An Analytical and Experimental Study of the Dynamic Behavior of a Quick-Acting Hydraulic Fuse

The dynamic behavior of a quick-acting hydraulic fuse is investigated here by analysis and experiment. The fuse has a very short response time and is designed to respond to pressure and flow transients that immediately follow a line rupture. In view of the short response time, a proper dynamic analysis of the entire hydraulic circuit is necessary, in addition to analysis of the fuse behavior. Dynamic models of the fuse and other hydraulic circuit elements used in the experimental setup are presented. The experiments consist of simulating line leaks and measuring fuse response, under a variety of operating conditions. Experimental and analytical results are in very good agreement if the leak transients are properly characterized.