Residual current protection has evolved:
ELCB (Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker): Older type; voltage-operated. It trips when voltage develops between earth and exposed metal.
RCD/RCCB (Residual Current Device/Circuit Breaker): Current-operated. It detects imbalance between live and neutral conductors (indicating leakage current to earth).
Modern data centers use RCDs/RCCBs exclusively, since ELCBs are obsolete and unreliable if multiple earth connections exist. Thermal-magnetic breakers (D) provide overcurrent protection, not earth leakage.
Thus, not all residual current devices are based on the same principle.
[References: IEC 61008, IEC 61009 (RCCB/RCD definitions), IEC 60364 (Electrical Installations – Protective Measures)., , ]
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