computer resettable breaker

What you are suggesting is a huge safety risk. Circuit breakers should only be reset by a person. Preferably one who knows what they are doing.

Ordinarily, what you request would be handled by a contactor and a current transmitter connected to the PLC. If the PLC detects a higher than setpoint current on the circuit, it opens the contactor.

Circuit breakers are ususally used as protective equipment and are normally manually reset.

Circuit breakers are ususally used as protective equipment and are normally manually reset.

Depending on the application, circuit breakers in 3 phase power distribution circuits (eg- 600V and above, hundreds of amps, etc) can also be used as a combination circuit breaker/basic isolator switch. Remote trip operation of distribution circuit breakers is also quite common, for instance when you are linking a number of different systems together and you want a single detected fault or problem to trip out the entire system for protection, or where a fault has been detected (such as a high impedance fault to earth that is well below the curve of the breaker and hence wont cause it to operate) and you want to trip the breaker out.

Whether or not that is the application the guest is discussing, or he/she just wants to disconnect the supply from a DC battery (etc) has yet to be seen however.

Since you haven't mentioned the voltage or application, how about a simple electronic MOSFET (or similar) circuit breaker circuit. There are a number of simple designs available for you to build, as well as some products you can buy. If the voltage is in the range of distribution level (say 600V and higher), standard off-the-shelf 3 phase distribution circuit breakers have options for remote trip and reset functions that can be triggered by relays or a PLC.

What's the voltage and what's the application (you are not trying to do anything particularly dangerous are you)?

Actually we have used computer controlled circuit breakers in aviation - including software controlled reset - for over 10 years now.

Can't source one for you, but helped certify some of the systems flying from the software perspective.

Guest,

Please be very careful in this application! Without more detail, 'stevem' has hit the nail on the head right off the bat! Add to this, the fact that in certain applications it may even be ILLEGAL to have remote reset of a safety circuit! They stay tripped for a reason: To be certain a real live, walkin' talkin' (qualified) person shows up to properly assess the situation, and be sure that re-energizing the circuit doesn't inadvertantly electrocute someone, or make the original trip issue worse. And resetting with a PLC/pc controller would have to take these safety issues into effect. Then your poor maintenance guy has run right out to the problem, thinking the circuit is still tripped, when your PLC decides its okay to reset. I'm also worried about a circuit that can trip often enough to "require" a software reset! Please consider redesigning the circuit so that this is not an issue except when absolutely necessary, such as an actual equipment failure/short. And remember, the more remote the circuit breaker, the more important the need to show up in person and inspect the situation. Without further detail, please take these suggestions to heart!

Good luck, and be safe!

Yeah, one of the things we don't have to worry about in-flight. Techs under the cowl.

guest; square D make a QO series with a motor operated turn on/turn off remote control i beleive it's 24 v dc perry

Motor drives for MCBs and for MCCBs do exist, and this would seem to be what you need. For the range 10-50A, an MCB/Motor Operator would appear to be ideal. You should contact your favourite MCB manufacturer and request a catalogue. If you can't find anything anywhere else, I know that GE supply both MCBs and motor operators, and they also have a smart controller that will attempt to automatically reclose the MCB a set number of times before going to sleep.

A <...breaker...> is there to protect the wiring.

<...need to reset it from a PLC / COmputer control...> Why?