System Safety

Short Circuits
Overcurrent A short circuit occurs when the current flows out of its
normal path, bypassing the load. It may be caused by
insulation breakdown, a faulty connection, or a misplaced
Protection for wrench handle during maintenance. During a short circuit,
extremely high currents may flow through system
components. It is critical that overcurrent protection
Battery-Powered devices are able to handle the thousands of amps
available from the batteries during the short circuit, and

Systems that they operate quickly enough to prevent damage to

other system components and wiring.
Fuses vs. Breakers
Christopher Freitas Overcurrent protection can be provided by two types of
©1992 Christopher Freitas devices – fuses and breakers. A breaker is often
preferred, as it can also operate as a switch to turn the
power on and off. Fuses are less popular but are

A
ll electrical systems eventually available in a greater variety of designs and ratings.
experience overcurrents. Over Fuses should be used with a disconnect switch which
allows the fuse to be changed without it being electrically
time, even moderate overcurrents
“hot.” Although fuses are less expensive than breakers
can cause overheating, resulting in the required disconnect switch makes them about the
damage to insulation, conductors and same price.

equipment. High overcurrents may melt Interrupting Capacity

The appropriateness of a fuse or a breaker for short
conductors and vaporize insulation. Very circuit protection is determined by the Amps of
high overcurrents produce magnetic Interrupting Capacity (AIC) rating. This is usually marked
forces which can violently twist cables, on the device or included in the product literature and
often listed in “KA” or thousands of amps. Available
crack insulators and pull apart values are from as low as 1000 amps for small breakers
connections. and up to 200,000 (200KA) amps for large fuses. Ratings
given are usually for ac power. The performance on DC
The chance of a very high overcurrent occurring in an power will be substantially lower, with the AIC rating
alternative energy system is greater than generally reduced to as low as one tenth of the ac value.
realized. Batteries can deliver very high overcurrents
when a short circuit occurs. A single six-volt, deep cycle Most inexpensive DC-rated breakers are not designed to
battery can produce as much as 6000 amps for several interrupt the amount of current which can occur from a
seconds. Many AE systems increase this potential current short circuit of a large battery. They are intended for use
by paralleling several sets of batteries. with power sources that have limited amounts of current
available, such as electronic power supplies. If the
Overloads breaker is subjected to currents above its rating, the
Overcurrent situations can be divided into two categories breaker may overheat, melt, or explode. During the time it
– overloads and short circuits. An overload is an takes for the breaker to fail, the excessive current can
overcurrent confined to a normal current path. Sustained also damage the components intended to be protected.
overloads are commonly caused by equipment
malfunctions or connecting excessive loads. Current Limiting Fuses
This special type of fuse can not only interrupt the short
Overcurrent protection devices must disconnect the loads circuit, but do so in a fraction of a second (less than 1/120
before damage occurs, and allow for high current flows of a second) providing more protection then normal fuses
during motor starting, etc. Most system designers and and breakers. Designed to protect inexpensive breakers
installers understand overload protection requirements. with low-AIC ratings, they limit the current to a level that
Overload protection devices are easy to find and are will not cause damage. These fuses should be used in the
relatively inexpensive to include in an AE system.

26 Home Power #27 • February / March 1992

 System Safety

main disconnect between the battery and all other system

Fluke 87
components. DC-rated current limiting breakers are not
Digital Meter
available as the mechanical interruption mechanism
operates too slowly. 2000 A Fuse Or
Testing The Ratings Switch Breaker
I decided to test some components in order to find out
what happens when a short circuit occurs in the real 500 A
world. I acquired four 6-volt, 220 amp-hour electric vehicle Shunt 4/0
batteries which, although old, could still provide high CABLE
currents. Wired up as a twelve volt bank with 4/0
interconnects, I enclosed the batteries with concrete Volt Meter
blocks and heavy plywood in case the testing went out of
control. Two five-foot, 4/0 cables were connected from the - -
batteries to the test area. See the diagram of the test 6V 6V
circuit and metering on the right. + +
I wanted to test a breaker with a low AIC and one with a - -
high AIC. I found a 200-Amp breaker unit rated at 5000 6V 6V
amps interrupting capacity sold by several AE companies. +
I also had a large commercial type 175 amp breaker rated
+
at 42,000 amps of interruption capacity. For comparison, I 6 VOLT BATTERIES
bought several 250-amp ANN fuses and some 200 amp
Diagram Of Test Circuit And Metering.
Class T fuses and holders. The Class T fuses are rated at
20,000 Amps of interrupting capacity for 125 VDC and are
listed as current limiting. The ANN fuse was only rated at Testing Results
2500 amps of interrupting capacity without a specified Due to the relative slowness of the Fluke 87 digital meter,
voltage. peak currents may have been higher than what was
recorded. We started with the 250-amp ANN Buss fuse as
In order to measure the maximum current flow, a 500 they were the lowest cost. They blew as expected, the
Amp, 50 milliVolt, shunt was placed in line and connected meter recorded a peak current of 2920 Amps. When
to a Fluke 87 digital meter to record the peak current for a shorted, considerable arcing and even a small amount of
duration of 1 millisecond. To monitor battery voltage, an smoke was observed. The voltmeter’s needle dropped for
analog voltmeter was wired to the batteries. The short an instant and then returned. We accidentally tried to
circuit was made by closing a single pole, enclosed replace a fuse while the circuit was still shorted, and
contact, battery disconnect switch rated for 2000 Amps welded a fuse onto the holder.
during switching.
The second test was on the small 200-amp low-AIC
The 4/0 positive cable from the battery was connected breaker. This was actually a pair of 100-amp Heinemann
directly to the device being tested. The 4/0 negative cable Series AM breakers connected in parallel by cable lugs
was connected directly to the 2000-Amp switch. The with the trip handles glued together. Each breaker is rated
shunt was connected with two 4/0 jumpers to complete at 5000 Amps AIC at 65 VDC. When the circuit was
the circuit. The short circuit would occur when the switch shorted, the current flowed without being interrupted for
was closed and would be interrupted by the breaker or approximately three seconds, at which we disconnected
fuse being tested. The combined resistance of the cables, the short circuit. The meter recorded 3200 peak amps
shunt, and switch would reduce the available current, and the voltmeter dropped to a few volts during the entire
making the test more representative of a real world three seconds. The breaker’s handle did not move during
installation. the test. The breaker still showed continuity, so we tested
A video camera was used to record the results so that it again. This time the breaker instantly popped and
they could be analyzed afterwards. A fire extinguisher was opened the circuit. It would not reset afterwards. A review
also kept nearby in case of fire. With everything ready, a of the video showed a flash and a puff of blue smoke
licensed electrician with AE experience assisted with the coming from the side of the unit. The breaker’s case was
testing. noticeably warm in several places.

Home Power #27 • February / March 1992 27

 System Safety

Above: The overcurrent protection devices tested. From left to right: 3 pole class T fuse holder/disconnect, 200 Amp class T
fuse, 200 Amp class T fuse holder, 250 Amp ANN fuse, 200 Amp ANN fuse holder, 3 pole 175 Amp high-AIC breaker, 200
Amp low-AIC breaker assembly, and 100 Amp Heinemann series AM breakers (shown disassembled). Photo by Christopher Freitas.

The third test was on the large 175-amp ITE breaker rated Conclusions
at 42,000 amps AIC at 240 vac. The batteries were placed Although these tests were fairly simple, some conclusions
on charge for several days to recover from the prior can be drawn from the data collected.
testing. This breaker simply tripped when the circuit was The small, low-AIC Heinemann breakers which failed
shorted, allowing a peak current of 2960 Amps. The short were disassembled and examined. Two flexible copper
circuit was interrupted very quickly as the voltmeter’s connectors from the terminals to the moving contacts
needle barely moved during this test. melted in both units. Part of the breaker’s case was
The fourth test was of a 200-Amp Littelfuse Class T melted, the magnetic coils which release the contacts
current limiting fuse rated for 20,000 Amps AIC at 125 were discolored, and the insulation was damaged. The
VDC. When shorted, the fuse opened the circuit promptly high currents which flowed for several seconds during the
with no external indication of stress. The digital meter short circuit were too great for this unit to handle. Since it
recorded 1920 Amps of peak current and the volt meter was not able to quickly open the circuit, very little
barely moved during the test. No smoke or arcing was protection was provided. The considerable arcing which
visible, and no heating of the fuse was detected. occurred would be a possible hazard in a battery system.
For comparison, we decided to directly short the battery The large, high-AIC ITE breaker worked correctly, but still
with only the shunt and switch in the circuit. This would allowed a high peak current to occur. When used with a
give us an idea of the maximum available current the larger battery bank, the peak current may exceed the
batteries could deliver to the devices we had tested. The ratings of other breakers and components in the system.
switch was thrown for approximately three seconds and It would be acceptable for protecting an inverter or other
then shut off. The meter recorded 6960 amps as the peak single device, but could not be used as a main disconnect
current. We repeated this three times, with each additional for an entire system.
reading lower in value. During each test the 4/0 positive The ANN fuse opened the circuit, but also allowed a
cable lifted up off the ground 4 inches into the air by the considerable peak current. The arcing of the element
forces generated from the extremely high current flowing would be a possible hazard in a battery system.
through the circuit.
The Class T fuse was able to remove the short circuit fast
Finally, we tested another 200-amp low-AIC Heinemann enough to prevent the excessive currents from occurring.
breaker with only a single 100 Amp-hour, 12 Volt RV No arcing or smoke was observed during operation,
battery. After the three short-circuit tests, it also failed, making it more suitable for use with batteries. The Class
allowing 2200 peak Amps.

28 Home Power #27 • February / March 1992

 System Safety
T fuse contains a filler material which extinguishes the arc Amps AIC at 65 VDC) can provide overcurrent protection
during operation. This reduces the time required for the for individual items. They cannot be used to protect lower
current to be interrupted. We cut the fuse open and AIC breakers. This eliminates their use as a main
observed some discoloration of the filler material. disconnect in most systems.
Recommendations Low AIC breakers, like the Heinemann Series AM (5000
Every AE system must have overcurrent protection able to Amps AIC at 65 VDC) or the Square-D QO (5000 Amps
interrupt the maximum current available from the at 125 VDC) can be used in load distribution centers and
batteries. For most systems, the main protection should components, but must be protected by a current limiting
use current limiting high-AIC fuses, such as a Class T or fuse. Using low-AIC breakers alone will not provide
Class R. A disconnect switch which allows the fuse to be sufficient protection with battery systems and may be a
safely changed should be included. A lower cost significant hazard during short circuit situations.
alternative is to mount the fuse in a fuse holder without a
Access
disconnect. Although the fuse would always be electrically
Author: Christopher Freitas, Ananda Power
hot, it normally would not be changed during the life of
Technologies, Inc., 14618 Tyler Foote Road, Nevada
the system. The fuse holder should be mounted outside
City, CA 95959 • 916-292-3834
the battery enclosure. Fuses should not be directly bolted
onto a battery terminal, as they are not designed to Fuses: “Overcurrent Protection Fundamentals,” Littelfuse
handle the physical stresses that can occur without the Inc., 800E. Northwest Highway, Des Plaines, IL 60016 •
protection of a fuse holder. 800-TEC-FUSE

Fuses which have exposed elements, such as ANN fuses, Circuit Breakers: “Quick Guide to Overcurrent Protection,”
should not be used because they are not current limiting Heinemann Electric Company, POB 6800, Lawrenceville,
and have only 2500 amps of AIC. They also may be a NJ 08648 • 609-882-4800
significant hazard when installed near batteries. Code: John Wiles, Southwest Technology Development
Institute, NMSU , P.O.Box 30001, Dept. 3SOL, Las
High-AIC breakers, like the Heinemann Series CF (25,000
Cruces, NM 88003

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Home Power #27 • February / March 1992 29