Some common performance characteristics of gas-blast interrupters and power expulsion fuses

In this paper are described some common performance similarities of the medium voltage power expulsion fuses and gas-blast circuit breakers. Also is presented a short review of their mechanical operating characteristics paying attention to the movement of contacts and arcing electrodes in both type of devices. And their interaction with the power electric system. Finally is presented a shallow review through the time of the developments made by different researchers, adding a little more emphasis on the so-called conservation equations; the field of their scope and the improvements on the applied mathematics, for instance the change from ordinary to partial differential equations which are more adequated when studying the transient period after current zero on circuit breakers mainly.