What |s the D|fference 8etween a Iuse and a C|rcu|t 8reaker?

luses and clrculL breakers are Lwo dlfferenL ways of proLecLlng agalnsL suddenly large
overloads of elecLrlcal flow Large power overloads are dangerous poLenLlally
desLroylng elecLrlcal equlpmenL or causlng a flre 8oLh fuses and clrculL breakers wlll
auLomaLlcally block agalnsL an lncomlng surge of elecLrlcal power pasL a cerLaln safeLy
llmlL 8uL whlle Lhey boLh accompllsh Lhe same Lask each uses dlfferenL Lechnology ln
Lhe way LhaL lL sLops Lhe flow of elecLrlclLy
A fuses maln purpose ls Lo qulckly dlsconnecL a shorL clrculL from Lhe dlsLrlbuLlon
sysLem A breaker ls a Lwofold devlce lL Lrlps on a shorL clrculL by uLlllzlng a magneLlc
Lrlp devlce wlLhln Lhe breaker case and lL Lrlps on overload by Lrlpplng on a Lhermal
devlce ln Lhe breaker case



luses and clrculL breakers were lnvenLed Lo proLecL elecLrlcal lLems from belng
damaged by Laklng Loo much currenL (amps) someLhlng whlch ls also known as an over
currenL faulL condlLlon

Iuses
now a fuse works
When an overcurrenL faulL condlLlon occurs whlch ls Lhe same as saylng Lhe currenL geLs
blgger Lhan Lhe fuse can carry lLs lnLernal fuse wlre geLs so hoL LhaL lL melLs and breaks aparL
whlch cuLs off Lhe supply of currenL When LhaL happens Lhe fuse ls sald Lo have blown

AfLer whaLever caused Lhe overcurrenL faulL condlLlon ln Lhe clrculL has been repalred a blown
fuse musL elLher be replaced wlLh a new one or lf lL ls Lhe Lype of fuse whlch can be rewlred lL
musL be repalred uslng Lhe correcL slze of speclal fuse wlre

A new fuse should Lhen remaln ln place unblown unLll anoLher overcurrenL faulL condlLlon
occurs ln Lhe clrculL lL ls proLecLlng whlch would Lhen cause Lhe new fuse Lo blow

What are the advantages and d|sadvantages of fuses?
1o glve Lhe same overcurrenL proLecLlon fuses are generally cheaper Lo make and smaller ln
slze Lhan clrculL breakers

Powever an ordlnary fuse cannoL blow as qulckly as a clrculL breaker can Lrlp

ome equlpmenL may requlre speclal qulckblow fuses so LhaL damage can be prevenLed
when an overcurrenL faulL condlLlon occurs Culckblow fuses cosL much more Lo make Lhan
ordlnary fuses buL musL someLlmes be used where a clrculL breaker would be Loo expenslve
and/or Loo large ln slze

lurLher noLes abouL fuses
O ome fuses are rewlreable meanlng Lhey can be repalred lf Lhey blow 1hls musL only
be done uslng new fuse wlre of Lhe correcL slze lL ls dangerous Lo use fuse wlre whlch ls
Lhlcker Lhan Lhe slze marked on Lhe rewlreable fuses body
O Lher fuses known as oneLlme or carLrldge fuses cannoL be repalred when Lhey
blow lf LhaL happens Lhey musL be Lhrown away and replaced by a new fuse of Lhe
correcL slze

ome oneLlme fuses look llke small cyllnders wlLh a meLal cap aL each end oLhers look
llke a small cyllnder wlLh a meLal screwcap on one end llke a llghL bulb neLlme fuses
for vehlcles known as fusellnks have small bodles made of plasLlc and Lwo meLal
blades whlch push lnLo fuse sloLs ln Lhe vehlcles fuse box

lf a oneLlme fuse blows lL should only be replaced by a new one of Lhe correcL slze
(Amps) for Lhe clrculL 1he ones whlch screw ln have dlfferenL slzed screwcaps for each
slze of fuse wlLh maLchlng sockeLs Lo ensure LhaL only a fuse whlch ls Lhe correcL slze
can be screwed lnLo Lhe fuse holder lmllarly fusellnks have dlfferenL slzed meLal
blades and maLchlng sloLs Lo ensure LhaL a glven sloL can only accepL Lhe correcL slze of
fuse llnk



C|rcu|t breakers
now a c|rcu|t breaker works
When an overcurrenL faulL condlLlon occurs whlch ls Lhe same as saylng Lhe currenL geLs
blgger Lhan Lhe clrculL breaker was deslgned Lo carry lLs mechanlsm causes lLs swlLch conLacLs
Lo open whlch cuLs off Lhe supply of currenL When LhaL happens Lhe clrculL breaker ls sald Lo
Lrlp

When whaLever faulL condlLlon ln Lhe proLecLed clrculL has been repalred Lhe clrculL breaker
can be 8eseL by presslng a buLLon Lo close lLs swlLch conLacLs 1he conLacLs should Lhen
remaln closed unLll anoLher overcurrenL faulL condlLlon occurs ln Lhe clrculL lL ls proLecLlng
whlch would cause Lhe breaker Lo Lrlp agaln

What are the advantages and d|sadvantages of c|rcu|t breakers?
1o glve Lhe same overcurrenL proLecLlon clrculL breakers can be deslgned Lo Lrlp much fasLer
Lhan an ordlnary fuse buL Lhey are generally larger ln slze and cosL more Lo make

Powever clrculL breakers are reusable and can easlly be reseL afLer Lhey have Lrlpped
provlded of course LhaL Lhe faulL condlLlon ln Lhe proLecLed clrculL has been repalred

A fuse ls a proLecLlve devlce LhaL destruct|ve|y opens when Lhe currenL flow exceeds a preseL
value lL ls usually deslgned as a low value reslsLor LhaL heaLs up and melLs aL Lhe speclfled
currenL value nce Lhe fuse blows lL musL be replaced

A clrculL breaker ls a proLecLlve devlce Lhan nondestruct|ve|y opens when Lhe currenL flow
exceeds a preseL value lL ls usually deslgned as a Lrlpplng relay/swlLch LhaL can be reseL and
reclosed when Lhe faulL ls cleared

ln boLh cases Lhe deslgn can provlde for dlfferenL preseL values as a funcLlon of Llme lL
depends on wheLher Lhe lnLended load pulls a larger sLarLup currenL Lhan when lL runs such as
a moLor whlch can easlly pull four Llmes Lhelr run currenL when Lhey sLarLup 1he proLecLlve
devlce ls selecLed for Lhe speclflc Lype of load and for Lhe raLlng of Lhe conducLors supplylng lL

What |s the e|ectr|ca| arc?

A lumlnous dlscharge of currenL LhaL ls formed when a sLrong currenL [umps a gap ln a clrculL or
beLween Lwo elecLrodes
An elecLrlc currenL ofLen sLrong brlef and lumlnous ln whlch elecLrons [ump across a gap
LlecLrlc arcs across speclally deslgned elecLrodes can produce very hlgh heaLs and brlghL llghL
and are used for such purposes as weldlng and lllumlnaLlon ln spoLllghLs unwanLed arcs ln
elecLrlcal clrculLs can cause flres LlghLnlng ls a case of an elecLrlc arc beLween one cloud and
Lhe earLh or anoLher cloud as are sparks caused by dlscharges of sLaLlc elecLrlclLy

D
lndusLrlally elecLrlc arcs are used for weldlng plasma cuLLlng for elecLrlcal dlscharge
machlnlng as an arc lamp ln movle pro[ecLors and followspoLs ln sLage llghLlng LlecLrlc arc
furnaces are used Lo produce sLeel and oLher subsLances Calclum carblde ls made ln Lhls way as
lL requlres a large amounL of energy Lo promoLe an endoLhermlc reacLlon (aL LemperaLures of
2300 C)
Lowpressure elecLrlc arcs are used for llghLlng eg fluorescenL Lubes mercury and sodlum
sLreeL lamps and camera flash lamps
lormaLlon of an lnLense elecLrlc arc slmllar Lo a smallscale arc flash ls Lhe foundaLlon of
explodlngbrldgewlre deLonaLors
LlecLrlc arcs have been sLudled for elecLrlc propulslon of spacecraf