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Open Circuit (Parallel)
Summary - h1011v1_165

Electrical Science Volume 1 of 4
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DC CIRCUIT FAULTS Basic DC Theory Short Circuit (Series) In  a  DC  circuit,  the  only  current  limit  is  the  circuit  resistance.   If  there  is  no  resistance  in  a circuit, or if the resistance suddenly becomes zero, a very large current will flow.  This condition of very low resistance and high current flow is known as a "short circuit" (Figure 56). Figure 56    Shorted DC Circuit A short circuit is said to exist if the circuit resistance is so low that current increases to a point where  damage  can  occur  to  circuit  components.   With  an  increase  in  circuit  current  flow,  the terminal voltage of the energy source will decrease.   This occurs due to the internal resistance of the energy source causing an increased voltage drop within the energy source.  The increased current flow resulting from a short circuit can damage power sources, burn insulation, and start fires.   Fuses are provided in circuits to protect against short circuits. Short Circuit (Parallel) When a parallel circuit becomes short circuited, the same effect occurs as in a series circuit: there is a sudden and very large increase in circuit current (Figure 57). ES-02 Page 68 Rev. 0







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