EDISON

The lack of viable DC circuit breaker technologies limits the implementation and use of DC grids. The difficulty in MVDC and HVDC switching – the lack of natural zero crossings of direct current– has resulted in several proposed CB designs that artificially induce current zero-crossings to enable the opening of the DC breaker. One such solution is the hybrid circuit breaker. We are developing a novel hybrid DC circuit breaker that could enable multi-terminal DC power systems. The breaker’s mechanical switch allows switching speeds ten times faster than existing technology and serves as the primary, near-lossless, current path while a power electronics-based circuit handles the fault current. A new configuration of the fast switching and solid-state devices/circuits further reduces steady-state losses. A new control scheme dramatically reduces the peak fault current levels, enabling more compact packaging and increasing reliability.

This project is sponsored by ARPA-E and is in collaboration with the Center for Advanced Power Systems at Florida State University.