Bussmann 170M5013: 13A, 500V Fuse for Drives, UPS, and Power Distribution

Technical Specifications

Main Features and Advantages

The Eaton Bussmann 170M5013​ fuse is distinguished by a combination of robust protective features that offer significant advantages in system design and safety. Its exceptionally high 200kA interrupting rating is paramount, ensuring the fuse can safely clear the highest potential fault currents available in modern industrial power systems without rupturing, providing a critical safety margin. The current-limiting action is its core protective mechanism; during a short-circuit, the fuse element melts almost instantaneously, introducing a high impedance that limits the peak let-through current and the total let-through energy (I²t) to a fraction of what the unprotected circuit would experience. This dramatically reduces the thermal and magnetic stress on downstream components like wiring, contactors, and drives, extending their lifespan and enhancing overall system safety.The time-delay characteristic of the 170M5013​ provides essential operational flexibility. It allows the fuse to hold during the temporary, harmless inrush currents of motors, transformers, and capacitors—which can be 6-10 times the full load amperes—preventing costly and disruptive nuisance tripping. Once the inrush subsides, it provides precise overload protection. The physical design adhering to the Class J standard ensures non-interchangeability with lower-performing fuses (like Class T or RK1), preventing the inadvertent downgrade of protection. The construction is robust, often featuring a ceramic body for high strength and arc-quenching capability, filled with specialized silica sand to cool and extinguish the arc. The combination of a high interrupting rating, effective current limitation, and a forgiving time-delay curve makes the Eaton Bussmann 170M5013​ a highly reliable, safe, and application-appropriate choice for protecting sensitive and expensive industrial electrical equipment.

Application Field

The Eaton Bussmann 170M5013​ fuse is deployed across a vast spectrum of industrial, commercial, and utility applications where reliable 500V overcurrent protection is required. Its most common application is in the protection of three-phase motor circuits. Here, it is typically installed as part of a fused disconnect switch or motor starter combination, where its time-delay feature accommodates motor inrush, and its current-limiting action protects the motor and starter contacts from short-circuit damage. In facilities with variable frequency drives (VFDs) and servo drives, the 170M5013​ is used on the input side to protect the drive’s power components and DC bus from external fault conditions, serving as a critical first line of defense.The fuse is also essential in power distribution systems, protecting feeder and branch circuits within industrial control panels, machinery, and panelboards. It safeguards transformers, especially control transformers that power PLCs and other low-voltage control circuits, from overloads and faults. In renewable energy and energy storage systems, the Eaton Bussmann 170M5013​ is used for DC protection in solar photovoltaic combiner boxes and battery energy storage systems (BESS), leveraging its 500V DC rating. Furthermore, it finds application in UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems, welding equipment, and large commercial HVAC units. Essentially, wherever 480V AC (or equivalent DC) power is utilized and there is a need for robust, code-compliant, and equipment-protective overcurrent safety that can distinguish between harmless temporary surges and dangerous fault conditions, the 170M5013​ provides a trusted and standardized solution.