A Review of Electronic Fuses: Challenges and Opportunities for Future Vehicular Power Systems

Currently, the vehicular power system is undergoing significant changes. One of the most promising advances thereby are electronic fuses (eFuses) which are intended to replace the state-of-the-art melting fuses. On the one hand, eFuses are beneficial to meet the requirements for highly automated or autonomous driving functions. On the other hand, compared to melting fuses, they also offer advanced protection mechanisms and enhanced diagnosis functions as well as wiring harness optimization potentials. This article provides a comprehensive review about the current state of research regarding vehicular eFuses. The general structure and basic functionalities such as protection mechanisms are explained, followed by an overview of state-of-the-art eFuse hardware solutions. Available investigation methods of eFuses such as simulation models are shown. The effect of eFuses on other system components is explained and compared to melting fuses. A comparative overview and discussion of benefits and drawbacks of eFuses and melting fuses complete the review. This article will be beneficial not only for research institutions, industry professionals, but also for anyone who is inexperienced in the field of vehicular power systems as a reference of the current state of research regarding vehicular eFuses.