Electrical Fuse - The Working Principle

A 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 excessive current. A circuit breaker is
a specially designed switch that automatically opens to interrupt circuit current in the
event of an over current condition.
Symbols of Electrical Fuse
The major symbols of Electrical Fuse are listed below:

Diagram of Electrical Fuse

We can replace the fuse in an electric circuit using a new fuse with the same power
rating. A new fuse can be constructed using elements like copper, zinc, silver and
Aluminium., The parts of the electrical fuse diagram are the brass end cap, the
fusing element and the filling powder. The fuse end cap provides the electrical
connection between a fuse and an electric conductor. The fuse element is the part
that melts due to excessive current flow in the circuit. The fuse element is made up
of materials that have a low melting point and low ohmic losses like tin, lead, and
zinc.
Working Principle of Electrical Fuse
An electric fuse’s working principle is based on the heating effect of the current. In
normal conditions, the current passes through the fuse. The heat developed In the
fuse gets dissipated, and the temperature becomes below the melting point. The
thickness of the fuse wire varies depending on the amount of current flowing through
it. Electric fuse wire is made up of alloy of tin and lead. When an electric short circuit
occurs, the current passes through the fuse. Hence, the fuse melts and
breaks. Remember that in electrical wiring, fuse should be attached to the live wire.
An electrical fuse is a safety device designed to protect electrical circuits from
overcurrent and short circuits. It works on the principle of heating effect of electric
current.
How a Fuse Works:
o Current Flow & Normal Operation: The fuse consists of a thin metallic wire
or strip (commonly made of materials like copper, aluminum, or zinc) that
allows normal current to pass without interruption.
o Overcurrent Condition: When the current exceeds the fuse's rated capacity
due to short circuit, overload, or fault, excessive heat is generated in the fuse
wire.
o Melting of the Fuse Wire: As the temperature increases beyond the melting
point of the fuse material, the wire melts and breaks the circuit, stopping the
flow of electricity.
o Protection & Circuit Isolation: By breaking the circuit, the fuse prevents
damage to electrical appliances and wiring, reducing the risk of fire and
electrical hazards.
o Fuse Replacement: Once the fuse blows, it needs to be replaced with a new
fuse of the same rating to restore power safely.
Key Features of a Fuse:
o Current Rating: Specifies the maximum current the fuse can handle.
o Voltage Rating: Indicates the maximum voltage the fuse can operate at
safely.
o Response Time: Determines how quickly the fuse reacts to overcurrent.
o Melting Point: The fuse material is chosen based on its melting
characteristics for efficient circuit protection.
Functions of Electric Fuse
The function of an electric fuse is to protect electrical circuits and devices from
excessive current or short circuits. It is a safety device that acts as a sacrificial
element in the circuit. Some of its main functions are as follows.
o The electric fuse acts as a protective barrier between the electrical circuit and
the human body.
o It safeguards against device failure resulting from faulty circuit operation.
o The fuse prevents short circuits from occurring.
o It helps prevent overloads and blackouts.
o The fuse safeguards against damage caused by mismatched loads.
Types of Electrical Fuse
The fuse types are based on the characteristics like current rating, voltage rating,
breaking capacity, and response time. In addition, the fuse symbols are based on
standards like the IEC system, IEE, or ANSI system. The fuse has two main types
depending on the input voltages. They are the AC fuses and the DC fuses.

DC FUSE
CARTRIDGE FUSE AUTOMOTIVE RESETTABLE SEMI OVERVOLTAGE
FUSE FUSE CONDUCTOR SUPPRESSION
FUSE

AC FUSE
CARTRIDGE DROPOUT REWIREABLE SWITCH FUSE
FUSE FUSE FUSE
DC Fuse

The DC fuse breaks the circuit during excess current flowing through it. As a result, the arc extinction in the DC
circuit cannot be done as easily as in the AC circuit.

o DC fuses protect the battery modules and battery packs and offer reliable clearing of DC fault currents.

o AC and DC Fuses differ in the production processes.

o The working voltage of DC and AC Fuses are different. The currents of AC and DC Fuses differ, DC has a
larger range like 100A while AC fuse has a smaller range like 10 to 20A.

Types of DC Fuses

Following are the types of DC fuses used in commercial industries.

Cartridge fuses

o These types of fuse have encased fuse elements in a glass envelope with metal caps at the ends.

o Cartridge fuses protect appliances like motors, air-conditioners, refrigerators, and pumps.

Automotive fuses

o These fuses are for automotive systems which run up to 32V.

o Automotive fuses protect electrical wiring in cars and vehicles.

Resettable fuses or polyfuse

o These fuses are self-resetting and a large current flow causes heat and the organic polymer expands.

o Polyfuses are used in computer power supplies, aerospace devices, and phone chargers.

Semiconductor fuses

o The power dissipation from these fuses increases exponentially with current flow and the
semiconductors are used for ultrafast fuses.

o These fuses protect semiconductor switching devices like UPS, converters, and motor drives.

Overvoltage suppression fuses

o An overvoltage protection device along with the fuse protects both voltage and current spikes.

o These fuses protect valuable plants and equipment to avoid financial losses.

AC fuse

Alternating current is simple for the fuse to break since the AC source reverses the electron flow hundred times
in a second in a 50 Hz circuit. There is no chance of Arc between the melted wires. The size of the AC Fuses is
smaller than the size of the DC Fuses

Types of AC Fuses
AC fuses are classified into two types: low and high-voltage fuses.

Low voltage fuses

These fuses are very common and have a voltage rating less than or equal to 1500V. Some of the common low-
voltage fuses are rewirable, cartridge, drop-out, striker, and switch fuses.

Rewirable fuses

o These are primarily used in small current circuits. The fuse carrier is easily inserted and removed in the
base without opening the main switch.

o Rewirable fuses are used in industries and home electrical wiring for small current usage in low
voltage systems.

Enclosed or cartridge fuse

o The fuse is enclosed in a container with metal contacts on both sides. D type and link type are the
other types of cartridge fuses. The link type has two kinds: the knife blade type HRC link fuses and
bolted type HRC link fuses.

o The enclosed type fuses are used in small industries to protect the machines.

o Drop out fuses: The fuse’s melting leads to the drop out of the fuse element under gravity. This type
of fuse protects the outdoor transformers.

o Striker Fuse: This fuse has its application in closing the tripping or indicator circuits. They have
adequate force and displacement.

o Switch Fuse: This fuse is used for low and medium-voltage circuits. It can break safely based on the
rating currents of the order of three times the load current.

Surface Mount Fuses

Surface mount fuses solder onto printed circuit boards and integrated circuits. The fuses then protect PCB and
IC components such as semiconductors from shorts and overcurrent events. Batteries, handheld electronics,
LEDs, networking equipment, ac–dc power adapters, and servers rely on surface mount fuses.

CIRCUIT BREAKERS
A circuit breaker is an electrical safety device, a resettable switch, that automatically interrupts the flow of
electricity in a circuit when an overload or short circuit occurs, preventing damage to equipment and potential
hazards.

Difference between Fuse and Circuit Breaker

Fuses and circuit breakers are critical components of an electrical system. Both fuses and circuit breakers are
used to interrupt the excess electricity in a circuit. However, there are some key differences in the way they
function.

One of the fundamental differences between a fuse and a circuit breaker is that a fuse is a metal piece that
melts when excess current overloads the circuit. In contrast, a circuit breaker has an internal switch that gets
tripped when there is excess current in the circuit from an overload or short circuit.

Fuse vs Circuit Breakers

Fuse Circuit Breaker

Works on the thermal and electrical properties of the Works on the switching principle and
conducting materials electromagnetism

It doesn’t give any indication of overloads It gives an indication of overloads

Fuse can only be used once A circuit breaker can be used many numbers of times

Provides protection against power overloads Provides protection against power overloads and short
circuits

It detects and interrupts faulty circuit conditions It performs the interruption process only. Faults are
 detected by a relay system.

Low breaking capacity compared to the circuit breaker High breaking capacity

Automatic operation Can either be automatic or manually operated

Operating time of fuse is 0.002 seconds Operating time of the circuit breaker is 0.02 – 0.05
seconds

Low Cost High Cost

1. Conductors, semiconductors, and insulators

Materials can be divided into three categories according to their ability to conduct an electric current:

 Conductors: Materials that easily conduct electricity. This property of conductors that allow them to
conduct electricity is known as conductivity. (i.e., materials with high electrical conductivity and low
electrical resistivity) examples : Gold, Silver, Copper and aluminium etc

Semiconductors: Materials with an electrical conductivity value that falls between that of a conductor
and that of an insulatorExamples:

 Elemental Semiconductors: Silicon (Si) and Germanium (Ge) are the most common examples.

 Compound Semiconductors: Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Indium Phosphide (InP) are also used.

 Applications:

 Transistors: These are the building blocks of modern electronics, enabling amplification and
switching.

 Integrated Circuits (ICs): Also known as chips, these tiny devices contain millions of transistors and
other components, powering everything from smartphones to computers.

 Diodes: Semiconductor devices that allow current to flow in one direction, used in rectifiers and
light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

 Solar Cells: Convert sunlight into electricity.

 P-type and N-type semiconductors:

 P-type: Created by adding a trivalent impurity (like boron) to a pure semiconductor (like silicon),
resulting in a material with an excess of "holes" that behave as positive charge carriers.

 N-type: Created by adding a pentavalent impurity (like phosphorus) to a pure semiconductor,

resulting in a material with an excess of electrons that behave as negative charge carriers.
Insulators: Insulators are materials that do not allow current to flow through them. Some of the common
examples of Insulators are plastic, wood, rubber, and Ceramics. They are largely used to prevent the flow of
Electric current. The Major Area of application of Insulators is the cables and wires.