Dr. E. A.

Feilat
Electrical Engineering Department
School of Engineering
The University of Jordan

Topic 1a: Fuses

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 Fuses

Will this work in theory?

• Invented in 1890 by Edison.

• Cheapest form of protection against excessive currents.
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 Fuses
 The most basic overcurrent protective
element on the system is a fuse.
 Fuses are relatively inexpensive and
maintenance-free.
 They are generally used in large
numbers on most utility distribution
systems to protect individual
transformers and feeder branches
(lateral branches).

Typical overhead line fused cutout

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 Fuses
 Simple, reliable, economic protection device.
 Combines actions of relays and circuit breakers in one.
 A metallic element melts and physically opens a circuit if currents are too
high (an over-/excess current device).
 Single action only.
 Has an “inverse time” characteristic (i.e. operates faster the higher the
current)
 Operates very fast (sub-cycle) for high short circuit levels (and thus can act
as fault current limiters).
 Usually used on local distributors.

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Fuse Characteristics -TCC (Time-Current Curves)
 Each fuse is usually defined by the two characteristic curves shown. These
curves are called:
 Minimum melting curve (pre-arcing): The lowest current that will melt the
fuse’s fusible element at a specified time and under specified conditions.
 Total clearing curve: The time that elapses from the initiation of a current
that will melt the element to the final interruption of the circuit.

Total Clearing
Time Curve

Total clearing
Minimum curve
melting curve

Minimum Melting
Time Curve

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 Fuses
 The fundamental purpose of fuses is to operate on
permanent faults and isolate (sectionalize) the faulted
section from the sound portion of the feeder
 Fuses detect overcurrent by melting the fuse element,
which generally is made of a metal such as tin or silver.
 This initiates some sort of arcing action that will lead to
the interruption of the current. There are two basic kinds
of fuse technologies used in power systems:

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 Types of Fuses

1. Re-wireable Type – (Fusible wire)

► The most commonly used fuse in 'house wiring' and small current circuit is
rewireable fuse. It consist of a porcelain base carrying the fixed contacts to
which the incoming and out going live or phase wires are connected and a
porcelain fuse carrier holding the fuse element, consisting of one or more
strands of fuse wire, stretched between its terminals.

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 1-Rewireable Type Fuses
 The fuse carrier is a separate part and can be taken out or
inserted in the base without risk, even without opening the
main switch. If fuse holder or carrier gets damaged during
use, it may be replaced without replacing the complete
unit
 On occurrence of a fault, the fuse element blows off and
the circuit is interrupted. The fuse carrier is pulled out, the
blown out fuse element is replaced by new one and the
supply can is resorted by re-inserting the fuse carrier in
the base.
 Such fuses have the advantage of easy removal or
replacement without any danger of coming into the
contact with a live part and negligible replacement cost.

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2-Cartridges Type Fuse

 Silver element enclosed in a barrel of insulating material

(sometimes filled with quartz sand) and is provided with
metal contacts on both sides. These fuses are further
classified as:
1. D- Type Cartridges Fuses .
2. Link type Cartridge or High Rupturing Capacity
(HRC)

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 2-Cartridges Type Fuse

2.1 D- Type Cartridges Fuses

 It is a non interchangeable fuse comprising a fuse base,
adapter ring, cartridge and a fuse cap. The cartridge is
pushed in the fuse cap and the cap is screwed on the fuse
base. On complete screwing the cartridge tip touches the
conductor and circuit between the two terminals is
completed through the fuse link.

 D-type cartridge fuse have none of the drawbacks of the

rewireable fuses. Their operation is reliable. Coordination
and discrimination to a reasonable extent and achieved
with them.
 It can handle very high currents up to 100 kA.

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 2.2 Link type Cartridge Fuse
High Rupturing Capacity (HRC)
♦ Where large number of concentrations of powers are
concerned, as in the modern distribution system, it is
essential that fuses should have a definite known breaking
capacity and also this breaking capacity should have a
high value.
♦ High rupturing capacity cartridge fuse, commonly called
HRC cartridge fuses , have been designed and developed
with fusing factor of 1.45.

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 2.2 -Link-Type HRC Fuse
(High Rupturing Capacity)
 Encapsulated fuse with multiple elements to contain and
cool explosion. Allows higher ratings and voltages.
 Used at low voltage and up to about 22kV

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 Special Fuse Types
2.3 Striker pin fuses
 Used on MV and LV circuits
 Ensures single phasing does not occur on motor circuits
 When fuse blows a pin ejects out of the cartridge end and strikes a tripping
mechanism - tripping all three phases.
2.4 Drop out fuses –Expulsion Type
 Used on rural O/H lines (LV & MV applications up to 66kV)
 Drops out when blown allowing easy identification of blown circuit from
ground level

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 BS 88:1952

•The BS88 HRC fuse consists of a specially shaped silver element totally
enclosed in a heat proof body which is filled with very fine grains of quartz.
•The quartz holds the element in place - even while melting - ensures rapid
arc extinction. The element is connected to two tinned brass end caps
incorporating fixing lugs as shown above
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 BS 88:1952
This British Standard lays down:
 Limits for Temperature rise
 Fusing factor = Minimum fusing current = 1.4
Rated cont. current
 Breaking capacity
Fusing Current: The current at which the fuse melts and opens the circuit in
the time stipulated by the wiring rules. Do not get "fusing current" mixed-up
with "rated current" which is the current that the fuse can carry indefinitely.
The ratio between the two is usually called the "fusing factor".
The breaking capacity or interrupting capacity is the maximum short
circuit current a fuse can safely blow without a catastrophic failure such as a
fire, breakage or explosion
For a round wire, the approximate relationship between
fusing current I and diameter d of the wire is I  k d 3

where k is a constant, called the fuse constant. Its value depends I2  d3

upon the metal of which the fuse element is made.
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Current Carrying Capacity of Fuse Element
 The current carrying capacity of a fuse element mainly depends on
the metal used and the cross-sectional area but is affected also by
the length, the state of surface and the surroundings of the fuse.
 When the fuse element attains steady temperature,
Heat produced per sec = Heat lost per second by convection, radiation and
conduction

Ordinary fuse law I2  d3


I  k d3 16
 Energy “ Let Through”
 Let-thru current is that current passed by a fuse while the fuse is
interrupting a fault within the fuse’s current limiting range.
 Energy let through basically refers to the energy let into the circuit
till fusing and its value is proportional to I2 × t
 Fuses can limit this energy by fusing very quickly - usually under ¼
cycle
 Circuit breakers can take up to 10 cycles (10 × 20ms = 200 ms) to
open i.e. 40 times more energy is released into the fault !! (compared
to a fuse which breaks the current flow in ¼ cycle)

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 Fuse Applications
Types of circuits to be protected:
 Those with non varying loads - Normally protect against over load as well
as short circuit.

 Those with widely varying loads e.g. motors with high inrush compared to
normal rating, cranes, etc - Here fuses generally protect against short circuit
only.

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 Details Required for Fuse selection

1. Maximum fault kVA of circuit to be protected

2. Voltage of circuit
- These details will help in deciding the prospective current under fault
conditions.
3. Full load current
- Required to coordinate under normal and short circuit conditions.
4. Degree of overcurrent protection needed
- Same as Fusing Factor and can vary from 1.25 to 1.6.

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 General rules for Fuse selection

For Short circuit protection

 Transformers, Fluorescent Lighting circuits take short
inrush currents
- Choose next highest rating over full load current.

 Capacitors
- choose 1.25 pu of full load current

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 General rules for Fuse selection

Short Circuit Protection (Cont’d)

 Motor circuits - starting current can last for 20 seconds
 squirrel cage - 7  FL current
 75% auto -transformer - 4  FL current
 60% auto -transformer and star/delta - 2.5  FL current
 Slip ring motors - normally 1  FL current

For Overload protection

 generally 2  full load current

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 Motor Fuse Selection

Inrush period= 10 S
IFL= 83 A

The appropriate fuse is 125 A fuse not

100 A fuse

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Fuse Location

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