About a New Type of Fuse Based on the Controllable Fusing Effect

Abstract

Abstract —Fuses are among the best known of electrical devices and there are an extremely large number in use throughout the world. Beside of the advantageous features, the nowadays fuses have certain drawbacks. Therefore, a new type of fuse based on controllable fusing concept is proposed and a study as regards the total clearing time is done. The new concept has been validated through many experimental tests at different current values. The new type of fuse based on controllable fusing concept can be integrated within an overcurrent protection system especially to protect power semiconductors where the Joule integral criterion is better satisfied. Index Terms —Fuses, control equipment, technological innovation I. INTRODUCTION Fuses have been produced over 100 years and there are now an extremely large number in use throughout the world. They incorporate one or more current-carrying elements, depending on their current ratings, and melting of these followed by arcing, occurs when excessive overcurrents flow through them. Fuses can be designed to interrupt safely the very highest fault currents that may be encountered in service, and, because of the rapidity of their operation in these circumstances, they limit the energy dissipated during fault periods, [1]. This enables the fuses to be of relatively small overall dimensions and may also lead to economies in the cost and size of the protected equipment. From fuse beginnings, first scientific reference by Sir. Edward Nairne during 1773 and first official US fuse patent of Thomas Edison by 1880, the main improvements have been aimed to use of better materials, to extend the current and voltage application ranges, and towards the development of faster and cheaper construction techniques [2]. Among the fuse improvements the M-effect incorporation by Metcalf during 1939 has to be mentioned [3]. After those improvements many changes into the original fuse design have been presented in order to extend the low current interruption capability, such as: • using of non-traditional fuse element metals, like aluminium or cadmium [4]; • use of bounded silica sand [4]; • use of two dissimilar bounded or unbounded metals [5]; • current limiting and expulsion elements put together inside a single fuse body [6]; • paralleled combination of high-voltage fuse and Z