I NEED A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE FOLLOWING:-
OIL CIRCUIT BREAKER
AIR BLAST CIRCUIT BREAKER
GAS CIRCUIT BREAKER
VACUUM CIRCUIT BREAKER
HIGH RUPTURE CAPACITY FUSE
MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKER
AND OVERCURRENT RELAY

Many types of circuit breaker are basically an over current relay. The
relay typically has one or two turns which carries all the load
current. Above the design current the relay pulls in opening the
circuit. Typically a mechanical latch prevents the relay from dropping
out, but a permanent, or electo magnet, can be used to latch the
relay. Over current relays can be reset with a manual reset button.
The breaker box breakers use the reset handle to manually trip the
breaker as well as to reset the breaker manually. Some of them have a
bimetal strip that causes the breaker to trip at less current when a
slight overload heats the strip.
 For small current up to about 1000 volts solid state breakers are
replacing mechanical breakers in most applications.   Neil

All are intended to provide circuit protection by interrupting
current. During switching under load, an arc is created.  The size of
the arc is dependent on the applied voltage and load current.  Most
breakers are designed for Power interruption. The primary difference
in the breakers below is the method of supressing the arc. The
supression methods each have advantages and disadvantages in terms of
service life, maintainability, size and weight.

1. Oil CB. Arc break section is immersed in a non-conducting mineral
oil. One of the older styles. Oil supresses the arc reliably, but oil
will deteriorate with time. For power ratings, can be relatively
small, but fairly heavy.

2. Air Blast CB. Uses a physical air space with insulated schute to
keep phase arcs separated as contacts are openned.  Light weight, but
can be physically large.

3. Gas CB. Similar to air, but the arc separation area is filled with
an inert gas to shorten the arc.

4. Vacuum CB. Very compact.  Uses small vacuum bottles for each phase.
In a vacuum the contact spacing can be very small and efficient in
size and weight. Sometimes difficult to monitor the contact wear over
time.

5. High Rupture CB. Normally, called high interrupting CB.  Can be
just about any of the above technologies. Interrupting ratings are
used to indicate how much energy can be openned in the circuit AND
contained in the breaker.  This doesn't mean that the breaker won't be
destroyed -- only that the energy will be contained in the device.

6. Miniture CB. Usually a small thermal element controlled air-gap
breaker. Primarily used in industrial and avionics where a fuse would
be difficult to change or would create a hazardous condition (think a
fuse blowing on helicopter controls).

7. Overcurrent Relay.  Like it says.  It is a control relay that
activates on current. Overcurrent relays are used often with larger
breakers as the trip mechanism.

Trip mechanisms for breakers vary widely and range from integrated
electronics capable of detecting phase or differential current
problems to simple thermal elements that open under the heat of an
overcurrent.