Comparison Between IEEE Std C37.41-2016/Cor 1-2017 and IEC 60282-2:2008 Fuse Cutout Interrupting/Breaking Tests

High voltage fuse cutouts have been used by utilities for close to 100 years, and provide an inexpensive and reliable method of fault protection for the distribution system. Modern distribution cutouts are designed to operate across a full range of interrupting current levels, and are tested to IEEE Std. C37.41-2016/Cor 1-2017 for North America or IEC Std. 60282-2:2008 for Europe and Asia. Before 2016 the interrupting or breaking tests in the IEEE and IEC Standards were very similar. With the revision of IEEE Std. C37.41 in 2016/2017, the interrupting tests in the IEEE Standard are now significantly different than the breaking tests in the IEC Standard. Specifically, the tests for transformer secondary fault current levels (test series/duty 4) have changed considerably compared to the tests in both the superseded 2008 version of IEEE Std. C37.41 and the active version of IEC Std. 60282-2. These differences may have an impact on the performance of existing cutout designs when testing to IEEE Std. C37.41-2016/Cor 1-2017.