High-Speed Fuses for Power Device Protection

Littelfuse, Inc. announces a new line of high-speed fuses for protection of power semiconductor devices used in industrial equipment. The POWR-SPEED™ line of fuses uses a special bridge design, quenching material and element designs to provide fast, extreme current limitation.

Manufacturing systems today use power semiconductor devices to control drives and optimize power utilization. These semiconductor components are sensitive to damage from overcurrent and therefore require protection with very fast-acting high-speed fuses. Without overcurrent protection, important power systems such as VFD controls, soft starters, ac drives, dc drives, and power converters would be at risk for failure and downtime.

According to Craig Greeson, Littelfuse Product Manager, “OEM design engineers and distributors have been asking Littelfuse to offer high-speed semiconductor fuses, because they want to buy from a name they trust. Littelfuse has been a trusted expert in power protection for 40 years.”

The POWR-SPEED™ fuse design dramatically reduces peak let-through current and let-through energy (I2t) to maximize protection of semiconductor devices. It accomplishes this with a number of design features, including ‘Arc-Barrier’ technology, a specially-designed polymer material for limiting and quenching arcs. It also features low watt loss values, which save energy wasted in the form of heat during nominal operation.

POWR-SPEED™ fuses are drop-in replacements for competitor’s fuses. Optimized for both performance and energy efficiency, they are easy for OEM engineers to specify. Technical data and application support are also readily available from Littelfuse, while design engineers looking for a customized fuse design are encouraged to contact the Littelfuse Application Support Team.

The initial launch includes a 700Vac/dc series and 500Vac/dc series in the traditional North American bolted style. Current ratings range from 35- to 800-A for both series. Interrupting ratings are 200kA ac and50kA dc (time constant: 10ms).

“Employers are concerned about the safety of their workers and the enormous liability costs associated with electrical safety accidents. We are constantly expanding our protection relay product portfolio to address this ever growing concern.”