Technology advancement in power semiconductor devices has led to the achievement of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). Considering the power switched by these components, protection against fauIts is necessary. A fast fuse in series with the device can prevent the explosion of the case if a short circuit occurs, and consequently ensures people and equipment safety. An investigation on the short circuit behaviour ofIGBT has been carried out to select the ideal fuse rating. KEYWORDS Disturbances created by converters on the fuse have to be taken into account when integrating the fuse in the converter. These disturbances can be attributed to proximity effects, a consequence of which is an unbalance between fuses in parallel or even between fuse elements inside a fuselink. Consequently, an electrothermal model of the fuse is elaborated for the calculation of the distribution of current and temperature of fuse elements. This model helps us to obtain abacus associated to a thermal criterion ensuring the good working conditions of fuses. Perturbation created by the fuse on the converter is mainly characterised by an inductance added in the circuit. This inductance can be harmful to the working of the converter. Sorne rules of conception are proposed to reduce this supplementary inductance.
