A relay switch is a type of electromechanical device that controls an electrical connection, consisting of a switching solenoid or thermostat which controls the opening and closing of an electrical circuit.
In simpler words, it controls what gets switched On and Off. Think about light switches in your house, that’s basically how it works. A relay is an electrical switch that contains a set of input terminals for receiving one or more control signals, as well as a set of operating contact terminals. The switch may include any number of contacts in many different contact forms, such as making contacts, breaking contacts or combinations thereof.
Where a circuit may be controlled by an independent, low-power signal or several circuits may be controlled by one signal is required, relays are utilized. Relays were originally employed in long-distance telegraph systems as signal repeaters, they retransmit the incoming signal on another circuit so that it may be refreshed. Relays were extensively used as on-off switches in early telephone exchanges, as well as industrial control systems.
Relay Types as per Polarity
Relays have many applications. They are frequently used to activate or switch on an electric circuit, but they are also used to control power circuits. Relays are widely found in various machines ranging from domestic appliances, automobiles, industrial control systems and electronic devices. These applications include motor controls for window lifts, automatic doors, household appliances including washing machines and dishwashers, HVAC equipment such as air conditioners, refrigerators (microwave ovens), dishwashers (upright freezers with integrated ice makers), but most commonly elevators and escalators.
Electromechanical Relays
These relays operate by opening and closing an electrical circuit on a temporary basis, as directed by control circuitry. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a low-power signal (such as from a sensor or logic circuit), or where several circuits may be controlled by one signal.
Relays were invented in 1835 by Joseph Henry of Albany, New York. He discovered that he could close and open the electric current to an electromagnet using an electromagnetic field relay (his first working model). As long as the contacts were held closed, the current would remain on. When the contract was opened, the spring would pull it back to its original position thereby turning off power to the device.
Electromechanical relays are used to switch telephone calls, intercom calls and computer printer circuits. Early relays were based upon a wire pulling from one terminal of the relay to another or from one coil terminal to another causing opening or closing of a contact circuit. These were sometimes found in telephone exchanges as early as the late 19th century. These electromechanical relay systems required a high voltage power supply which was not practical for telephones but was common in industrial control applications using either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC).
The Modern Control Circuit
In modern times, the electric current is not used to open or close a circuit. Instead, relays make use of solid-state relays technology and electronics for this purpose. When power is applied to an electromagnet, it creates a magnetic force field containing energy that can be released at the touch of a button. This action opens contacts in order to provide a connection between two other circuits. The release of this magnetic field allows the coil to spring back to its original position where it acts as if no voltage was ever applied and breaks contact with those other circuits causing them both to go into default mode.
Relays come in many shapes and sizes but all serve one basic function which is actuating another electrical circuit by receiving input from another electrical circuit via electromagnetic force. Electromechanical relays were used in long-distance telegraph circuits to actuate the printing mechanism of a teleprinter. Later generations of electronic logic circuits, pioneered by IBM’s businesses division around 1940, replaced these large electromechanical devices with much smaller solid-state relays known as transistor-transistor logic (TTL), which were eventually integrated into microprocessors.
Electrical switches for model railways use electric magnets that are activated by electricity passing through a coil of wire in the track. The magnetic field activates the switch when it is positioned over the track circuit. After sitting idle for some time, the spring within returns the switch to its original position and turns off the current flow again. Typically this type of relay contains an electrically operated latch to preserve status between operations.
Automatic Switch Contacts and Coils
Automation devices such as trip coils could also be connected directly with no intervening controls until later models where large contacts were provided at the terminals of these devices so that they could be used with other controls. Miniature reed relays, mercury-wetted contacts were used in early electronic telephone exchanges to make toll calls without assistance from operators.
Most small and medium-size relays found today are SCR based solid-state relays that operate at either low voltage AC or low voltage DC. These high-reliability devices can be designed to safely control circuit breakers, system load shedding, motor protection or other sophisticated management functions using network protocols such as Modbus/IEC 61850 or DNP3.
Input Signal Depending on Relay Contact
Electric motors can be started and stopped using either electromechanical relays or solid-state relays and switching devices such as transistors or SCRs (silicon controlled rectifiers). These solid-state relays and devices prevent the motor from accelerating to a large speed before it is tripped offline. The electric current that runs through all of these switches acts as a mechanical force that may overcome inertia, friction and windage loads in order to rotate the motors at any significant speed with high torque.
Electromechanical relays are used in most centralized air conditioning systems to control fan motors or pumps for various types of home or office building ventilation systems. One relay is used for this purpose but additional relays may be found on HVAC units with two stages of cooling or heating where there are two sets of running fans controlled by one thermostat which doubles as an automation device when programmed into building management system software.
How does Relay Coil Work?
The relay uses a relay coil of wire to control the electrical input circuit, for instance for an automatic door opener or lighting system. The relay coil is mounted within a magnetic force field and this pulls it towards the permanent magnet as soon as current flows through the circuit. When power is no longer present, the spring returns the relay coil (and attached contacts) to its original position, breaking the contact and disconnecting the electronic circuits. The relay coil has an operating current, which may be below the coil’s rated current or else it may overheat and voltage spikes.
Relay Contact Ratings
Contact ratings for relays are usually measured in amperes. The contacts of a relay can be rated at a maximum current, which may work on some circuits but not others. In addition to their input current ratings, most contact devices have an impedance rating that is the measure of its resistance to closure, expressed in ohms or milliohms. A device with a relatively high impedance may appear closed when it may not actually complete the circuit if left indefinitely due to very high resistances across its contacts.
Another consideration is the voltage applied to the input terminal of the relay. With larger relays, this input circuit may be kept under 15 volts. Relays are designed to handle thousands of cycles at their operating frequency but they don’t last forever. The type of wire used with a relay has an effect on its longevity as well. Solid-core wires provide more resistance than stranded ones, which helps reduce the amount of power that may heat up the coil and alter its spring properties over time.
Input Circuit vs Output Circuit
An input circuit is a series of components that allow an electrical or electronic device to input data. On the other hand, an output circuit is a series of components that send electrical power to devices, for instance, speakers or lights. They are found throughout most electronic circuits and connected together with input circuits.
The main difference between the two circuits is that the output circuit has one or more devices that output voltage instead of accepting it. Typically, an output circuit may consist of a power source, such as a battery, light bulb, speaker or electric motor, and device(s) to control how much voltage they send out. Usually, these are switches, buttons or dials.
When looking at relay diagrams of relay circuits the wire colours don’t necessarily indicate what is meant to be powered. They simply represent connections between components as wires with different colours can easily be swapped over and it doesn’t affect the electrical flow of the circuit. The only way to tell what colour wire corresponds to what part of an electronic device is by consulting a relay diagram or schematic.
Output Devices that Relays Control
The most common types of output devices include sensors and switches because they let you control and monitor various conditions and situations in your home appliances or equipment. These may serve as safety features to prevent overheating, detect unauthorized entry into buildings, ensure that vehicles are started at set temperatures and provide other functions for your convenience.
Specialized switches can let you control how much voltage leaves a power source or how much voltage is delivered to another device. They can be used to regulate the amount of electrical power delivered at any point in a circuit, which is an important role since too much power can damage some devices connected to it while not enough power may prevent them from operating properly.
Switches are some of the most basic output devices because they allow you to turn devices on and off under certain circumstances. This allows you to control lamps remotely, for instance, by setting up your home entertainment system so that it powers on just before movie time or turns itself off after everyone has left the house. Switches may also offer more advanced functions such as the ability to adjust their position over time with a servo motor so that they automatically open or close in response to changing conditions.
Lights Controller by the Relays Coil
Lights are another common type of output device in relay circuits. They often use LEDs for their small size and high efficiency. They can be used in a variety of ways, including providing visual cues to communicate with others or alerting them when something is happening.
Signalling lights let you convey your intent in situations without words so that people around you always know what you’re thinking or doing. For example, flashing red lights mean stop while flashing yellow ones indicate caution. If the power goes out at home, flashing blue ones may guide you safely through your darkened house before an em can interpret. They can sense when something is present or not, such as a key in a lock or the presence of an object nearby, and tell you how much force is applied to them by weight, position and other factors.
Transformers and Electrical Relays
Transformers help you manage the amount of power delivered to your devices without having to make any changes directly to their source. You simply install them between two electrical sources and then adjust their coils so that they either limit voltage or convert it into another form. This gives you precise control over your equipment for more efficient operation and reduced waste because you don’t have to throw anything away if one part stops working properly. For example, if several parts of your machine die at once, but one transformer still works correctly, all emergency generator powers up to restore service to your home.
You may also find that transformers can perform other kinds of output devices, such as sending data between two different kinds of computers and networks. This kind of activity is especially helpful for limiting the amount of electromagnetic interference and power waste produced by electrical equipment because it makes sure they run only when needed without drawing any energy from external sources until they’re activated.
