Application of Fusible Overcurrent Protection for Electrical Distribution Systems in Glass Plants

Most glass plants in operation today have been in existence for many years. In some cases maintenance of existing electrical equipment and upgrading of electrical distribution systems to comply with today´s standards has been neglected. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the characteristics and applications of current-limiting fuses for the protection of existing electrical distribution systems and the maintenance problems associated with these systems, and to examine the advantages of fusible overcurrent protection for electrical systems in glass plants to be built in the future. The characteristics that are covered include fuse classes and types; fuse ratings; UL, NEMA, and ANSI standards; current limitation; selectivity; and coordination. Fuse characteristics are presented to assure the proper application of fusing for system components such as busway, cable, motor starters, circuit breakers, etc., against the high fault current distribution systems of today.