Smart trip blocks convert PKE motor-protective circuit-breakers

The modular PKE system consists of the PKE basic device and a tool-less pluggable trip block, enabling any retrospective changes to the switch to be made simply and conveniently. The user benefits from a high degree of flexibility and saves time and costs with the conversion, as a complete exchange of the switch is unnecessary. The concept also allows optimised stock-keeping.

Eaton offers the new trip blocks in the two Standard and Extended variants. With the help of the new PKE-SWD-CP function element, the Extended models allow the PKE circuit-breaker to be connected to the SmartWire-DT connection system. This offers an affordable communication solution for monitoring the circuit-breaker and the protected loads in the energy distribution system. Both variants of the PKE trip blocks for system protection are available in the two current ranges 15 to 36 A and 30 to 65 A, and in two different mounting widths 45 mm and 55 mm. The PKE circuit-breaker offers an outstanding short-circuit breaking capacity of 50 kA/ 400 V.

Unlike motor protection trip blocks, the trip blocks for system protection enable the user to adapt the tripping threshold of the electronic short-circuit releases to different cable lengths and cross sections. An imbalanced load has no effect on the tripping behaviour so that the PKE circuit-breaker also offers reliable protection for single-phase loads with different rated currents.

When the trip blocks are connected to SmartWire-DT using the PKE-SWD-CP modules, the user can set the size of the data provided by selecting the appropriate data profile. Besides the basic data of the circuit-breaker (switch position, setting values, cause of tripping, switch type) the current values of each individual phase can be transferred. Additional measuring devices and the installation effort normally required for this function become unnecessary.