POWER FUSE AND FABRICATION METHODS WITH ENHANCED ARC MITIGATION AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT

• US 20160343531A1
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Huang, Duren, Feng, Dacheng, Yang, Calvin, Douglass, Robert Stephen, Wiryana, Sidharta
• Granted Patent: US 10,446,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 69/02 Manufacture of fuses
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/08 characterised by the shape or form of the fusible member
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/143 Electrical contacts; Fastening fusible members to such contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/18 Casing fillings, e.g. powder
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/38 Means for extinguishing or suppressing arc by powder filling H01H85/18; by mechanical tension applied to fusible member H01H85/36

Abstract

Power fuses having filler material including hydrated zeolite material facilitates increasing power density of electrical fuses in reduced package sizes. The hydrated zeolite material releases water to cool and suppress electrical arcing conditions experienced in higher power circuitry.

Claims

1. A power fuse comprising:

a housing;

first and second conductive terminals coupled to the housing;

a conductive fuse element in the housing and electrically connected to the first and second conductive terminals, the conductive fuse element constructed to structurally fail when subjected to a predetermined electrical current condition in an electrical power system; and

an arc extinguishing filler surrounding the conductive fuse element in the housing;

wherein the arc extinguishing filler material comprises a molecular sieve material that is hydrated in a targeted amount, or adjusted in hydration to a targeted amount, to achieve and maintain a predetermined melting time-current characteristic of the conductive fuse element in response to the predetermined electrical current condition.

2. The power fuse of claim 1, wherein the molecular sieve material comprises hydrated zeolite material.

3. The power fuse of claim 2, wherein the arc extinguishing filler material is 100% hydrated zeolite.

4. The power fuse of claim 1, wherein the arc extinguishing filler material further comprises quartz silica sand.

5. The power fuse of claim 4, wherein the arc extinguishing filler material further comprises a binding agent.

6. The power fuse of claim 5, wherein the binding agent comprises sodium silicate.

7. The power fuse of claim 1, wherein the molecular sieve material comprises a natural molecular sieve material.

8. The power fuse of claim 7, wherein the natural molecular sieve material is an inorganic zeolite material.

9. The power fuse of claim 1, wherein the molecular sieve material comprises a synthetic molecular sieve material.

10. The power fuse of claim 9, wherein the synthetic molecular sieve material exhibits a crystalline-aluminosilicate-microporous structure.

11. The power fuse of claim 1, wherein the molecular sieve material comprises two or more different zeolite materials.

12. The power fuse of claim 1, wherein the molecular sieve material comprises Clinoptilolite.

13. The power fuse of claim 1, wherein the conductive fuse element is constructed to facilitate arc division as the fuse element structurally fails when subjected to the predetermined electrical current condition.

14. A power fuse comprising:

a housing;

first and second conductive terminals coupled to the housing;

a conductive fuse element in the housing and connected between the first and second conductive terminals, wherein the fuse element is constructed to facilitate arc division as the fuse element opens in a predetermined overcurrent condition; and

an arc extinguishing filler surrounding the fuse element in the housing, the arc extinguishing filler material comprising at least one zeolite material that is hydrated in a targeted amount, or adjusted in hydration to a targeted amount, to achieve and maintain a predetermined melting time-current characteristic of the conductive fuse element in response to the predetermined electrical current condition.

15. The power fuse of claim 14, wherein the arc extinguishing filler further comprises quartz silica sand.

16. The power fuse of claim 15, wherein the arc extinguishing filler further comprises sodium silicate.

17. The power fuse of claim 14, wherein the at least one zeolite material comprises a first zeolite material and a second zeolite material different from the first zeolite material.

18. The power fuse of claim 14, wherein the at least one zeolite material is Clinoptilolite.

19. A method of making an electrical power fuse including a conductive fuse element extending internal to a housing between first and second conductive terminals, the method comprising:

surrounding the fuse element in the housing with an arc extinguishing filler material including at least one zeolite material that is hydrated in a targeted amount, or adjusted in hydration to a targeted amount, to achieve and maintain a predetermined melting time-current characteristic of the conductive fuse element in response to the predetermined electrical current condition.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising mixing the at least one zeolite material with quartz sand.