what is discrimination in electrical terms?

Question

does it mean something to do with selection of cable or something like that

Answer 1

It is to do with the protection (fuses, breakers etc) of a distribution network. The cables do have a part in it because you need to be sure they are protected (a fault cannot occur that would cause damage, other than the fault location, of course)

If you have a fault somewhere in a network, you need the fault current to stop so something needs to trip but you want to minimize the disruption to other parts of the network. This is called discriminating and is done on a co-ordination study.

It can get quite complicated depending on the network and both time and current are used to get good co-ordination. It used to be done by tracing the protection curve of one device and overlaying it on the "upstream" device to see there was no crossover (condition where they both would trip). Its all done by software now.

Answer 2

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When you see discrimination, think selectivity. Discrimination is the selection of protective devices so that the device nearest to a fault will trip rather than any upstream device. The purpose is to ensure that the fault is isolated and supply is maintained to other parts of the installation without disruption. For example... in your house. If a short exists on a circuit main, the breaker activates and power is removed, but only for that circuit. Power remains on for other circuits. If a short exists in your TV, the TV fuse burns out and power remains on for other devices on that same circuit. The protection system discriminaltes or selects the best place to activate and open the circuit so that other devices / areas can stay up and running.

Answer 3

While the other answers are true, for the areas that they are used for, "discrimination" can also be the choice between one signal level and another one of the same frequency, but of a different strength. Discrimination would also be a term used for choosing between one logic state and another, choosing the state that best fits a predetermined value.

Answer 4

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RE:
what is discrimination in electrical terms?
does it mean something to do with selection of cable or something like that

Answer 5

#It is related with Protection studies & device selection.

http://www.amtech-power.co.uk/product_57.htm
http://www.amtech-power.co.uk/product_58.htm
http://www.electrical-software.ie/protect.htm

# Read the following:
Total Discrimination as a standard for optimum continuity of supply, Compact NS MCCBs provide a high level of discrimination in electrical installations. Should a fault occur, only the Circuit breaker immediately upstream from the fault will trip hence continuity of supply is guaranteed for the other feeders.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Since you have used the term "RCD" and not "GFCI", I am going to assume that you are in the UK and that you are familiar with BS 7671:2008, the Wiring Regulations. One regulation, 531.2.9, states that when two or more RCDs are connected in series and safety requires that the "discrimination" between them, prevents the tripping of any RCD, other than the one next "up-stream" from the fault, that "discrimination" must be provided. Suppose that you have six RCDs in series (main switchboard, sub-board 1, sub-board 2 --- sub-board 5) and that they get smaller as they get further from the main switchboard. If an earth fault occurs in one of the final circuits of sub-board 5, the RCD on that final circuit MUST trip but none of the RCDs that are closer to the main switchboard, are to trip. The ability of several RCDs in series to perform in this manner is called "discrimination". You do not want all of the RCDs to trip. This principle also applies to fuses and circuit breakers but it is difficult to achieve with wire fuses unless they are of greatly different ratings. You would not get good discrimination between a 10 Ampere and a 12 Ampere wire fuse but it would be good, between a 10 Ampere and a 40 Ampere wire fuse.

Answer 8

if that term is used for cables
then it's a stupid use of terminology

the discriminator is used to extract the information from a FM (frequency modulated) signal.

Answer 9

Other than the general dictionary definition, I have only heard it used to describe demodulating and detecting a baseband FM signal (to convert it to audio).

EDIT: it sounds like those power-engineer types below have the correct answer.

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Answer 10

this is the act of separating the installation into subcircuiit