Safety Fuse
In electronics and electrical engineering, a fuse is a type of low resistance resistor that acts as a sacrificial device to provide over-current protection, of either the load or source circuit.
Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows through it, interrupting the circuit that it connects. Short circuits, overloading, mismatched loads, or device failure are the prime reasons for excessive current.
Fuses can be used as alternatives to circuit breakers.
To understand the working principle behind a fuse, two other things should be known to you
`text(1. Current flows in a loop)`
`text(2. Heating effect of current)`
Electric current can flow through a conductor only when the circuit formed is complete. If there is a break in the loop, electric charges cannot flow through. This is also how switches operate. For example, when you put on the light switches at home, the lights come on because you have actually just completed the circuit which allows the charges from the power source to power your lights.
When current passes through a conductor, the different electrical components of the circuit like the devices attached or even the wire itself, offer resistance to the current flow. The work done to overcome this resistance presents itself in the form of heat. This is a simple explanation of the heating effect of current.
`text(Working Principle of Electrical Fuse :)`
The primary use of an electric fuse is to protect electrical equipment from excessive current and to prevent short circuits or mismatched loads.
Electrical fuses play the role of miniature circuit breakers. Apart from protecting equipment, they are also used as a safety measure to prevent any safety hazards to humans.
The fuse wire in an electrical fuse is selected in such a way that it does not face any damage when the normally stipulated amount of current flows through the circuit. Under normal conditions, the fuse wire is part of the circuitry contributing to a complete loop for charges to flow through it.
However, when an excessive amount of current flows through the fuse wire, the heating effect of current causes the fuse wire to melt. This is because the fuse wire is chosen such that it has a low melting point. This causes the loop to break thereby stopping the flow of charges in the circuit.
It is important to select a fuse that is properly specified for the circuit in consideration. For example, if the fuse that is used is underrated, then it will fail even under normal current conditions, unnecessarily breaking the circuit loop. If it is overrated, then it will not break the circuit when required and cause equipment damage and failure and may even present itself as a safety hazard.
Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows through it, interrupting the circuit that it connects. Short circuits, overloading, mismatched loads, or device failure are the prime reasons for excessive current.
Fuses can be used as alternatives to circuit breakers.
To understand the working principle behind a fuse, two other things should be known to you
`text(1. Current flows in a loop)`
`text(2. Heating effect of current)`
Electric current can flow through a conductor only when the circuit formed is complete. If there is a break in the loop, electric charges cannot flow through. This is also how switches operate. For example, when you put on the light switches at home, the lights come on because you have actually just completed the circuit which allows the charges from the power source to power your lights.
When current passes through a conductor, the different electrical components of the circuit like the devices attached or even the wire itself, offer resistance to the current flow. The work done to overcome this resistance presents itself in the form of heat. This is a simple explanation of the heating effect of current.
`text(Working Principle of Electrical Fuse :)`
The primary use of an electric fuse is to protect electrical equipment from excessive current and to prevent short circuits or mismatched loads.
Electrical fuses play the role of miniature circuit breakers. Apart from protecting equipment, they are also used as a safety measure to prevent any safety hazards to humans.
The fuse wire in an electrical fuse is selected in such a way that it does not face any damage when the normally stipulated amount of current flows through the circuit. Under normal conditions, the fuse wire is part of the circuitry contributing to a complete loop for charges to flow through it.
However, when an excessive amount of current flows through the fuse wire, the heating effect of current causes the fuse wire to melt. This is because the fuse wire is chosen such that it has a low melting point. This causes the loop to break thereby stopping the flow of charges in the circuit.
It is important to select a fuse that is properly specified for the circuit in consideration. For example, if the fuse that is used is underrated, then it will fail even under normal current conditions, unnecessarily breaking the circuit loop. If it is overrated, then it will not break the circuit when required and cause equipment damage and failure and may even present itself as a safety hazard.