We all have experienced a power cut-off
due to short circuits in electrical equipment. Did that make you think about
the reason behind that is causing the cut-off so as not to cause further
damage? These are due to the fuses we use in these devices to protect the
circuits. That's how we safeguard electrical circuits from overcurrent and
short circuits.
Through this blog, let's start improving
your knowledge about fuses, which is a highly effective safety resource. Every
function, starting from the fuse type it entails to its robust characteristics
in operation, possesses a steep learning curve. Thus, we come to understand
that they serve several more valuable factors.
What is a fuse in a circuit?
Through our discussion on the topic now,
one thing is clear: the fuse is the most efficient tool for safety. It saves
electrical circuits from acute or extreme damage caused by short circuits or
overcurrents. Thus, we use many fuses to prevent such damage and ensure safety.
How does a fuse work?
Fuses are safety devices that work well
without damage because they either break or disconnect the current flow
whenever the current travels to achieve a definite point of limit. The point of
limit becomes the warning for the fuse, which initiates the supply of
electricity to be absolutely cut off.
Additionally, fuses safeguard electrical
fires that may burn equipment. Hence, they provide complete protection from
electrical hazards in homes, industries, and even other types of vehicles.
Types of Fuses and Their Uses
After all this reflection in the context
of the fuses and their essential work, we can summarize them so that fuses can
quite easily be varied in many essential types, whether we speak of the ones
classified based on their application, extending towards their compelling
construction or even their breaking capacity.
Therefore, to get us all caught up with
the types of fuses, here are the prime categories of fuses discussed below:
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Fuse Types
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Functions of Fuses
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Applications of Fuses
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AC Fuses
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AC
fuses could be added as one of the most common fuses. It is designed and
developed entirely to keep harm from circuits that usually operate on AC or,
more precisely, alternating current.
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● House electrical
systems: Avoid short
circuits and overload in home appliances and wiring.
● Large Machinery and
Motors Protection: Protect against
overcurrents or short circuits.
● Power distribution
systems: Protect
transformers and switchgear through substations.
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DC Fuses
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A
DC fuse is a protective device designed for electrical circuits powered by DC
or, more precisely, direct current.
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● Automotive System: Battery guard circuit against electrical
faults.
● Solar Power Systems: the system avoids overcurrent in the solar
panels and inverters.
● Industrial
Equipment: Protect critical
equipment parts from electrical faults and damage.
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High Voltage Fuses
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On
the other hand, a high-voltage fuse could quickly be taken as the type of
protective device effectively utilized in electrical power systems to protect
all equipment and circuits from the damaging effects of overcurrents, which
can extend to short circuits.
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● Transformer
Protection: It protects
transformers against overcurrent.
● Capacitor Banks: It guards the capacitor banks against
overcurrent due to dielectric failure.
● Feeder Circuits: Prevents Short Circuit and Overload in the
High Voltage Feeder Circuits.
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Low Voltage Fuses
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A
low-voltage fuse is one of those electrical protection devices solely
designed and developed to protect electrical systems operating at lower
voltages from exceeding current, which has the potency to cause overheating,
extending towards damage to equipment, or even harmful fire.
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● Residential Systems: Preventing short-circuit and overcurrent
in residential circuits.
● Telecommunications
Equipment: Protect the
sensible telecom systems from power surges.
● Consumer Electronics: It protects appliances like computers and
T.V. from electrical damage.
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Cartridge Fuses
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Cartridge
Fuses could be quoted as safe cylindrical electrical devices that prevent
electrical circuits from damage caused by overcurrent or excess rays of
current for the users.
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● Home appliances: Cover refrigerators, washing machines, and
air conditioners.
● Industrial
Machinery: They protect Motors
and transformers against overloading.
● Cars: Covers parts including light and
electricals.
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HRC (High Rupturing Capacity) Fuses
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An
HRC fuse could be described as a type of fuse with the potency to safely halt
large fault currents without causing major damage to surrounding systems.
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● Power Distribution: It prevents short circuits in Transformer
and transmission lines.
● Motor protection: Protects large motors against overloads.
● Control systems: Protect industrial control relays and
other equipment.
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Cylindrical Fuses
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Cylindrical
fuses are safety devices that are also popular as cartridge fuses. These
electrical components or assets effectively prevent circuits from overcurrent
conditions.
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● Residential: It protects home appliances and lighting
circuits.
● Industrial: Prevents damage to equipment from voltage
surges.
● Automotive: Protects the lighting and electronics of
vehicles.
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Time-Delay Fuses
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Time-delay
fuses, also known as slow-blow fuses or delay fuses, are specialized fuses
that are developed and designed to leave behind all short surges of current
while enabling overcurrent protection.
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● Motor Protection: It protects against prolonged overloads on
a motor circuit.
● HVAC Systems: Computes starting currents for both
heating and cooling systems.
● Power Tools: It prevents damage to power tools from an
inrush current.
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Thermal Fuses
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Thermal
fuses prevent overheating and fire, which can be dangerous for all appliances
connected to electricity.
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● HVAC Systems: It guards motor compressors against
overheating.
● Automotive: protects against overheating of critical
automobile components such as motors and wiring.
● Industrial Equipment: It also prevents the machinery from
overheating.
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Automotive Fuses
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Automotive
fuses are safety parts and devices that can be applied in a car. The capacity
of fuses prevents all the electrical circuits from
overloads or short circuits.
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● Lighting Systems: It also protects the headlight and
interior light circuits.
● Infotainment systems: Guard radios, GPS, and other electronics.
● Power Windows and
Locks: Overloading in
windows and locks motors should not happen.
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Resettable Fuses
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Resettable
fuses, usually called poly fuses or even PPTC, which are more precise
polymeric positive temperature coefficient devices, are some of the circuit
protection components completely designed to protect electrical circuits from
overcurrent conditions.
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● Consumer Electronics: Used in mobile phones and notebooks to
prevent overcurrent.
● Automotive: protects the car's electrical appliances.
● Telecommunications: Avoids overcurrent for a safe
telecommunication network.
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Striker Fuses
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Striker
fuses are safety devices enabling a source to initiate a combustion process
or even begin an electric circuit for all users.
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● Automotive: Activates airbag deployment upon
collision.
● Aerospace: Activates aircraft safety systems.
● Industrial
Equipment: This equipment
requires ignition for gas burners or engines.
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D-Type Cartridge Fuses
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D-type
cartridge fuses could be added as a category of fuse used primarily for
overcurrent protection in all electrical systems.
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● Industrial
equipment: It also prevents
equipment overloading and short-circuiting.
● Power distribution aims to safeguard transformers and other
equipment often found in substations.
● Motor protection: Overcurrent protection in motor circuits.
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Rewireable Fuses
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Rewireable
fuses are one of the older types of fuses. These safety assets are commonly
utilized in electrical systems to protect against overloads or common short
circuits.
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● Home Wiring: Protects older home wiring and outlets.
● Industrial
Application: Mostly on old
machinery with overload protection.
● Commercial buildings: They appear on the old commercial
buildings.
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Bolt-On Fuses
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We
can add Bolt-on fuses as the type of fuse utilized primarily in electrical
distribution systems for the sole reason of protecting electrical circuits
from overloads or even some short circuits.
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● Industrial Machine: No electric machine breakdown.
● Commercial Buildings: It also protects in-line electrical panels
serving HVAC and lighting.
● Power Distribution
Systems: It is mainly
provided in the substation for overcurrent protection.
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Effective Characteristics of Fuses
After looking into all the major
categories or different types of fuses, let us now move ahead to go through all
the essential characteristics of fuses that we have already discussed through
the following points:
Current Rating
The prime characteristic of a fuse is its
current rating. We can add that the maximum current a fuse has the potency to
carry without blowing varies with different fuse types.
It is also essential to add that the
exceeding current can cause the little fuse to blow at the same time,
protecting the circuit from major damage.
Voltage Rating
Next comes the electrical fuse's voltage
rating, the maximum voltage the fuse can safely interrupt without the fear of
breaking down. Further ahead, the fuse is required to have a higher voltage
rating than the circuit it protects.
Breaking capacity or interrupting
the rating
Then comes the breaking capacity of the
fuse, which is the maximum current a fuse usually has the potency to interrupt
without being destroyed or even enabling the current to continue. This capacity
is critical for protecting the fuse itself from tagging up with the circuit in
case of large faults.
Operating Characteristics
After that, the fuse's operation
characteristic arrives, as it is necessary to be familiar with the relationship
between how long a fuse takes to blow and the current passing through it.
We can all add several types of passes
that are currently available. Fast-blow has the potency to react quickly to
overcurrent. On the other hand, slow-blow is to handle temporary surges before
blowing.
Size and Shape
Also, the fuses come in various sizes and
shapes to fit several applications, whether talking about cartridge fuses or
even looking into automotive fuses.
It is necessary to remember that the fuse
should be chosen based on the physical requirements and elements of the circuit
or device.
Temperature Sensitivity
Later comes the temperature sensitivity of
fuses, as they vary in sensitivity factors exceeding temperature changes. We
can say that the higher ambient temperatures have the potency to reduce their
capacity for current carrying.
Resettable vs. Non-resettable
Lastly, the fuses' resettable features are
included. It could be added that resettable fuses have the potency to restore
functionality later in the cooling process from an overload. They usually
require no replacement.
In the other phase, non-resettable fuses
have the potential to blow permanently when effectively overloaded, and they
need manual replacement to restore protection and circuit operation.
Advantages of Fuses
We can have many significant advantages of
using fuses. So, let's continue and discover the three main benefits of a fuse
that are being discussed below through the following points:
Overcurrent Protection with Full
Safety
One of the most general advantages of
fuses is that their designs protect electrical circuits from overcurrent, which
damages several pieces of equipment and leads to electrical fires.
Simple yet Cost-Effective
Then, there is the cost-effectiveness of
fuses since they are pretty cheap compared to other circuit protection devices,
whether we speak of circuit breakers or even different current control systems.
In addition, the fuse is easy to install
since it is simple and does not require complicated settings or other
adjustments.
Fast Acting Nature
Then there's quick response action,
through fuses providing speedy protection, which quickly reacts to all types of
short circuits and severe cases of overcurrent conditions to the users. Such a
swift response minimizes the dreadful risk of damage to electrical systems.
How to Select the Right Fuse?
There are so many techniques that we can
use to determine which one is the right one among them, so let's narrow down
the three most essential factors in choosing the proper fuse discussed below:
1. Rating
or Fusion Rating: We may have a fuse with
ideas of rating provided from total ratings and reviews for a better
experience.
2. Specifications
of the current and the voltage: let's go for the
current and voltage specifications. So, we're speculating how we will measure
the voltage in which the current travels through it before attaching the fuse
wire.
3. Eco-friendly:
The product needs to be eco-friendly, thus comparing more worthy of the fuse.
Conclusion:
Hence, after discussing all those factors
related to this safety device, fuses are one of the necessary parts that cannot
be overlooked in order to avoid the chance of overcurrent. More than this, it
is also crucial to have knowledge of every single significant part related to
fuses, be it types of fuses or what a fuse is in a circuit, even their
advantages and usages.
FAQs
1. How to Change a Fuse?
To change the fuse, we are required to proceed with the following steps:
1. Turning off power
2. Locating fuse box
3. Removing fuse blown
4. Replacing with the same-rated fuse
5. Restoring or switching on power
2. What happens, really, when a fuse melts?
A fuse, once it breaks the electric circuit, cuts off power in order to prevent overheating or perhaps some damage to an overload.
3. Fuse VS Circuit Breaker
Whereas a fuse can break off or melt easily whenever it overloads to break the circuit, a circuit breaker trip can be reset.
