POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

LOPEZ, QUEZON BRANCH

College of Engineering
Electrical Engineering Department
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE)

Protective Devices: Characteristics,

Principle of Operation and
Applications
(Fuses, Breaker & Lightning
Arrester)
By
(Seth M. Lamina)
BSEE 3
 PROTECTIVE DEVICES

- It is a device used to protect

equipment, machinery, components
and devices, in electrical and
electronic circuit, against short
circuit, over current and earth
fault.
PROTECTIVE DEVICES

FUSES
 Electrical Fuses
CHARACTERISTICS
Current Rating:
A nominal current rating which a fuse can continuously
carry without overheating or melting. It is based on the
temperature rise of the fuse element and its environment.
It is recommended to operate the fuse at not more than
the 75% of the nominal current rating.

Voltage Rating:
The voltage rating of the fuse must be greater or equal
to that of the circuit voltage. It is because the fuse can
safely interrupt an abnormal current. It relates to the
ability of the fuse to function and extinguish arcs when it
opens.
 Electrical Fuses
CHARACTERISTICS
Breaking Capacity:
The breaking capacity is the maximum current that the
fuse can safely break at rated voltage. It is also known as
the interrupting rating or short circuit rating.

Ambient Temperature:
It is the temperature of the surrounding components
such as fuse element, fuse holders etc., where the fuse is
installed. The time-current characteristics of fuses are
affected by ambient temperature. Higher the ambient
temperature, the hotter the fuse will operate and it shorter
its life.
 Electrical Fuses
CHARACTERISTICS
Melting Integral I2t Rating:
It is the amount of energy required to melt the fuse
element to interrupt the current. It is the function of current
squared and time. It is expressed as ampere squared
seconds (A2 Sec).

Temperature Derating:
In order to prolong device life, a device is operated less
than its rated maximum power rating is called derating. It
is recommended that when a fuse is operated in an
ambient temperature for 25°C, the fuse current rating
should be derated.
 Electrical Fuses
CHARACTERISTICS
Fusing Current:
It is the minimum amount of current at which the fusing
element melts.

Normal Operating Current:

The current rating of a fuse is typically derated 25% for

operation at 25ºC to avoid nuisance blowing. For example,
a fuse with a current rating of 10A is not usually
recommended for operation at more than 7.5A in a 25ºC
temperature.
 Electrical Fuses
PRINCIPLE OF APPLICATION
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 a
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.
 Electrical Fuses
APPLICATIONS
Some of the applications of fuse for industrial
applications are:

• Used to protect transformers, motors and power

system from over-current conditions
• In feeders, power transformers, and solar circuits
• Electrical appliances and house distribution
boards use fuse for domestic purposes.
• Used in automotive cars, electric vehicles, racing
cars, rails
• Fuses are present in laptops, hard disk drives,
printers/scanners, and electronic devices.
• Used in gaming systems and smartphone
 PROTECTIVE DEVICES

BREAKERS
 Electrical Breakers
CHARACTERISTICS
The fundamental characteristics of a circuit-breaker
are:

• Its rated voltage Ue

• Its rated current In
• Its tripping-current-level adjustment ranges for
overload protection (Ir or Irth) and for short-circuit
protection (Im)
• Its short-circuit current breaking rating (Icu for
industrial CBs; Icn for domestic-type CBs).
 Electrical Breakers
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Internally, circuit breakers are basically made
up of pairs of metallic contacts, both fixed and
moving, in addition to an operating coil.

Under normal conditions – closed circuit –

these contacts are touching each other, allowing the
flow of electric current. These moving contacts are
held together thanks to mechanical pressure exerted
by another mechanism – a spring or compressed air,
for example.
 Electrical Breakers
APPLICATIONS
• It is used for the protection of plants,
electrical machines, transformers,
capacitors, and generators.
• An air circuit breaker is also used in the
Electricity sharing system and GND about
15Kv.
• Also used in Low as well as High Currents
and voltage applications.
 PROTECTIVE DEVICES

LIGHTNING
ARRESTER
 Lightning Arresters
CHARACTERISTICS
Main electrical characteristics of surge arresters
are:
• Resealing voltage (voltage across the arrester at
which the follow current is still definitely
interrupted after sparkover).
• Maximum continuous operating voltage (highest
power-frequency – 50 Hz or 60 Hz – voltage that
the arrester can withstand permanently).
• Rated short-circuit current
• Nominal discharge current, which common
values are 5 kA, 10 kA and 20 kA.
Surge arresters are connected between the life
conductors and the earth.
 Lightning Arresters
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Lightning arrestor working principle is, once
the voltage surge travels throughout the conductor
then it reaches the location of the arrestor where it
is installed. So it will break down the insulation of
the lightning arrestor for a moment, so voltage surge
can be discharged toward the ground. Once the
voltage of the system falls under the fixed value,
then the insulation will be restored among the
ground & conductor. Further, the current flow
toward the ground will be stopped.
 Lightning Arresters
APPLICATIONS
A Lightning Arrester, Surge arrester or Line
arrester is a device used on electrical power systems
and telecommunications systems to protect the
insulation and conductors of the system from the
damaging effects of lightning.
The typical Lightning Arrester has a high-
voltage terminal and a ground terminal. When a
lightning surge (or switching surge) travels along the
power line to the Arrester, the current from the surge
is diverted through the Arrestor, in most cases to the
earth.
 Electrical Fuses
REFERRENCES
SLIDE 2 : https://automationforum.co/electrical-
protective-device-types-of-protective-device/
SLIDE 4 – 7 :
https://www.codrey.com/electrical/electrical-
fuse/#:~:text=A%20fuse%20consists%20of%20a,be%2
0sand%20or%20other%20material.
SLIDE 8 : https://byjus.com/physics/working-
principle-of-an-electrical-fuse/
SLIDE 9 : https://www.codrey.com/electrical/types-of-
fuses-and-their-applications/
 Electrical Fuses
REFERRENCES
SLIDE 11 : https://www.electrical-
installation.org/enwiki/Fundamental_characteristics
_of_a_circuit-breaker

SLIDE 12 : https://chintglobal.com/blog/circuit-
breaker-working-principle-types-and-safety-tips/

SLIDE 13 : https://www.elprocus.com/types-of-circuit-
breakers-and-its-application/
 Electrical Fuses
REFERRENCES
SLIDE 15 :
https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2018/07/types-
characteristics-of-surge-arresters.html

SLIDE 16 : https://www.elprocus.com/what-is-
lightning-arrester-working-principle-and-its-types/

SLIDE 17 : https://carelabz.com/purpose-lightning-
arrester-testing-necessary/