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Handbook of Electrical Installation Practice - BeKnowledge

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(2) The temperature rise <strong>of</strong> the fuse when carrying rated current must not exceed<br />

70°C at the fuse terminals. (Lower values are specified if the terminal is not<br />

silver plated.) In addition, maximum permitted power losses are specified for<br />

each fuse-link size and these are such that for the majority <strong>of</strong> fuse ratings the<br />

terminal temperature rises attained are very much less than the permitted<br />

maximum.<br />

(3) The ability to protect PVC-insulated cables from damage due to overload currents.<br />

The specification determines this by requiring a general purpose fuse-link<br />

(type gG), to have a fusing current not exceeding 160% <strong>of</strong> rated current (In)<br />

and a non-fusing current (Inf) not less than the 125% In. It must also comply<br />

with the requirements specified in the conventional cable overload protection<br />

test. Fuse-links meeting these requirements are deemed to provide overload<br />

protection to PVC insulated cables when the rated current <strong>of</strong> the fuse is equal<br />

to or less than the continuous rating <strong>of</strong> the cable for a given installation<br />

condition.<br />

It should be noted that the reference to fusing factor, contained in all previous<br />

editions <strong>of</strong> BS 88, has now disappeared and is no longer applicable.<br />

(4) The time–current characteristics <strong>of</strong> a fuse must fall within the specified time<br />

current zones given in the Standard. Here again, it should be noted that BS 88:<br />

Part 2, section 2.2 contains much narrower time–current zones than the previous<br />

edition <strong>of</strong> BS 88: Part 2, and these zones fall within the time–current gates<br />

specified in BS 88: Part 1 for all general purpose fuses.<br />

Figure 16.2 illustrates the test requirements <strong>of</strong> BS 88 and it can be seen that for<br />

verification <strong>of</strong> breaking capacity, the gG fuse-links are submitted to five test currents,<br />

I 1, I2, I3, I4 and I5, covering a range <strong>of</strong> prospective currents from a breaking<br />

capacity <strong>of</strong> 80kA down to a current equal to 1.25If (If is equal to 1.6In)<br />

Type gM fuse-links<br />

HBC Fuses and Fusegear in Low Voltage Systems 429<br />

As these fuse-links are for the protection <strong>of</strong> motor circuits, they cannot in that role<br />

provide overload protection to the associated cables, which are usually rated on the<br />

basis <strong>of</strong> the full load current <strong>of</strong> the motor. Nevertheless the same tests for breaking<br />

capacity and compliance with the time–current zones, as that specified for gG fuselinks,<br />

are applicable to gM fuse-links. This ensures that the fuse-links will interrupt<br />

any current from rated breaking capacity down to minimum fusing current safely,<br />

and allows great flexibility <strong>of</strong> co-ordination with the associated overload devices.<br />

Type aM fuse-links<br />

These fuse-links by their designation ‘a’ are a back-up type, having a partial range<br />

breaking capacity and have a minimum breaking current approximately equal to<br />

6.3In.The In <strong>of</strong> the aM fuse-link is not related to the rated current <strong>of</strong> the fuse, but<br />

signifies the rated current <strong>of</strong> the motor which it can protect. They do not provide<br />

overload protection and must be co-ordinated with a suitable device which, while

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