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INTRODUCTION
Current flow in a conductor always generates heat. Excess heat is damaging to electrical components. Overcurrent protection devices are used to protect conductors from excessive current flow. Thus protective devices are designed to keep the flow of current in a circuit at a safe level to prevent the circuit conductors from overheating.
A fuse is a one-time over-current protection device employing a fusible page link that melts (blows) after the current exceeds a certain level for a certain length of time. Typically, a wire or chemical compound breaks the circuit when the current exceeds the rated value. A fuse interrupts excessive current so that further damage by overheating or fire is prevented. Wiring regulations often define a maximum fuse current rating for particular circuits. Overcurrent protection devices are essential in electrical systems to limit threats to human life and property damage. Fuses are selected to allow passage of normal current and of excessive current only for short periods.
Polyfuse is a resettable fuse that doesn’t need to be replaced like the conventional fuse. Many manufacturers also call it PolySwitch or MultiFuse. Polyfuse are designed and made of PPTC material in thin chip form. It is placed in series to protect a circuit. Polyfuse provide over-current protection and automatic restoration.
Like traditional fuses, PPTC devices limit the flow of dangerously high current during fault condition. Unlike traditional fuses, PPTC devices reset after the fault is cleared and the power to the circuit is removed. Because a PPTC device does not usually have to be replaced after it trips and because it is small enough to be mounted directly into a motor or on a circuit board, it can be located inside electronic modules, junction boxes and power distribution centers.
OVERCURRENT PROTECTION
Polyfuse is a series element in a circuit. The PPTC device protects the circuit by going from a low-resistance to a high-resistance state in response to an overcurrent condition, as shown in Figure-1. This is referred to as "tripping" the device. In normal operation the device has a resistance that is much lower than the remainder of the circuit. In response to an overcurrent condition, the device increases in resistance (trips), reducing the current in the circuit to a value that can be safely carried by any of the circuit elements. This change is the result of a rapid increase in the temperature of the device, caused by I2R heating.PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Technically these are not fuses but Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient (PPTC) Thermistors. Polyfuse device operation is based on an overall energy balance. Under normal operating conditions, the heat generated by the device and the heat lost by the device to the environment are in balance at a relatively low temperature, as shown in Point 1of Figure-2. If the current through the device is increased while the ambient temperature is kept constant, the temperature of the device increases. Further increases in either current, ambient temperature or both will cause the device to reach a temperature where the resistance rapidly increases, as shown in Point 3 of Figure-2.
POLYFUSE
INTRODUCTION
Current flow in a conductor always generates heat. Excess heat is damaging to electrical components. Overcurrent protection devices are used to protect conductors from excessive current flow. Thus protective devices are designed to keep the flow of current in a circuit at a safe level to prevent the circuit conductors from overheating.
A fuse is a one-time over-current protection device employing a fusible page link that melts (blows) after the current exceeds a certain level for a certain length of time. Typically, a wire or chemical compound breaks the circuit when the current exceeds the rated value. A fuse interrupts excessive current so that further damage by overheating or fire is prevented. Wiring regulations often define a maximum fuse current rating for particular circuits. Overcurrent protection devices are essential in electrical systems to limit threats to human life and property damage. Fuses are selected to allow passage of normal current and of excessive current only for short periods.
Polyfuse is a resettable fuse that doesn’t need to be replaced like the conventional fuse. Many manufacturers also call it PolySwitch or MultiFuse. Polyfuse are designed and made of PPTC material in thin chip form. It is placed in series to protect a circuit. Polyfuse provide over-current protection and automatic restoration.
Like traditional fuses, PPTC devices limit the flow of dangerously high current during fault condition. Unlike traditional fuses, PPTC devices reset after the fault is cleared and the power to the circuit is removed. Because a PPTC device does not usually have to be replaced after it trips and because it is small enough to be mounted directly into a motor or on a circuit board, it can be located inside electronic modules, junction boxes and power distribution centers.
OVERCURRENT PROTECTION
Polyfuse is a series element in a circuit. The PPTC device protects the circuit by going from a low-resistance to a high-resistance state in response to an overcurrent condition, as shown in Figure-1. This is referred to as "tripping" the device. In normal operation the device has a resistance that is much lower than the remainder of the circuit. In response to an overcurrent condition, the device increases in resistance (trips), reducing the current in the circuit to a value that can be safely carried by any of the circuit elements. This change is the result of a rapid increase in the temperature of the device, caused by I2R heating.PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Technically these are not fuses but Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient (PPTC) Thermistors. Polyfuse device operation is based on an overall energy balance. Under normal operating conditions, the heat generated by the device and the heat lost by the device to the environment are in balance at a relatively low temperature, as shown in Point 1of Figure-2. If the current through the device is increased while the ambient temperature is kept constant, the temperature of the device increases. Further increases in either current, ambient temperature or both will cause the device to reach a temperature where the resistance rapidly increases, as shown in Point 3 of Figure-2.
