All you should know about Cartridge Ceramic Fuse
What is the function of the cartridge ceramic fuse?
They are used as safety devices, designed to protect electrical equipment from overloads and short circuits.
There is a metal strip inside the fuse that is connected to the two metal ends of the fuse body. Under a short or fault anywhere in the circuit, or the circuit is overloaded, the metal strip or connection heats up and melts rapidly, breaking the circuit and cutting off the power to prevent damage. When a fuse blows, the circuit is broken.
What’s the cartridge ceramic fuse installation method?
The size of this type of fuse is compact, making it easy to install. There are various installation methods available for your preference, including ferrule, axial bolt, surface mount, and flush bolt-on.
You can choose the most suitable installation method based on the requirements of your electrical system.
Ferrule
Surface Mount
Axial Bolt-on-1
Axial Bolt-on-2
Flush Bolt-on
What factors should consider when choosing the right cartridge ceramic fuse?
The selection of fuses depends on many factors, including current, voltage, breaking capacity, installation size requirements, etc. Here are some suggestions to help you choose the right fuse for your specific application.
1. Fuse Current and Voltage Rating
Fuse current and voltage rating is a crucial adjective, once you determine them, you are on the right track. However, when at room temperature, you need to consider temperature derating at 25%.
It means if your circuit is 10 amp, you need to use 12.5 amp at 25˚C. The fuse rated voltage can be higher than the circuit voltage, but not lower.
2. Breaking Capacity
Breaking capacity is the ability of a fuse to safely interrupt a circuit in the event of a fault. Make sure the breaking capacity of the selected fuse meets or exceeds the requirements for transient overcurrents that may occur in the circuit.
3. Correct Mounting Dimensions
Correct mounting dimensions ensure that the fuse functions effectively in the circuit and can fit within given space and layout constraints.
Make sure the fuse you choose is the right size for the space available in your electrical system, including length, diameter, etc.
What’s the difference between aR, gR, gG, and gPV?
They are all IEC international standards that represent different types of fuses, which relate to the way they work.
aR
aR class type fuse usually provides partial protection for semiconductors. It could only supply short circuit protection.
gR
gR fuse can provide full range protection with both short circuit and overload protection for semiconductors.
gG
gG is a general purpose fuse for short circuit and overload protection, suitable for general industrial and commercial electrical systems, providing a full range of cables and wires protection. Their acting speed is no faster than other fuses.
gPV
gPV stands for a fuse for photovoltaic (PV) systems that are specially designed to meet the requirements of solar systems, including protection of direct current. It is mainly used in solar photovoltaic systems to protect photovoltaic modules and related electrical equipment.
How to distinguish the breaking capacity and interrupting rating?
Breaking capacity and interrupting rating are somewhat similar, and are often used interchangeably.
Breaking capacity refers to the maximum current that a fuse must be able to safely break the circuit in the event of a short circuit without damaging the circuit and the surrounding environment.
The interrupting rating is the maximum available current at a rated voltage that the fuse can safely open without rupture under standard test conditions.
The interrupting rating of the fuse must be greater than or equal to the short-circuit current available in the circuit.
Why does my cartridge ceramic fuse keep blowing?
First, unplug all from the circuit. If it works, either there’s something wrong with one of the things you unplugged, or there’s too much plugged into the circuit.
If your fuse still keeps blowing after you replace into a new one and unplugging everything, the problem might be on somewhere of your circuit itself, you could call an electrician to carefully check your circuit and fix the faulty circuit.
