DC-arc behavior of a novel active fuse

In this work, new results on an active fuse which is a novel power device to prevent serious hazards in power electronics in the case of a malfunction are presented. The focus of this work is on the characterization of the ldquocutout-bridgerdquo in terms of functionality and reliability. Different cutout-bridge geometries and the dc-arc behavior during fuse release is analyzed and by utilizing an additional snubber circuit to minimize the dc-arc behavior, the release time of the fuse was reduced significantly.