200 A Industrial fuse. 80 kA breaking capacity.

IEC symbol

In electronics and electrical engineering a fuse, short for 'fusible link', is a type of overcurrent protection device. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows. When the metal strip melts, it opens the circuit of which it's a part, and so protects the circuit from excessive current. Download high resolution version (366x640, 47 KB)200A Industrial Fuse photo taken by me and hereby licensed as follows. ... Download high resolution version (366x640, 47 KB)200A Industrial Fuse photo taken by me and hereby licensed as follows. ... Image File history File links Fuse_symbol_Europe. ... Image File history File links Fuse_symbol_Europe. ... The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is an international standards organization dealing with electrical, electronic and related technologies. ... This article is about the engineering discipline. ... Electrical Engineers design power systems… … and complex electronic circuits. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

A practical fuse was one of the essential features of Edison's electrical power distribution system. An early fuse was said to have successfully protected an Edison installation from tampering by a rival gas-lighting concern. “Edison” redirects here. ... For delivered electrical power, see Electrical power industry. ...

Fuses (and other overcurrent devices) are an essential part of a power distribution system to prevent fire or damage. When too much current flows through a wire, it may overheat and be damaged, or even start a fire. Wiring regulations give the maximum rating of a fuse for protection of a particular circuit. Local authorities will incorporate national wiring regulations as part of law. Fuses are selected to allow passage of normal currents, but to quickly interrupt a short circuit or overload condition. For other uses, see Fire (disambiguation). ... For alternate meanings see Short circuit (disambiguation) A short circuit (sometimes known as simply a short) is a fault whereby electricity moves through a circuit in an unintended path, usually due to a connection forming where none was expected. ...

Fuse characteristics

The speed at which a fuse operates depends on how much current flows through it. Manufacturers of fuses plot a time-current characteristic curve, which shows the time required to melt the fuse and the time required to clear the circuit for any given level of overload current.

Where several fuses are connected in series at the various levels of a power distribution system, it is very desirable to clear only the fuse (or other overcurrent devices) electrically closest to the fault. This process is called "coordination" and may require the time-current characteristics of two fuses to be plotted on a common current basis. Fuses are then selected so that the minor, branch, fuse clears its circuit well before the supplying, major, fuse starts to melt. In this way only the faulty circuits are interrupted and minimal disturbance occurs to other circuits fed by the supplying fuse.

Where the fuses in a system are of similar types, simple rule-of-thumb ratios between ratings of the fuse closest to the load and the next fuse towards the source can be used.

Fuses are often characterized as "fast-blow", "slow-blow" or "time-delay", according to the time they take to respond to an overcurrent condition. The selection of the characteristic depends on what equipment is being protected. Semiconductor devices may need a fast or ultrafast fuse for protection since semiconductors may have little capacity to withstand even a momentary overload. Fuses applied on motor circuits may have a time-delay characteristic, since the surge of current required at motor start soon decreases and is harmless to wiring and the motor.

Interrupting rating

A fuse also has a rated interrupting capacity, also called breaking capacity, which is the maximum current the fuse can safely interrupt. Generally this should be higher than the maximum prospective short circuit current. Miniature fuses may have an interrupting rating only 10 times their rated current. Fuses for small low-voltage wiring systems are commonly rated to interrupt 10,000 amperes. Fuses for larger power systems must have higher interrupting ratings, with some low-voltage current-limiting "high rupturing capacity" (HRC) fuses rated for 300,000 amperes. Fuses for high-voltage equipment, up to 115,000 volts, are rated by the total apparent power (megavolt-amperes, MVA) of the fault level on the circuit. The breaking capacity gives the current that a fuse is able to interrupt without being destroyed or causing an electric arc. ... The maximum prospective short circuit current is the maximum electrical current which can flow in a particular electrical system under short circuit conditions. ... Usually hidden to the unaided eye, the 60Hz blinking of (non-incandescent) lighting powered by AC mains is revealed in this motion-blurred long exposure of city lights. ...

Voltage rating

As well as a current rating, fuses also carry a voltage rating indicating the maximum circuit voltage in which the fuse can be used. For example, glass tube fuses rated 32 volts should never be used in line-operated (mains-operated) equipment even if the fuse physically can fit the fuseholder. Fuses with ceramic cases have higher voltage ratings. Fuses carrying a 250 V rating may be safely used in a 125 V circuit, but the reverse is not true as the fuse may not be capable of safely interrupting the arc in a circuit of a higher voltage. Medium-voltage fuses rated for a few thousand volts are never used on low voltage circuits, due to their expense and because they cannot properly clear the circuit when operating at very low voltages. A 3000 volt electricity arc between two nails Electricity arcs between the power rail and electrical pickup shoe on a London Underground train An electric arc can melt calcium oxide An electric arc is an electrical breakdown of a gas which produces an ongoing plasma discharge, resulting from a current...

Fuse Markings

A sample of the many markings that can be found on a fuse.

Surface Mount Fuses on 8 mm tape. Each fuse measures 1.6 mm x 0.79 mm and has no markings.

Most fuses are marked on the body, or end caps to markings^[1] show their ratings. Surface mount technology "chip type" fuses feature little or no markings making identification very difficult. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Much equipment and tools have conformance marks stamped, inscribed, moulded, or printed on them to indicate that the tool or equipment in question meets the standards set by the body indicated by the mark or marks in question. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Much equipment and tools have conformance marks stamped, inscribed, moulded, or printed on them to indicate that the tool or equipment in question meets the standards set by the body indicated by the mark or marks in question. ... Surface-mount components on a keydrives circuit board Surface mount technology (SMT) is a method for constructing electronic circuits in which the components are mounted directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs). ...

When replacing a fuse, it is important to interpret these markings correctly as fuses that may look the same, could be designed for very different applications. Fuse markings will generally convey the following information;

• Ampere rating of the fuse
• Voltage rating of the fuse
• Time-current characteristic ie. element speed
• Approvals
• Manufacturer / Part Number / Series
• Breaking capacity

The breaking capacity gives the current that a fuse is able to interrupt without being destroyed or causing an electric arc. ...

Fuse approvals

The majority of fuse manufacturers^[2] build products that comply with a set of guidelines and standards, based upon the application of the fuse. These requirements are devised by many different Government agencies and certification authorities^[3]. Once a fuse has been tested and proven to meet the required standard, it may then carry the approval marking of the certifying agency.

Fuse terminologies

Rated Current I_N This is the maximum current that the fuse can continuously pass without interruption to the circuit, or harmful effects on its surroundings.

The I²t value This is a measure of the energy required to blow the fuse element and is an important characteristic of the fuse. It is an indication of the "let-through" energy passed by the fuse which downstream circuit elements must withstand before the fuse opens the circuuit.

Voltage Drop The values of the voltage drop across a fuse are usually given by the manufacturer. A fuse may become hot due to the energy dissipation in the fuse element at rated current conditions. The voltage drop should be taken into account particularly when using a fuse in low-voltage applications.

Breaking Capacity The breaking capacity is the maximum current that can safely be interrupted by the fuse. Some fuses are designated High Rupture Capacity (HRC) and are usually filled with sand or a similar material.

Voltage Rating The voltage rating of a fuse should always be greater than or equal to the circuit voltage. Low-voltage fuses can generally be used at any voltage up to their rating. Some medium-voltage and high-voltage fuses used in electric poewr distribution will not function properly at lower voltages.

Fuse Packages

Fuses come in a vast array of sizes & styles^[4] to cater for the immense number of applications in which they are used. While many are manufactured in standardised package layouts to make them easily interchangeable, a large number of new styles are released into the marketplace every year. Fuse bodies may be made of ceramic,glass, plastic, fiberglass or molded compressed fibre depending on application and voltage class. Fixed Partial Denture, or Bridge The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός (keramikos). ... This article is about the material. ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... Bundle of fiberglass Fiberglass (also called fibreglass and glass fibre) is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ...

Cartridge (ferrule) fuses have a cylindrical body terminated with metal end caps. Some cartridge fuses are manufactured with end caps of different sizes to prevent accidental insertion of the wrong fuse rating in a holder. An example of such a fuse range is the 'bottle fuse', which in appearance resembles the shape of a bottle.

Fuses designed for soldering to a printed circuit board have radial or axial wire leads. Surface mount fuses have solder pads instead of leads. (De)soldering a contact from a wire. ... Part of a 1983 Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer board. ... Surface-mount components on a flash drives circuit board Surface mount technology (SMT) is a method for constructing electronic circuits in which the components (SMC, or Surface Mounted Components) are mounted directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs). ...

Fuses used in circuits rated 200-600 volts and between about 10 and several thouand amperes, as used for industrial applications such as protection of electric motors, commonly have metal blades located on each end of the fuse. Fuses may be held by a spring loaded clip or the blades may be held by screws. Blade type fuses often require the use of a special purpose extractor tool to remove them from the fuse holder.

Glass vs. Ceramic Construction

While glass fuses have the advantage of a visible fuse element for inspection purposes, they have a low breaking capacity which generally restricts them to applications of 15 A or less at 250 VAC. Ceramic fuses have the advantage of a higher breaking capacity facilitating their use in higher voltage/ampere circuits. Filling a fuse body with sand provides additional protection against arcing in an overcurrent situation. The breaking capacity gives the current that a fuse is able to interrupt without being destroyed or causing an electric arc. ... For other uses, see Sand (disambiguation). ... An electric arc can melt calcium oxide. ...

Measurements

Cartridge fuses^[5] are generally measured as the overall length and diameter of the fuse. Due to the large variety of cartridge fuses available, fuse identification relies on accurate measurements as fuses can differ by only a few millimeters between types. 'Bottle style' cartridge fuses also require the measurement of the cap diameter as this varies between ampere ratings. A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter), symbol mm is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ...

Other fuse packages can require a variety of measurements such as;

• body (width x height x depth)
• blade or tag (width x height x depth)
• overall length of the fuse (when the fuse features blades or tags)
• overall width of the fuse (when the fuse features 2 bodies)
• width of the mounting holes (when the fuse features tags)
• distance between blades (when radially configured)
• fixing centre^[6] (when the fuse features tags - see below)

Fuses fitted with tags require the fixing centre measurement. This measurement is the distance between the tag mounting holes on either end of the fuse as measured from the centre of each mounting hole.

Special Features

Glass cartridge and plug fuses allow direct inspection of the fusible element. Other fuses have other indication methods including:

• Indicating pin or striker pin: extends out of the fuse cap when the element is blown.
• Indicating disc: a coloured disc (flush mounted in the end cap of the fuse) falls out when the element is blown.
• Element window: a small window built into the fuse body to provide visual indication of a blown element.
• Flag: an external sprung arm that is released to an extended position once the element is blown.
• External trip indicator: similar function to striker pin, but can be externally attached (using clips) to a compatible fuse.
• Some fuses allow a special purpose microswitch^[7] or relay unit to be fixed to the fuse body. When the fuse element blows, the indicating pin extends to activate the micro switch or relay which in turn triggers an event.

A micro switch is a generic term used to refer to an electric switch that is designed to be actuated by the physical motion of mechanical devices and is generally packaged in a small form factor to allow placement in small spaces. ...

Automotive fuses

Plug-in type fuses come in three physical sizes: mini, ATO and maxi

A circuit breaker replacement for mid-sized plug-in fuses

Bosch type fuse (used in older cars)

Automotive fuses protect the wiring and electrical equipment for vehicles. They are generally rated for circuits no higher than 24 volts direct current. Image File history File links Electrical_fuses,_plug-in_type,_different_sizes. ... Image File history File links Electrical_fuses,_plug-in_type,_different_sizes. ... Image File history File links Circuit_breaker,_replacement_for_midi-sized_plug-in_type_fuses. ... Image File history File links Circuit_breaker,_replacement_for_midi-sized_plug-in_type_fuses. ... Image File history File links Electrical_fuse,_Bosch_type. ... Image File history File links Electrical_fuse,_Bosch_type. ...

Blade type

Plug-in fuses (also called blade or spade fuses), with a plastic body and two prongs that fit into sockets, are used in automobiles. These types of fuses come in three different physical dimensions: mini (or minifuse), ATO® (or ATC) and maxi (or maxifuse).
The physical dimensions, including the connector, of the fuses are as follows (LxWxH) (ampere ratings in the parenthesis): “Car” and “Cars” redirect here. ...

• mini: 10.9x3.6x16.3 mm (2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 7.5A, 10A, 15A, 20A, 25A, 30A)
• ATO: 19.1x5.1x18.5 mm (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 7.5A, 10A, 15A, 20A, 25A, 30A, 40A)
• maxi: 29.2x8.5x34.3 mm (20A, 30A, 40A, 50A, 60A, 70A, 80A)

It is possible to replace^[8] an ATO-type plug-in fuse with a circuit breaker that has been designed to fit in the socket of a ATO-sized fuse holder. These circuit protectors are more expensive than a regular fuse. A 2 pole miniature circuit breaker A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. ...

Colour-coding

Blade fuses use a colour-coding standard. ^[9] The Mini and ATO style fuses use the same colour-coding system, while the larger maxi fuses use a different system, with only some colours representing the same current ratings.

Mini and ATO Colour-coding:

Maxi Colour-coding:

Bosch type

Bosch type fuses are used in old (often European) automobiles. The physical dimension of this type of fuse is 6x25 mm with conical ends. Bosch type fuses usually use the same color coding for the rated current. The DIN standard is 72581/1 DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e. ...

High voltage fuses

Fuses are used on power systems up to 115,000 volts AC. High-voltage fuses are used to protect instrument transformers used for electricity metering, or for small power transformers where the expense of a circuit breaker is not warranted. For example, in distribution systems, a power fuse may be used to protect a transformer serving 1-3 houses. A circuit breaker at 115 kV may cost up to five times as much as a set of power fuses, so the resulting saving can be tens of thousands of dollars. Pole-mounted distribution transformers are nearly always protected by a fusible cutout, which can have the fuse element replaced using live-line maintenance tools. Cutout (left) attached to a feeder line (connection at the right not shown). ... For other uses, see Transformer (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Transformer (disambiguation). ... A 2 pole miniature circuit breaker A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. ...

Large power fuses use fusible elements made of silver, copper or tin to provide stable and predictable performance. High voltage expulsion fuses surround the fusible link with gas-evolving substances, such as boric acid. When the fuse blows, heat from the arc causes the boric acid to evolve large volumes of gases. The associated high pressure (often greater than 100 atmospheres) and cooling gases rapidly extinguish (quench) the resulting arc. The hot gases are then explosively expelled out of the end(s) of the fuse. Other special High Rupturing Capacity (HRC) fuses surround one or more parallel connected fusible links with an energy absorbing material, typically silicon dioxide sand. When the fusible link blows, the sand absorbs energy from the arc, rapidly quenching it, creating an artificial fulgurite in the process. This article is about the chemical element. ... Copper has played a significant part in the history of mankind, which has used the easily accessible uncompounded metal for nearly 10,000 years. ... This article is about the metallic chemical element. ... Flash point Non-flammable. ... A quench refers to a rapid cooling. ... R-phrases R42 R43 R49 S-phrases S22 S36 S37 S45 S53 Flash point non-flammable Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... fulgurite Fulgurites (from the Latin fulgur meaning thunderbolt) are natural hollow carrot-shaped glass tubes formed in quartzose sand or soil by lightning strikes. ...

Fuses compared with circuit breakers

Fuses have the advantages of often being less costly and simpler than a circuit breaker for similar ratings. The blown fuse must be replaced with a new device which is less convenient than simply resetting a breaker and therefore likely to discourage people from ignoring faults. On the other hand replacing a fuse without isolating the circuit first (most building wiring designs do not provide individual isolation switches for each fuse) can be dangerous in itself, particularly if the fault is a short circuit.

High rupturing capacity fuses can be rated to safely interrupt up to 300,000 amperes at 600 V AC. Special current-limiting fuses are applied ahead of some molded-case breakers to protect the breakers in low-voltage power circuits with high short-circuit levels.

"Current-limiting" fuses operate so quickly that they limit the total "let-through" energy that passes into the circuit, helping to protect downstream equipment from damage. These fuses clear the fault in less than one cycle of the AC power frequency. Circuit breakers cannot offer similar rapid protection.

Circuit breakers which have interrupted a severe fault should be removed from service and inspected and replaced if damaged.

Circuit Breakers must be maintained on a regular basis to ensure their mechanical operation during an interruption. This is not the case with fuses, in which no mechanical operation is required for the fuse to operate under fault conditions.

In a multi-phase power circuit, if only one fuse opens, the remaining phases will have higher than normal currents, and unbalanced voltages, with possible damage to motors. Fuses only sense overcurrent, or to a degree, over-temperature, and cannot usually be used independently with protective relaying to provide more advanced protective functions, for example, ground fault detection. Automotive style miniature relay A relay is an electrical switch that opens and closes under the control of another electrical circuit. ...

Some manufacturers of medium-voltage distribution fuses combine the overcurrent protection characteristics of the fusible element with the flexibility of relay protection by adding a pyrotechnic device to the fuse operated by external protection relays. The word pyrotechnic (literally meaning fire technology) refers to any chemical explosive device, but especially fireworks. ... Automotive style miniature relay A relay is an electrical switch that opens and closes under the control of another electrical circuit. ...

Fuse boxes

Fuse box

Old electrical consumer units (also called fuse boxes) were fitted with fuse wire that could be replaced from a supply of spare wire that was wound on a piece of cardboard. Modern consumer units contain magnetic circuit breakers instead of fuses. Cartridge fuses were also used in consumer units and sometimes still are, as miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) are rather prone to nuisance tripping. Fuse Box taken by C Ford, 29 June 2004. ... Fuse Box taken by C Ford, 29 June 2004. ... Wylex standard consumer unit fitted with rewirable fuses Modern Hager consumer unit fitted with MCBs and an RCD A consumer unit is a box of fuses or breakers, usually arranged in a single row. ... A circuit breaker is a piece of equipment which is designed to protect an electrical apparatus from damage caused by overload or short circuit. ... A 2 pole miniature circuit breaker A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. ...

In North America, fuse wire was never used in this way, although so-called "renewable" fuses were made that allowed replacement of the fuse link. It was impossible to prevent putting a higher-rated or double links into the holder ("overfusing") and so this type must be replaced.

The box pictured is a "Wylex standard". This type was very popular in the United Kingdom up until recently when the wiring regulations started demanding Residual-Current Devices (RCDs) for sockets that could feasibly supply equipment outside the equipotential zone. The design does not allow for fitting of RCDs (there were a few wylex standard models made with an RCD instead of the main switch but that isn't generally considered acceptable nowadays either because it means you lose lighting in the event of almost any fault) or residual-current circuit breakers with overload (RCBOs) (an RCBO is the combination of an RCD and an MCB in a single unit). The one pictured is fitted with rewirable fuses but they can also be fitted with cartridge fuses and MCBs. There are two styles of fuse base that can be screwed into these units—one designed for the rewirable fusewire carriers and one designed for cartridge fuse carriers. Over the years MCBs have been made for both styles of base. With both styles of base higher rated carriers had wider pins so a carrier couldn't be changed for a higher rated one without also changing the base. Of course with rewirable carriers a user could just fit fatter fusewire or even a totally different type of wire object (hairpins, paper clips, nails etc.) to the existing carrier. A residual current device (RCD) A residual current device (RCD), or residual current circuit breaker (RCCB), is an electrical wiring device that disconnects a circuit whenever it detects that the flow of current is not balanced between the phase (hot) conductor and the neutral conductor. ... A residual current device (RCD) A residual current device (RCD), or residual current circuit breaker (RCCB), is an electrical wiring device that disconnects a circuit whenever it detects that the flow of current is not balanced between the phase (hot) conductor and the neutral conductor. ...

In North America, fuse boxes were also often used, especially in homes wired before about 1950. Fuses for these panels were screw-in "plug" type (not to be confused with what the British call plug fuses), in screw-thread holders similar to Edison-base incandescent lamps, with ratings of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 amperes. To prevent installation of fuses with too high a current rating for the circuit, later fuse boxes included rejection features in the fuseholder socket. Some installations have resettable miniature thermal circuit breakers which screw into the fuse socket. One form of abuse of the fuse box was to put a penny in the socket, which defeated the overcurrent protection function and resulted in a dangerous condition. Plug fuses are no longer used for branch circuit protection in new residential or industrial construction. A 2 pole miniature circuit breaker A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. ... For the NBA basketball player with the nickname see Penny Hardaway A variety of low value coins, including an Irish 2p piece and many U.S. pennies. ...

British plug fuse

20 mm 200 mA glass cartridge fuse used inside equipment and 1 inch 13 A ceramic British plug fuse.

The BS 1363 13 A plug has a BS 1362 cartridge fuse inside. This allows the use of 30 A/32 A (30 A was the original size; 32 A is the closest European harmonised size) socket circuits safely. In order to keep cable sizes manageable these are usually wired in ring mains. It also provides better protection for small appliances with thin flex as a variety of fuse ratings (1 A, 2 A, 3 A, 5 A, 7 A, 10 A 13 A with 3, 5 and 13 being the most common) are available and a suitable fuse should be fitted to allow the normal operating current while protecting the appliance and its cord as well as possible. With some loads it is normal to use a slightly higher rated fuse than the normal operating current. For example on 500 W halogen floodlights it is normal to use a 5 A fuse even though a 3 A would carry the normal operating current. This is because halogen lights draw a significant surge of current at switch on as their cold resistance is far lower than their resistance at operating temperature. photo of electrical fuses - taken and uploaded by me (--Ali@gwc. ... BS1363 type electrical socket. ... BS 1363 (British Standard) is the standard that defines what is colloquially called the 13 amp plug, which is the most common type of mains power plug in the British Isles. ... A ring circuit (more formally a ring final circuit; informally a ring main or just a ring) is an electrical wiring technique that provides two paths for the live, neutral and earth lines by wiring a ring of cable, or sometimes three separate cores in conduit. ...

In most other wiring practices the wires in a flexible cord are considered to be protected by the branch circuit overcurrent device, usually rated at around 15 amperes, so a plug-mounted fuse is not used. Small electronic apparatus often includes a fuseholder on or in the equipment, to protect internal components only.

Other fuse types

So-called "self-resetting" fuses use a thermoplastic conductive element known as a Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient (or PPTC) thermistor that impedes the circuit during an overcurrent condition (through increasing the device resistance). The PPTC thermistor is self-resetting in that when the overcurrent condition is removed, the device will revert back to low resistance, allowing the circuit to operate normally again. These devices are often used in aerospace/nuclear applications where replacement is difficult. A polymeric positive temperature coefficient device (PPTC) is a passive electronic component. ... NTC thermistor, bead type, insulated wires Thermistor symbol A thermistor is a type of resistor used to measure temperature changes, relying on the change in its resistance with changing temperature. ...

A "thermal fuse" is often found in consumer equipment such as coffee makers or hair dryers. They contain a fusible, temperature-sensitive alloy which holds a spring contact mechanism normally closed. When the surrounding temperature gets too high, the alloy melts and allows the spring contact mechanism to break the circuit. The device can be used to prevent a fire in a hair dryer for example, by cutting off the power supply to the heater elements when the air flow is interrupted (e.g. the blower motor stops or the air intake becomes accidentally blocked). Thermal fuses are a 'one shot', non-resettable device which must be replaced once they have been activated. The coffee maker is a small kitchen appliance used to make drip brew-style coffee without having to boil water. ... Categories: Stub | Hairdressing ...

See also

• Electronic Components
• Antifuses are devices which are electrically open until a large voltage "blows" them shorted.
• Earth leakage circuit breakers are somewhat related.
• Semiconductor fuses are very fast types of electrical fuses.
• Circuit breakers are an alternative to fuses for overcurrent and other protection
• Fuse for the other meanings of the word.
• Fuze (disambiguation) variant spelling, not usually applied to the electrical device

Objects used in tandem with electricity. ... Whereas a fuse is a device that is designed to permanently break an electrically conductive path (typically when the current through the path exceeds a specified limit) an antifuse is designed to permanently create a conductive path. ... An earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) is a device with two earth terminals used to directly detect currents leaking to earth from an installation and cut the power. ... Semiconductor fuses are used to protect against over-current conditions in semiconductors devices. ... A 2 pole miniature circuit breaker A circuit breaker is an automatically-operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. ... Look up fuse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up fuze in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Electric fuse

• [1] Littelfuse Electronics Designer guide. PDF has good information on fuse facts, fuse selection and fuse standards. Includes information on circuit protection, surface mount fuses, axial lead & cartridge fuses, blade terminal & special mount fuses, fuseholders, fuse blocks & clips and military fuses and fuseholders.

• [2] for the Bussmann manual of fuse selection. Heavily oriented to United States NEC but has a good explanation of the principles of fuse selection.

• [3] The Swe-Check Fuse Bible is a great resource for fuse information. Within the 160 page PDF you can find fuses & holders designed for electronic, automotive, semicondutor, industrial & high voltage applications. Each product contains detailed electrical information & dimension diagrams. If you don't want to download the whole file, each individual page can be referenced through other areas of the site.

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The National Electric Code Handbook, 2005 edition The National Electrical Code (NEC), or NFPA 70, is a standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.thefusewarehouse.com/frames/product_markings_index.html
2. ^ http://www.thefusewarehouse.com/frames/product_manufacturers_index.html
3. ^ http://www.thefusewarehouse.com/frames/product_approvals_index.html
4. ^ http://www.thefusewarehouse.com/frames/product_styles_index.html
5. ^ http://www.thefusewarehouse.com/frames/product_sizeguide_index.html
6. ^ http://www.thefusewarehouse.com/frames/product_sizeguide_index.html
7. ^ http://www.thefusewarehouse.com/frames/overview_accessories_index.html
8. ^ http://www.elfa.se/en/
9. ^ http://www.carcare.org/Electrical/fuses_breakers.shtml