EE 570-ENERGY

UTILIZATION AND
CONSERVATION
-Phase overcurrent
protection by fuses

DR. ZULU ESAU

COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT
Email: [Link]@[Link]
Phone #: +260966963112
Dr. Zulu Esau

Introduction

It consists of a fusible element (a

A fuse is a simple, cost-effective, metal wire or strip) that melts
and reliable overcurrent when subjected to excessive
protection device designed to current, thereby breaking the
safely interrupt excessive current circuit and preventing damage to
flow in an electrical circuit. equipment, wiring, and
personnel.

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 Introduction
Dr. Zulu Esau

Key Features of a Fuse:

[Link] Device – The fuse is a one-
time-use component; it must be replaced
after operation.
[Link]-Sensitive – Operates based on
the heat generated by current flow (I²R
heating).
[Link]-Acting or Time-Delayed – Some
fuses blow instantly (short-circuit
protection), while others tolerate
temporary overloads (motor starting).
[Link] & Current Ratings – Must match
the system voltage and withstand normal
operating currents.
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Dr. Zulu Esau

Fuse - Working Principle

Under normal conditions, the fuse conducts current without heating

excessively.

During an overcurrent or short circuit, the fusible element heats up

rapidly due to excessive current (I²t effect).

Once the melting point is reached, the element breaks, creating an

arc that is quickly extinguished (especially in current-limiting fuses).

The circuit is opened, stopping dangerous current flow.

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Dr. Zulu Esau

Fuse - Working Principle

The time between the fault initiation and the fuse cut-out is called the pre-
arcing time. During this time, the fuse element starts melting until it is
completely melted and cut.

The melting of the fuse is due the excessive energy (𝐼 2 𝑡) fed into the fuse
element by the passage of excessive current from faults or overloads

After the pre-arcing time, the fuse enters a arcing phase. In this phase,
the fuse is cut but current flow continues through the arc until it is
extinguished.

Total clearing time of the fuse combines the pre-arcing time and the
arcing time. It is the time it takes a fuse to initiate melting of the fuse,
cutting the fuse and finally extinguish the arc to interrupt current flow

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 Pros and Cons of Fuses
Dr. Zulu Esau

Advantages of Fuses Disadvantages of Fuses

Faster response to high faults Must be replaced after operation

No moving parts (more reliable) No manual switching capability

Requires proper sizing for

Compact & cost-effective
coordination

High breaking capacity (up to No status indication (unless blown

300kA) fuse indicators are used)

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Low Voltage Fuses (<1000V AC/DC)
Used in residential, Design:
1. Rewirable (Kit-
commercial, and Replaceable fuse Pros: Cheap, easy
Kat / Semi-
industrial wire inside a to replace.
Enclosed) Fuses
applications. porcelain body.

Cons: No precise Applications: Old a) D-Type (Diazed /

protection, risk of household wiring 2. Cartridge Fuses BS 1361)
wrong wire (phasing out due to (Fully Enclosed) •Screw-in base with a
selection. safety concerns). removable fuse carrier.
•Common in European
homes.

b) HRC (High Design: Plastic body

Rupturing 3. Blade (Plug-in) with metal prongs Pros: Compact,
Capacity) Fuses Fuses (ATO, mini, micro easy to replace.
•Construction: Ceramic sizes).
body with sand/quartz
filler for arc quenching.
•Types:
•NH (Knife-Blade) Fuses
– Used in industrial
Applications:
panels (IEC 60269).
Automotive, low-
•Class G/J/T (UL/ANSI) –
power electronics.
North American
cartridge fuses.
•Pros: High breaking
capacity (up to 100kA),
precise operation.
•Applications: Motor
protection, distribution Dr. Zulu Esau 7
boards.
High Voltage Fuses
(>1000 V AC/DC)
1. Expulsion Fuses
• Design: Fiber tube with fuse element; arc is extinguished
by gas generation.
• Pros: Low cost, simple design.
• Cons: Not current-limiting, audible explosion during
operation.
• Applications: Pole-mounted transformers, overhead
lines.
2. Current-Limiting HV Fuses
• Design: Silver/copper element in sand-filled ceramic
tube.
• Pros: Extremely fast operation, limit's fault current.
• Applications: Transformer protection, capacitor banks.
3. Drop-Out Fuses (Fuse Cutouts)
• Design: Fuse carrier drops out visibly when blown.
• Pros: Easy fault identification.
• Applications: Overhead distribution lines

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Dr. Zulu Esau

• The Time-Current
Characteristic (TCC)
curve of a fuse
defines how quickly
it responds to over-
currents
Time-Current • The fuses exhibit an
Characteristics inverse time –
current behaviour
(TCC) • The TCC curve is
important in the
selection of fuses for
specific applications
and for coordination
with other
protective devices Fig4.1 Typical fuse TCC curve

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Dr. Zulu Esau

1. Rated voltage (𝑼𝑵 ): maximum operating voltage between

phases (expressed in kV) of the line on which the fuse is to
be installed. This voltage is for three phase application. If
the fuse is to be used in single phase setting, the TRV
𝑈
under short cct is 𝑇𝑅𝑉 = 𝑁 × 1.5
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2. Rated current (𝑰𝑵 ) : maximum current which, when it

flows through the fuse link, causes temperature rises that
do not exceed standardized values .The fuse assembly
must also be able to tolerate this current permanently
without sustaining any damage.
Fuse Rated 3. Minimum Breaking current (I3): limit value that must not
Characteristics be exceeded in order to ensure that a fuse will trip an
electrical circuit. In the event of an MV short-circuit, the
simple action of a fuse blowing will not cut off the
current. For values of current less than I3, the fuse blows,
but cannot break the current: the arc remains present
until the current is broken by means of external
intervention. Therefore, under no circumstances should a
fuse assembly be used in the zone between IN and I3. The
values of I3 are generally between 2 and 6 𝐼𝑁 .

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Dr. Zulu Esau

4. I2: This value of current, which is

determined on the basis of the fusing
characteristics of the fuse, results in a pre-arc
time of approximately 5 ms. It enables
testers and manufacturers to ensure that the
current will be broken within the current
range I3 to I1
5. Maximum Breaking Current (I1): maximum
Fuse Rated prospective fault current that the fuse is
Characteristics capable of breaking. This value is the
maximum value at which the fuse link has
been tested. It is therefore essential to
ensure that the line short-circuit current is at
least equal to current I1 of the selected fuse.
The value of current I1 is very high: between
20 kA and 50 kA and in some cases even
higher.

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 6. Limited cut-off current : this current, which is an
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essential additional parameter for the time/current

characteristic of current limiting fuses, enables the
value of the limited cut-off current Ip to be
determined as a function of the prospective
current for current values in the region of I1 where
the short-circuit current is limited

Fuse Rated
Characteristics

Fig.4.1: Current limiting fuse characteristics

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Dr. Zulu Esau

▪ The fuse can be combined with a

contactor to create a safety device that is
particularly effective for an MV motor.
▪ The specific types of stress that fuses for
Protection protecting motors must be able to
withstand are imposed by the motor
of Motors itself or by the specific features of the
using Fuses system on which the motor has been
installed.
▪ A specification for this type of use (IEC
60644) has been developed in addition
to the generic standard for MV current-
limiting fuses (IEC 60282–1)

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Motor Induced Stress
1. Starting current
The load characteristic for an MV motor is
illustrated in figure 4.3. This characteristic shows
that, when a motor is being powered up and
throughout the starting phase, its impedance is
such that it draws a current 𝐼𝑠 that is clearly
greater than the rated load current 𝐼𝑁 .
2. Overload
A motor is always protected by an interlock
circuit, which, in the event of an excessive
overload, will send an opening instruction to the
relevant breaking device. This means that the
fuse is never required to disconnect low currents
and the value of its current (I3) is of little
importance
3. Over-voltage
The maximum rated voltage of MV motors does
not usually exceed 11 kV. Therefore, only fuses
with ratings of 𝑈𝑁 < 12 𝑘𝑉 are affected Fig.4.3: Motor load characteristics

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 Determination of Fuse Rating for Motor
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Protection using Charts

▪ Chart I represents motor power rating and rated

voltage
𝐼
▪ Chart II is for the starting current given as ratio 𝐼 𝑠
𝑁
▪ Chart III is for fuse rating selection based on
starting time 𝑡𝑆

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 Transformer Protection
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Standard IEC 60787 deals specifically with fuses designed

for transformer protection.

This type of load imposes three major restrictions on the

fuse link:
• it must be able to withstand the voltage peak that occurs when the load
is switched on without blowing inappropriately,
• it must be able to withstand the continuous operation current and any
overloads,
• it must be able to cut off fault currents at the transformer output
terminals.

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Dr. Zulu Esau

▪ To select the fuse assembly, you

must know the rms value of the
inrush current and its duration.
▪ The rms value of the transient
state current is calculated using
the following equation:
Transformer
𝜏 2𝑡
Protection 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 = 0.125𝐼𝐶2
𝑎 −
1 − 𝑒 𝜏𝑎
𝑡
▪ The fuse TCC curve must be
above the inrush current curve

𝐼𝐶 : Peak current at start; 𝜏𝑎 : time constant for

current damping; 𝑡 : duration of inrush

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 ▪ A simple technique that has
Dr. Zulu Esau

been proven in practice and

takes into account these
stresses while preventing the
fuse from aging due to the
reappearance of such stresses
is to always check that the
current that causes the fuse to
blow in 0.1 s is always greater
than or equal to 12 times the
current 𝐼𝑁 of the transformer
Transformer ▪ In all cases, it must be ensured
protection that the current to be broken
is greater than or equal to I3. If
a protection relay has not
been provided on the MV side
for detecting short-circuits at
the output (LV side) of the
transformer being protected,
this function must be
performed by the fuse

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