Causes and control of common-mode transients induced by fuse-blowing in battery plants

Abstract

Common-mode transients can be induced when protection devices such as fuses or circuit breakers blow due to faults that occur between the feeder and ground. Such transient voltages can be substantially larger than the powering voltage and could lead to breakdown of equipment. The mechanisms that cause these transients and a method for limiting the transients to safe levels are described using experimental measurements from an actual plant and simulation models. The impact of different fuse characteristics on the transients is also discussed.