Experimental investigation of the fusion in cylindrical exploding wires using high current densities with industrial frequency

The physicochemical process during the operation of fusible wires under high currents densities presents complicity and seems not to be completely known. The work presented in this paper investigates the fusion process of exploding wires using common industrial power supply directly feed from the network of 50 Hz. The measured magnitudes were the voltage drop and the current waveforms during the current interruption process and the total duration of the fusion. The measurements were performed through fast digital oscilloscopes connected with PC are presented and the observed phenomena are investigated. The total time duration (prearcing and arcing periods of fusion) of the fusion process was measured and the results for different current densities and lengths of the thin wire elements are presented and analysed.