HRC Fuse Link- Its Types and Advantages

A fuse is a current interrupting device that is typically used to protect the appliance as well as humans against currents and shocks. Used for short circuit protection in medium voltage (up to 33KV) and low voltage (up to 440 V) appliances, High Rupture Capacity (HRC) fuse links contain a fuse wire in it, which carries the short circuit current safely for a given period of time.

Usually, the standard material used in making HRC fuse link is glass. Its external enclosure is made sufficiently airtight to avoid the effect of atmosphere on the fuse materials. Several electrical brands offer a plethora of HRC fuses. Some of them are:

1.       NH Fuse:  NH fuse helps in providing overload and short-circuit protection for low and medium voltage. Light weighted with compact dimensions; it also furnishes backup protection to motor starters and other equipment against short circuits and overloads.

2.       Din Type HRC Fuse:  Available in wide range of rated currents, DIN fuses are used for different purposes at different temperature conditions, such as transformer protection or backup protection in both hot and cold temperature. They are used in air or gas insulated switchgear, mining, transformers and feeder sectionalizing.

3.       Blade Type HRC Fuse: Also known as a spade or plug-in fuses, Blade type fuses come in plastic bodies with two metal caps to fit in the socket. Mostly used in automobiles for wiring and short circuit protection, Blade type fuses are light weighted and contain low cut off current. Available in a plethora of size and shape, they are also used for short circuit and backup protection of motors.

Advantages of HRC Fuse Link:

·         It unblocks high as well as low fault currents.
·         It has high –speed operation and does not deteriorate with time.
·         It requires no maintenance except periodic tightening of connection.
·         It is inexpensive in comparison to other circuit interrupting devices featuring exactly the same             rating.
·         Simple and easy to install.
·         The fusing operation is fast without noise and smoke, permitting a consistent performance.
·         It provides stability in industrial power distribution and semiconductor protection.

To conclude, HRC fuse link offers several advantages over other type of fuses and supports extremely high backup protection to the circuit breaker with great breaking capacity.