Fusible plug
Obturador fusible
- Date
- c. 1803 · confidence low
- Place
- Camborne, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- Richard Trevithick
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
A fusible plug is a threaded metal plug with a low-melting-point core, used as a safety device on steam boilers: if the water level drops too low and the temperature rises excessively, the core melts and releases steam before the boiler can explode. Its use is credited to engineer Richard Trevithick, a pioneer of the high-pressure steam engine.
What it led to
- Reduction of boiler explosions caused by low water
- Adoption as a safety standard in industrial and railway boilers
- Extension of the principle to air-conditioning systems and liquefied-gas tanks