EEE-

Application of 4801

Fuse in Power
Sector
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Table of contents
01 02 03
Fundamentals of Working Development of
Fuse Principle Fuse

04 05 06
Classification of Importance of
fuse Fuse Applications

07 08
Conclusion Reference
Fuse!
I’m MELTING!
 Fundamentals of Fuse

An electric fuse is made up of elements

like zinc, copper, aluminium, and silver.
This acts as a circuit breaker and breaks
the circuit if there is any fault in the
circuit because of excessive current flow.

The electric fuse is made from a material

that has high resistivity and a very low
melting point and hence when there is
more current flow it gets overheated and
melts down.
Working Principle of Fuse
The electric fuse is a non-
combustible material that is made
from a thin metallic wire. It is
always connected at both the ends
of the terminal in the series
connection with the circuit.
In a circuit, because the current
flows excessively, heat will be
generated melting the fuse as the
melting point of the fuse is low.
This also opens the circuit in
addition to melting the fuse. This
excessive current flow will cause
breakdown and even stop the flow
of the current. If such a case
happens, the fuse has to be
replaced or changed with a new
one.
 Development of Fuse
The fuses has come to light in 1774
A variation on Professor
by
Thompson’s design was patented in
Edward Nairne. But the first fuse
1883 by C. V. Boys and H. H.
was
Cunyngham. In their arrangement
developed by Professor S. P.
the current flowed through two leaf
Thompson in 1879 with two iron
springs which were soldered
wires connected together by a
together at their inner tips, as
metallic ball as shown:
shown:
 Development of Fuse
A considerable amount of work was A fuse in which the wire element
done by A. C. Cockburn. He was enclosed in a glass envelope to
developed a fuse in which a weight protect the surroundings from the
was hung on the wire element unlike effects of the disruption during
that of P. Thompson, the current did operation with containing filling
not flow in the weight. A great result material was patented by W. M.
was obtained as the weight caused Mordey in 1890.
the wire to break when it became
molten and the performance was
more consistent than previous
Classification of Fuse
Importance of Fuse in Power
Sector
Overcurrent Equipment Fault Detection
Protection Enhanced Safety
Protection and Isolation

Reliable Circuit Flexibility and Cost-Effective Compliance

Protection Compatibility Solution with Standards

Support for Renewable Prevention of

Energy Integration Cascade
Failures
Application of
Fuse
 1. Protection of Transmission Lines
Overcurrent Protection: Transmission lines can
experience sudden increases in current due to faults
such as short circuits or overloads. These
overcurrent conditions can damage equipment and
pose safety hazards.

Fuse Operation: A fuse is a small, thin conductor

designed to carry a specified current. When the
current flowing through the fuse exceeds its rated
capacity, typically due to an overcurrent condition,
the fuse wire heats up and melts, breaking the
circuit.

Interrupting the Circuit: When the fuse wire

melts, it effectively interrupts the circuit, stopping
the flow of current. This action prevents excessive
current from reaching downstream equipment and
protects the transmission line from damage.
Selective Coordination: Fuses are often selected
and coordinated with other protective devices in the
electrical system to ensure that the fuse nearest to
the fault operates quickly and selectively isolates
the faulted section of the transmission line while
minimizing disruption to the rest of the system.

Resetting or Replacement: Once a fuse has

operated and interrupted the circuit, it must be
replaced or reset before power can be restored to
the protected circuit. Some fuses are designed to be
replaced manually, while others may automatically
reset once the fault condition is cleared.

Distribution Taps: At points where a lower voltage

distribution line branches off from a high voltage
transmission line, fuses might be used for limited
protection of the distribution equipment.
2. Protection of Motors
Overload Protection: Fuses are rated
to carry a specific amount of current
without blowing. When current through
the motor exceeds the rated value due to
an overload condition, the fuse heats and
if the current exceeds the fuse's rating
for a sustained period, the fuse element
melts, disconnecting the motor from the
power supply.

Short Circuit Protection: During short

circuit, an extremely high current flows
through the motor circuit. Fuses are
designed to quickly detect this excessive
current and respond by melting or
blowing within milliseconds. By
interrupting the circuit, the fuse prevents
the short circuit current from damaging
the motor windings and associated
equipment.
Phase Failure Protection: In Ground Fault Protection: Fuses
three-phase motor systems, the can also be used as part of a motor
loss of one phase can lead to circuit's ground fault protection
unbalanced currents and cause scheme. Ground faults, which occur
overheating and mechanical stress when a conductor unintentionally
on the motor. Fuses can provide makes contact with ground, can
protection against phase failure by pose serious safety risks and lead
detecting the resulting unbalanced to motor damage. Fuses designed
currents. If one phase is lost, the for ground fault protection can
current imbalance may cause the detect these faults and quickly
fuse on that phase to blow, interrupt the circuit to mitigate the
interrupting the circuit and hazard
preventing damage to the motor.
3. Protection of Soft Starters
The modern soft starter usually
consists of six thyristors
arranged in antiphase parallel
configuration. Like their
electromechanical counterparts
electronic soft starters need to
be protected against high over-
currents with an Short Circuit
Protection Device(SCPD). The
fuselinks are normally fitted in
the input supply lines. The
current rating of the fuselink
selected is often governed by
the repetitive duty of the
motor, taking into account the
cyclic loading factor for the
fuselink.
 Start-Up Protection: During motor
Overload Protection: Soft starters can
start-up, the initial inrush current can be
limit the starting current drawn by the
several times higher than the motor's
motor, but they still require protection
rated current. Fuses with higher current
against sustained overloads. Fuses
ratings may be temporarily installed to
connected in series with the soft starter
accommodate this inrush current without
provide overload protection by
melting. Once the motor reaches its
interrupting the circuit if the current
operating speed, the fuses can be
exceeds a certain threshold for an
replaced with ones rated for normal
extended period. This protects both the
operation to provide ongoing protection
soft starter and motor from damage due
against overload and short circuit
to overload conditions.
conditions.
Short Circuit Protection: Like any
Protection During Installation and
electrical device, soft starters are
Maintenance: Fuses also offer
susceptible to short circuits, which can
protection during the installation and
occur due to faults in the wiring. Fuses
maintenance of soft starters. They
installed upstream of the soft starter
prevent accidental short circuits or
serve as the first line of defense against
overloads that may occur during wiring
short circuits. In short circuit, the fuse
or servicing activities, safeguarding
quickly interrupts the excessive current,
4. Protection of Power
Transformers
Overload Protection: Transformers
are designed to handle a specific
amount of power, and exceeding this
capacity can lead to overheating and
damage. Fuses are typically installed
in series with the transformer's
primary or secondary winding to
provide overload protection.
When current flow through
transformer exceeds predetermined
threshold, indicating overload
condition, the fuse melts interrupting
the circuits and disconnecting the
transformer from the power source. It
prevents xcessive heating and
damage to the transformer's windings
and insulation.
Short Circuit Protection: Short Protection During Energization:
circuits can result in extremely high During the initial energization of a
currents flowing through the transformer, inrush currents significantly
transformer. The fuse's rapid response higher than the transformer's rated
helps limit the magnitude and duration current can occur. Fuses with higher
of the fault current, protecting the current ratings may be temporarily
transformer from damage. Additionally, installed to accommodate these inrush
fuses installed in the primary and currents without blowing. Once the
secondary circuits of the transformer transformer reaches its steady-state
can help isolate the fault and prevent operating condition, standard-rated fuses
its propagation to other parts of the provide ongoing protection against
electrical system. overload and short circuit conditions.

Protection Against Internal Faults: Protection During Maintenance:

Transformers can experience internal Fuses also offer protection during
faults due to insulation breakdown, maintenance activities such as testing,
winding insulation failure, or inspection, or repairs. By isolating the
mechanical issues. Fuses installed transformer from the power source, fuses
within the transformer can provide ensure the safety of personnel working
protection against these internal faults on or near the transformer and prevent
by isolating the faulty section of the accidental short circuits or overloads.
5. Arc Flash Protection

Fuses play a role in mitigating

the risks associated with arc
flash events, which can occur
during faults in electrical
systems. By interrupting the
fault current quickly, fuses
help reduce the energy
released during an arc flash,
minimizing the potential for
injury to personnel and
damage to equipment.
6. Fuse in Renewable Energy
Systems: Overcurrent Protection: Fuses are
used to protect renewable energy
systems such as solar panels, wind
turbines, and batteries from
overcurrent situations. In the event
of a surge in current beyond the
rated capacity of the system, the
fuse will melt, interrupting the circuit
and preventing damage to the
equipment.

Battery Protection: In renewable

energy systems that utilize batteries
for energy storage, fuses are
essential for protecting the batteries
from overcharging and over
discharging. Overcharging can lead
to thermal runaway while over
discharging can damage the battery
 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations:
Inverter Protection: Inverters are used
With the increasing popularity of electric
in renewable energy systems to convert
vehicles (EVs), charging stations powered
DC power from sources like solar panels
by renewable energy sources are
or batteries into AC power for use in
becoming more common. Fuses are used
homes or businesses. Fuses are often
in EV charging stations to protect the
installed on the DC side of inverters to
charging equipment and the vehicles
protect them from overcurrent conditions.
from electrical faults.
Circuit Protection: Fuses are used
Microgrids: Fuses are employed in
throughout the electrical circuits of
microgrid systems, which often integrate
renewable energy systems to protect
renewable energy sources like solar and
wiring and components from short
wind power with traditional power
circuits and overloads. This ensures the
sources. Fuses help isolate faults within
safety and reliability of the entire system.
the microgrid, ensuring that disruptions
are localized and the rest of the system
remains operational.
7. Substation Protection and
Switchgear: Fault Protection: Substations and switchgear
manage high-voltage electrical power, making them
susceptible to faults such as short circuits and
overloads. Fuses are employed as primary
protection devices to rapidly interrupt the flow of
current in case of a fault.

Circuit Protection: Substations and switchgear

contain numerous electrical circuits and
components, including cables, busbars, and circuit
breakers. Fuses are installed in these circuits to
fight overcurrent situations which could lead to
equipment damage or fire hazards

Backup Protection: While circuit breakers serve

as primary protection devices, fuses are often
employed as backup protection in substations . In
case of a failure or malfunction of the circuit
breaker, the fuse can quickly interrupt the current
flow, preventing further damage to the electrical
8. Protection of Capacitors:
The capacitors can be provided with
internal fuses, where each capacitive
element is provided with a fuse set in
series with the
element; if the capacitive element
breaks the fuse trips, disconnecting the
broken element from the unit that is not
involved in the short circuit, thereby
making it possible for the capacitor to
work. The fuse tripping then produces a
reduction in capacitance; if a number of
fuses trip, the variation must be such as
to anyhow keep the resulting total
capacitance within the limits of
tolerance prescribed by the reference
standards. This system offers the
obvious advantage of being able to
operate also with units in which there
are broken elements
9. Smart Fuses in Power Sector
Protection:
Smart fuses offer several advantages when
applied in the power sector, contributing to
improved reliability, efficiency, and safety of
electrical systems.
Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics: Smart
fuses are equipped with sensors and
communication capabilities that enable remote
monitoring of key parameters such as current,
voltage, temperature, and operational status.
This real-time data allows operators to monitor
the health and performance of fuses and detect
potential issues before they escalate into
failures.
Fault Detection and Localization: Smart Integration with Smart Grid
fuses can detect and analyze fault events, Technologies: Smart fuses play a central
such as overcurrents and short circuits, with role in the implementation of smart grid
greater accuracy than traditional fuses. technologies and initiatives aimed at
Advanced algorithms and analytics enable modernizing the power infrastructure. They
smart fuses to pinpoint the location and serve as key components of advanced
cause of faults, facilitating faster fault distribution automation systems, microgrids,
localization and restoration of service. and demand-side management programs.

Load Management and Optimization: Cybersecurity and Resilience: Smart

Smart fuses provide valuable data on power fuses incorporate cybersecurity features to
consumption patterns and demand profiles, protect against unauthorized access, data
enabling operators to implement load breaches, and cyber threats. Secure
management and optimization strategies. By communication protocols, encryption
analyzing this data, operators can identify algorithms, and authentication mechanisms
opportunities for load shedding, load safeguard critical infrastructure assets from
balancing, and demand response to improve cyberattacks and ensure the integrity and
system efficiency and reliability availability of operational data.
10. Semiconductor Fuses in Power Secto
Protection:
A semiconductor fuse is a type of protective
device specifically designed for semiconductor
devices and circuits.
Semiconductor fuses offer several advantages
over traditional fuses in semiconductor
applications. They have low resistance and
voltage drop, which minimizes power losses
and improves efficiency. They also provide fast
and precise protection, helping to prevent
catastrophic failures and costly equipment
damage.

Here are some key aspects of their application

in the power sector:
1. Protection of Power Electronics devices
2. Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure
Conclusion
In conclusion, fuses play a vital and
irreplaceable role in ensuring the safety and
smooth operation of the power sector. Their
diverse applications range from safeguarding
critical infrastructure like transformers to
protecting sensitive control circuits and
individual cables. By swiftly interrupting
excessive currents, fuses prevent catastrophic
equipment failures, fires, and potential harm to
personnel. Their simple design, reliable
operation, and cost-effectiveness make them an
essential component in a well-functioning power
grid. As the power sector continues to evolve,
the development of even more sophisticated
and specialized fuses will further enhance the
safety and reliability of electrical systems.
References

1. electricalnotes.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/fuse/
2. Cooper Bussman, Fuse Technology Application
Guide
3. Electric Fuses, 3rd Edition; A. Wright and P.G
Newbery
4. collegedunia.com
5. vedantu.com
 Thanks!
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