Fuses basic definition: -Fuses are used as a safeguard against surges.

They are used in everything from flashlights, and computers, to the cars we drive. Fuses work by passing all current that will go to the circuit through it. If the current is too strong then the filament in the fuse breaks, saving the appliances from damage.

1st reference: - ormally, the ampacity rating of a conductor is a circuit design limit never to be intentionally e!ceeded, but there is an application where ampacity e!ceedence is e!pected: in the case of fuses.

" fuse is nothing more than a short length of wire designed to melt and separate in the event of e!cessive current. Fuses are always connected in series with the component#s$ to be protected from overcurrent, so that when the fuse blows #opens$ it will open the entire circuit and stop current through the component#s$. " fuse connected in one branch of a parallel circuit, of course, would not affect current through any of the other branches.

ormally, the thin piece of fuse wire is contained within a safety sheath to minimi%e ha%ards of arc blast if the wire burns open with violent force, as can happen in the case of severe overcurrents. In the case of small automotive fuses, the sheath is transparent so that the fusible element can be visually inspected. &esidential wiring used to commonly employ screw-in fuses with glass bodies and a thin, narrow metal foil strip in the middle. " photograph showing both types of fuses is shown here:

'artridge type fuses are popular in automotive applications, and in industrial applications when constructed with sheath materials other than glass. (ecause fuses are designed to )fail) open when their current rating is e!ceeded, they are typically designed to be replaced easily in a circuit. This means they will be inserted into some type of holder rather than being directly soldered or bolted to the circuit conductors. The following is a photograph showing a couple of glass cartridge fuses in a multi-fuse holder:

The fuses are held by spring metal clips, the clips themselves being permanently

connected to the circuit conductors. The base material of the fuse holder #or fuse block as they are sometimes called$ is chosen to be a good insulator.

"nother type of fuse holder for cartridge-type fuses is commonly used for installation in e*uipment control panels, where it is desirable to conceal all electrical contact points from human contact. +nlike the fuse block ,ust shown, where all the metal clips are openly e!posed, this type of fuse holder completely encloses the fuse in an insulating housing:

The most common device in use for overcurrent protection in high-current circuits today is the circuit breaker. 'ircuit breakers are specially designed switches that automatically open to stop current in the event of an overcurrent condition. -mall circuit breakers, such as those used in residential, commercial and light industrial service are thermally operated. They contain a bimetallic strip #a thin strip of two metals bonded back-to-back$ carrying circuit current, which bends when heated. .hen enough force is generated by the bimetallic strip #due to overcurrent heating of the strip$, the trip mechanism is actuated and the breaker will open. /arger circuit breakers are automatically actuated by the strength of the magnetic field produced by current-carrying conductors within the breaker, or can be triggered to trip by e!ternal devices monitoring the circuit current #those devices being called protective relays$.

(ecause circuit breakers don0t fail when sub,ected to overcurrent conditions -- rather, they merely open and can be re-closed by moving a lever -- they are more likely to be found connected to a circuit in a more permanent manner than fuses. " photograph of a small circuit breaker is shown here:

From outside appearances, it looks like nothing more than a switch. Indeed, it could be used as such. 1owever, its true function is to operate as an overcurrent protection device.

It should be noted that some automobiles use ine!pensive devices known as fusible links for overcurrent protection in the battery charging circuit, due to the e!pense of a properly-rated fuse and holder. " fusible link is a primitive fuse, being nothing more than a short piece of rubber-insulated wire designed to melt open in the event of overcurrent, with no hard sheathing of any kind. -uch crude and potentially dangerous devices are never used in industry or even residential power use, mainly due to the greater voltage and current levels encountered. "s far as this author is concerned, their application even

in automotive circuits is *uestionable.

Fuses are primarily rated, as one might e!pect, in the unit for current: amps. "lthough their operation depends on the self-generation of heat under conditions of e!cessive current by means of the fuse0s own electrical resistance, they are engineered to contribute a negligible amount of e!tra resistance to the circuits they protect. This is largely accomplished by making the fuse wire as short as is practically possible. 2ust as a normal wire0s ampacity is not related to its length #13-gauge solid copper wire will handle 43 amps of current in free air, regardless of how long or short of a piece it is$, a fuse wire of certain material and gauge will blow at a certain current no matter how long it is. -ince length is not a factor in current rating, the shorter it can be made, the less resistance it will have end-to-end.

1owever, the fuse designer also has to consider what happens after a fuse blows: the melted ends of the once-continuous wire will be separated by an air gap, with full supply voltage between the ends. If the fuse isn0t made long enough on a high-voltage circuit, a spark may be able to ,ump from one of the melted wire ends to the other, completing the circuit again:

'onse*uently, fuses are rated in terms of their voltage capacity as well as the current level at which they will blow.

-ome large industrial fuses have replaceable wire elements, to reduce the e!pense. The body of the fuse is an opa*ue, reusable cartridge, shielding the fuse wire from e!posure and shielding surrounding ob,ects from the fuse wire.

There0s more to the current rating of a fuse than a single number. If a current of 56 amps is sent through a 53 amp fuse, it may blow suddenly or delay before blowing, depending on other aspects of its design. -ome fuses are intended to blow very fast, while others are designed for more modest )opening) times, or even for a delayed action depending on the application. The latter fuses are sometimes called slow-blow fuses due to their intentional time-delay characteristics.

" classic e!ample of a slow-blow fuse application is in electric motor protection, where inrush currents of up to ten times normal operating current are commonly e!perienced

every time the motor is started from a dead stop. If fast-blowing fuses were to be used in an application like this, the motor could never get started because the normal inrush current levels would blow the fuse#s$ immediately7 The design of a slow-blow fuse is such that the fuse element has more mass #but no more ampacity$ than an e*uivalent fast-blow fuse, meaning that it will heat up slower #but to the same ultimate temperature$ for any given amount of current.

8n the other end of the fuse action spectrum, there are so-called semiconductor fuses designed to open very *uickly in the event of an overcurrent condition. -emiconductor devices such as transistors tend to be especially intolerant of overcurrent conditions, and as such re*uire fast-acting protection against overcurrents in high-power applications.

Fuses are always supposed to be placed on the )hot) side of the load in systems that are grounded. The intent of this is for the load to be completely de-energi%ed in all respects after the fuse opens. To see the difference between fusing the )hot) side versus the )neutral) side of a load, compare these two circuits:

In either case, the fuse successfully interrupted current to the load, but the lower circuit fails to interrupt potentially dangerous voltage from either side of the load to ground, where a person might be standing. The first circuit design is much safer.

"s it was said before, fuses are not the only type of overcurrent protection device in use. -witch-like devices called circuit breakers are often #and more commonly$ used to open circuits with e!cessive current, their popularity due to the fact that they don0t destroy themselves in the process of breaking the circuit as fuses do. In any case, though, placement of the overcurrent protection device in a circuit will follow the same general guidelines listed above: namely, to )fuse) the side of the power supply not connected to ground.

"lthough overcurrent protection placement in a circuit may determine the relative shock ha%ard of that circuit under various conditions, it must be understood that such devices were never intended to guard against electric shock. either fuses nor circuit breakers were designed to open in the event of a person getting shocked9 rather, they are intended to open only under conditions of potential conductor overheating. 8vercurrent devices primarily protect the conductors of a circuit from overtemperature damage #and the fire ha%ards associated with overly hot conductors$, and secondarily protect specific pieces of e*uipment such as loads and generators #some fast-acting fuses are designed

to protect electronic devices particularly susceptible to current surges$. -ince the current levels necessary for electric shock or electrocution are much lower than the normal current levels of common power loads, a condition of overcurrent is not indicative of shock occurring. There are other devices designed to detect certain shock conditions #ground-fault detectors being the most popular$, but these devices strictly serve that one purpose and are uninvolved with protection of the conductors against overheating.

REVIEW: " fuse is a small, thin conductor designed to melt and separate into two pieces for the purpose of breaking a circuit in the event of e!cessive current. " circuit breaker is a specially designed switch that automatically opens to interrupt circuit current in the event of an overcurrent condition. They can be )tripped) #opened$ thermally, by magnetic fields, or by e!ternal devices called )protective relays,) depending on the design of breaker, its si%e, and the application. Fuses are primarily rated in terms of ma!imum current, but are also rated in terms of how much voltage drop they will safely withstand after interrupting a circuit. Fuses can be designed to blow fast, slow, or anywhere in between for the same ma!imum level of current. The best place to install a fuse in a grounded power system is on the ungrounded conductor path to the load. That way, when the fuse blows there will only be the grounded #safe$ conductor still connected to the load, making it safer for people to be around. :nd reference: What is a fuse? The basic purpose of the fuse is to protect and is composed of an alloy which has a low melting point. " strip of this fuse is placed in series with the circuit. The working principle is that if the current is in e!cess then the strip would melt and break the circuit. There are different variants of fuse bo!es available with different types of circuit breaking. For instance, in the case of slow blow fuses, a small overload is carried for some period without the circuit been broken. 8ther fuse bo!es are designed to break the circuit rapidly. The selection is based upon the kind of device and also the fluctuation level of the current. Types The main components of a standard fuse unit consist of the following items: -;etal fuse element

--et of contacts --upport body The ma,or two categories of fuses include:

Low Voltage Fuses High Voltage Fuses

In order to understand Low voltage fuses better, we can further classify it further into: -Semi En lose! o" Rewi"ea#le Type -Totally en lose! o" $a"t"i!ge Type

Rewi"ea#le Fuses This kind of fuse is most commonly used in the case of domestic wiring and small scale usage. "nother name for this type is the <IT-<"T type fuse. The main composition is of a porcelain base which holds the wires. The fuse element is located inside a carrier that is also made out of porcelain. It is possible for you to remove the fuse carrier without any risk of electrical shock. ormally what happens is that when the fuse blows, you can replace it without having to change the complete thing. The main metals or alloys used in making fuse wire include lead, tinned copper, aluminum or tin lead alloy. .hen there is an over surge that causes the fuse element to blow off, you can replace it. " new fuse carrier is inserted in the base. The main advantage of this type of fuse is that it is easy to install and also replace without risking any electrical in,ury. (ut there are certain shortcomings associated with it too. For instance, with this fuse you would have an element of unreliability. There is a level of lack of discrimination and a small time lag, which may hinder its functionality. .ith a slow speed of operation, you also get a low rupturing capacity. 8ther types have current limiting features, and this one does not. "ll this being said it is still a valuable fuse device for small scale usage. Totally En lose! o" $a"t"i!ge Type In this type of fuse, we have a completely closed container and there are contacts #metal$ on either side. The level of sub division in this case includes:

-% type -Lin& Type In /ink type, we further have a knife blade type and a bolted type. % Type $a"t"i!ge Fuses: This cannot be interchanged and comes with the following main components: fuse base and cap, adapter ring and the cartridge. The fuse base has the cap screwed to it and the cartridge is pushed into it. The circuit becomes complete when the tip of the cartridge is in contact with the conductor. In this case, the main advantage that we get is that of reliability. Lin& Type $a"t"i!ge' High Raptu"ing $apa ity Fuses: .hen it comes to current distribution, there is need for a specified break capacity of high nature. This is where the alternate name of this fuse 1igh &apturing 'apacity comes from. The fusing factor in such cases is up to 1.46. -(nife )la!e Type HR$ Fuse: This kind is easily replaceable in the circuit without any load. For this purpose, special insulated fuse pullers are used. -)olte! Type HR$ Lin& Fuse: In this type, the conducting plates are bolted to the base of the fuse. There is also a presence of a switch through which the fuse can be removed without getting an electrical shock. *+L'*+E fuses " / kind of fuses is mostly used in cars for the audio systems. They are available in various si%es. "s opposed to others, this one has no wire terminal block.

How to he & the fuses? In order to check the fuse, a probe is used with readings from the terminals. The correct functioning would be when the value is 3= >'. The fuse should be checked with the voltage being supplied. In cases, the value you are getting is higher than 3= >', this means than there is a need to remove it. ,sage The main usage of fuse is for the protection of the circuit. In a real term scenario, the current flowing through the wires may not be uniform at times. In such cases, your device could get overheated. There is also the chance of a fire if the fuse is not installed. .hile the technology has advanced with the usage of circuit breaker, fuses are still used in a number of places like cars and basic electrical components.

T-.ES: Low-Voltage Fuse The low-voltage fuse is usually used in electronic appliances and entertainment gadgets. This type of fuse is available in ratings up to :3 amperes. This type of fuse is capable of signaling either a short circuit in the wiring or an overloaded circuit. Stan!a"! .lug Fuse The standard plug fuse is the kind found in most service panels. These plugs power the circuits of basic lighting fi!tures and small appliances. The standard plug fuse is available in ratings of 16, :3 and 53 amperes to suit the gauge of wire in the circuit. This fuse can signal a short circuit or an overloaded circuit. Time %elay Fuse The time delay fuse is also found in most residential service panels. This fuse is used for power-hungry small appliances and is available in ratings of 16, :3 or 53 amperes. The time delay component means that this fuse is capable of withstanding short power surges due to things like the startup of a motor. The time delay fuse also can signal short circuits, overloaded circuits and sustained circuits. Type-S Fuse The Type-- fuse is found in service panels and is used for powering up light fi!tures and small appliances. The difference between a standard plug fuse and a Type-- fuse is that it can guard against accidental installation of a fuse with higher amperage rating. Type-fuses are available in ratings of 16, :3 or 53 amperes to suit the gauge of wire in the circuit. The fuse fits an adapter that is screwed into the service panel. This adapter accepts only Type-- fuses of matching amperage. Fe""ule-Type $a"t"i!ge The ferrule-type cartridge fuse can also be found in fuse-type service panels, and it is used for powering ma,or appliances. The ferrule-type fuse cartridge is available in ratings up to ?3 amperes to suit the gauge of wire in the circuit. This type of fuse is capable of withstanding momentary power surges through the circuit and can signal an overloaded, short or sustained circuit. (nife )la!e $a"t"i!ge Fuse The knife blade cartridge fuse is available in ratings of more than ?3 amperes. This fuse is used to protect the electrical system of the household and can withstand momentary power surges.