Compact high voltage power fuse and methods of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11075047-B2
Application number	US-201414321038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2014
Priority date	May 28, 2014
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A high voltage power fuse having a dramatically reduced size facilitated by silicated filler material, a formed fuse element geometry, arc barrier materials and single piece terminal fabrications. Methods of manufacture are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compact, full-range power fuse comprising:
a housing;
first and second terminal fabrications coupled to the housing, each of the first and second terminal fabrications comprising an end plate and a terminal;
a combination of a short circuit fuse element and an overload fuse element distinct from the short circuit fuse element, each of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element respectively extending entirely internally in the housing and completing respective first and second circuit paths extending in electrical parallel between the first and second terminal fabrications and producing a current limiting effect protecting circuitry in an operating electrical power system generating an unpredictable series of positive and negative current pulses of varying magnitude;
the short circuit fuse element being specifically responsive to melt in a high current or short circuit fault condition in the operating electrical power system that initially will not affect the overload fuse element, the short circuit fuse element including a first end mechanically and electrically connected directly to the first terminal fabrication and a second end mechanically and electrically connected directly to the second terminal fabrication to establish the first circuit path;
the overload fuse element being specifically responsive to melt in a low overcurrent or overload fault current condition in the operating electrical power system that initially will not affect the short circuit fuse element, wherein the overload fuse element includes a first end mechanically and electrically connected directly to the first terminal fabrication and a second end mechanically and electrically connected directly to the second terminal fabrication to establish the second circuit path;
wherein only a portion of the overload fuse element is provided with an M-effect treatment; and
wherein a combined opening of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element provides a full-range time-current limiting operation to the protected circuitry in the operating electrical power system in response to both of the low overcurrent fault condition and the high current fault condition; and

a filler surrounding the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element in the housing, wherein the filler is mechanically bonded to each of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element to reduce thermal mechanical stress and mitigating load current cycling fatigue from the unpredictable series of positive and negative current pulses of varying magnitude.

2. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 1 , wherein the terminal comprises a blade terminal in each of the first and second terminal fabrications.

3. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 2 , wherein the blade terminal includes a right angle bend.

4. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second terminal fabrications is a single piece fabrication.

5. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 1 , wherein the filler comprises sodium silicated sand.

6. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 1 , wherein the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element extend as mirror images of one another between the first and second terminal fabrications.

7. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 1 , wherein each of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element includes a plurality of substantially co-planar sections separated by a plurality of oblique sections.

8. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of substantially co-planar sections includes a plurality of apertures defining a plurality of weak spots.

9. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the short circuit fuse element and at least a portion of the overload element is provided with an arc barrier material.

10. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 9 , wherein the fuse has a voltage rating of at least 500 VDC.

11. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 10 , wherein the housing has a compact axial length of about 1.5 inches to about 3 inches.

12. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 11 , wherein the fuse has a current rating of at least 150 A.

13. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 12 , wherein the fuse has a current rating of at least 250 A.

14. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 13 , wherein the fuse has a current rating of at least 400 A.

15. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 11 , wherein the fuse exhibits a power density of at least 9.0 A/cm 3 .

16. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 15 , wherein the fuse exhibits a power density of about 11.25 A/cm 3 .

17. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 9 , wherein the arc barrier material is provided only adjacent the first and second terminal fabrications, and wherein the arc barrier material completely surrounds an entire cross section of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element so that arcing is prevented from reaching the first and second terminal fabrications during the opening of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element.

18. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 17 , wherein each of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element includes a planar terminal tab on each opposing end thereof, the planar terminal tab on each opposing end connected directly to the respective first and second terminal fabrications, each of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element further including a section extending obliquely to the planar terminal tab adjacent each of the first and second terminal fabrications, and the arc barrier material being provided only on the section extending obliquely.

19. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 18 , wherein each of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element includes a plurality of co-planar sections separated from one another by oblique sections, each of the co-planar sections including a plurality of apertures defining a plurality of weak spots, and the arc barrier material does not extend around any of the weak spots.

20. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 17 , wherein each of the short circuit fuse element and the overload fuse element includes a series of aligned weak spots spaced apart from one another between opposing ends thereof.

21. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 19 , wherein the arc barrier material is a silicone material.

22. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 21 , wherein the silicone material is a room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone material.

23. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 1 , wherein the power system is an electric vehicle power system.

24. The compact, full-range power fuse of claim 23 , in combination with the electric vehicle power system.

25. A compact, full-range power fuse comprising:
a housing including opposed first and second ends;
first and second end plates coupled to the respective first and second ends;
first and second terminals extending from the respective first and second end plates;
a full-range current limiting fuse element assembly defined by a combination of fuse elements entirely enclosed in the housing and respectively having a first melting mechanism uniquely responding to a high current or short circuit fault and a seco

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Douglass Robert Stephen
• Fink John Michael

Classifications

• H01H85/12

  Two or more separate fusible members in parallel · CPC title

• H01H85/0456

  with knife-blade end contacts · CPC title

• H01H2239/044

  High voltage application · CPC title

• H01H85/175

  characterised by the casing shape or form · CPC title

• H01H85/11

  with applied local area of a metal which, on melting, forms a eutectic with the main material of the fusible member, i.e. M-effect devices · CPC title