interesting fact, did you know that the protection mechanism is virtually the same for AC and DC Battery Breakers? Some Battery Breaker models are even designed to work with either type of current.

It is always important to check that the current type of the electric supply and the circuit breaker are the same. Those at Synerflux are recommended for DC currents only. 

If a Battery Breaker of the wrong type is installed, your system will be compromised. The wrong Battery Breaker will not be able to protect the installation effectively, increasing the chances of an electric accident happening!

Proper Wiring and Wire Management

Another important thing to consider is that the electric wiring connecting the DC Battery Breaker and the electric device being protected must have a similar rated current. Which means that even if you pick the correct kind of DC Battery Breaker, an undersized cable can cause it to overheat, melting the insulation and causing an electric fault. 

Most DC Battery Breakers are housed in fuse boxes that have a rail specially designed for them. They can be used to protect individual loads that work with direct current, or they can be used to protect main circuits such as those found in battery units. DC Battery Breaker wiring is also considered to be simpler than AC breaker wiring but still requires a plan to make sure things run smoothly. Errors in connection can cause electric accidents or make motors to run in the opposite direction. Therefore we offer wiring services along with installation of the Battery Breaker.

At Synerflux, we also offer miniature DC Battery Breakers as well as molded case versions.

– The Miniature DC Battery Breakers typically work with currents below 100 amperes and they are classified into Type B (trips at 3-5 times rated current), type C (trips at 5-10 times rated current) and type D (trips at 10-20 times rated current).

– Molded case circuit breakers are larger and typically have adjustable protection settings.

Consult with us beforehand and allow our team to do a site evaluation so that we can help you pick the right Battery breaker for your Data Centre.