High voltage high power arc suppressing fuse
AssigneeSpace Systems/Loral, Inc.
InventorRichard A. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high voltage high power fuse (5) for use in a low pressure environment such as space. The fuse (5) comprises a fuse element (1) which is electrically connected to two conductive pads (2) and surrounded by an elastic medium (3). When the fuse element (1) is vaporized by a current surge, the elastic medium (3) absorbs the energy of the explosion and then snaps back into the space (6) left by the vaporized fuse element (1). This action of the elastic medium (3) effectively quenches any electric arc which may have bridged the gap (6) between the ends of the blown fuse element (1).
Claims11
A high voltage fuse for operation in a low pressure environment, said fuse comprising:
- a fuse element electrically connected to at least two conductive elements, said fuse element having a length and a transverse dimension;
- wherein
- said fuse element is encapsulated within an encapsulating package containing an elastic insulating material, said elastic insulating material having a thickness greater than the transverse dimension of said fuse element;
- said elastic insulating material completely fills said encapsulating package and is substantially free of voids and gaseous bubbles, with substantially no gas being present within said encapsulating package;
- and
- said elastic insulating material completely covers said fuse element along the entire length thereof and isolates it from said environment, said elastic insulating material being selected to have an elastic property enabling said elastic insulating material to rapidly fill a void that is created along the length of said fuse element due to a portion of said fuse element being vaporized by an electrical current.
A method of preventing glow discharge in a high voltage fuse at critical pressure, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a fuse element having a length and a radius;
- completely encapsulating said fuse element along the entire length thereof in an elastic insulating material, said elastic insulating material being substantially free of voids and gaseous bubbles, the elastic insulating material encapsulating said fuse element with a thickness greater than two times the radius of said fuse element;
- and
- completely encapsulating said insulating material in an outer housing, with substantially no gas being present within said outer housing, wherein the elastic insulating material is selected to have an elastic property enabling the elastic insulating material to rapidly fill a void that is created along the length of the fuse element due to a portion of the fuse element being vaporized by an electrical current.
A method of quenching an electric arc resulting from a blown fuse element, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a fuse element having a length and a radius;
- completely surrounding the fuse element along the entire length thereof with an elastic medium, the elastic medium being substantially free of voids and gaseous bubbles and surrounding the fuse element with a thickness greater than two times the radius of the fuse element;
- completely enclosing said elastic medium in a rigid container, with substantially no gas being present within said rigid container;
- and
- applying sufficient electrical power across the fuse element to cause the fuse element to blow, said elastic medium absorbing the energy released by said fuse element;
- wherein
- said elastic medium then elastically flows into a space left by the vaporized fuse element, thereby blocking the flow of current through said space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.