# US 11,309,690 B2 · Distribution panel for intelligently controlled solid-state circuit breakers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,690 B2 - Document ID: US11309690B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/898,569 - Filed: 2020-06-11 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-13 - Assignees: Atom Power, Inc. - Applicants: Atom Power, Inc. - Inventors: Taylor Santore; Frederick Miller; Denis Kouroussis; Ryan Kennedy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309690B2 ## CPC - H02B 1/056: Mounting on plugboards - H01H 9/548: {Electromechanical and static switch connected in series} - H01H 71/123: {using a solid-state trip unit (circuits H02H)} - H02B 1/04: Mounting thereon of switches or of other devices in general, the switch or device having, or being without, casing - H02B 1/56: Cooling; Ventilation - H02B 1/565: {for cabinets} - H02H 1/0007: {concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445)} - H02H 3/027: with automatic disconnection after a predetermined time (H02H3/033, H02H3/06 take precedence {; timing in overcurrent protection circuits H02H3/093; in undervoltage protection circuits H02H3/247; staggered disconnection H02H7/30}) - H02H 3/08: responsive to excess current (responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04) - H03K 17/56: by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices (using diodes H03K17/74) - H05K 7/20172: {Fan mounting or fan specifications} - H05K 7/2039: {characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00)} - H05K 7/20918: {the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels} - H01H 2071/124: {with a hybrid structure, the solid state trip device being combined with a thermal or a electromagnetic trip} - H02B: BOARDS, SUBSTATIONS OR SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SUPPLY OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract An electrical distribution panel for controlling the distribution of electrical power to a plurality of loads includes a plurality of solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs), each including a thermally conductive heatspreader and one or more power semiconductor devices that control whether electrical current is able to flow to an attached load; a distribution panel heatsink configured in thermal contact with the SSCB heatspreaders; one or more cooling fans that blow air onto the distribution panel heatsink; a stacked bus bar with quick-fit pin-mount receptacles for receiving mating/matching press-fit connection pins located on line-side terminals of the SSCBs; a communications and control (comm/control) bus communicatively coupled to the plurality of SSCBs; and a head-end interface and gateway to which an external computer can connect, to, among other things, set and alter trip settings of the plurality of SSCBs via the comm/control bus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrical distribution panel, comprising: a plurality of solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs), each SSCB including line-side and load-side terminals, a solid-state device configured between the SSCB's line-side and load-side terminals, a closeable air gap connected in series with the SSCB's solid-state device, between the line-side and load-side terminals, the closeable air gap configured to provide galvanic isolation between the line-side and load-side terminals, when open, an air gap assembly that controls whether the air gap is open or closed and that is triggered to automatically open the air gap upon a short circuit or overload of unacceptably long duration occurring in a load circuit attached to the SSCB's load-side terminals, and a thermally conductive heatspreader configured to conduct heat away from the SSCB's solid-state device; and a distribution panel heatsink in thermal contact with the thermally conductive heatspreaders of the plurality of SSCBs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrical distribution panel of claim 1, wherein each of the SSCBs of the plurality of SSCBs operates, at any given time, in one of three possible operating states: an OFF state during which the SSCB's solid-state device is switched OFF and its air gap is open, an ON state during which the SSCB's solid-state device is switched ON and its air gap is closed, and a STANDBY during which the SSCB's solid-state device is switched OFF and its air gap is closed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electrical distribution panel of claim 2, wherein each of the SSCBs of the plurality of SSCBs is enclosed in a housing having a front faceplate revealing indicators and/or buttons that indicate, at any given time, whether the SSCB is in the OFF state, the ON state, or the STANDBY state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electrical distribution panel of claim 1, further comprising: a communications and control (comm/control) bus in electrical communication with the plurality of SSCBs; and a head-end interface communicatively coupled to the comm/control bus through which an external computer can set and alter trip settings of the plurality of SSCBs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electrical distribution panel of claim 1, wherein each of the SSCBs of the plurality of SSCBs is enclosed in a housing having a front with an electronic display. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electrical distribution panel of claim 5, further comprising: a communications and control (comm/control) bus in electrical communication with the plurality of SSCBs; and a head-end interface communicatively coupled to the comm/control bus through which an external computer can set and control what information is displayed by the electronic displays of the plurality of SSCBs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electrical distribution panel of claim 6, wherein the comm/control bus is split into two or more comm/control bus/rail sections that include a plurality of comm/control bus connectors which the plurality of SSCBs connect to, and that have, or are assigned, unique addresses that identify or indicate physical locations of the plurality of SSCBs in the distribution panel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electrical distribution panel of claim 1, further comprising a panelboard electronic display. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electrical distribution panel of claim 8, further comprising: a communications and control (comm/control) bus in electrical communication with the plurality of SSCBs; and a head-end interface communicatively coupled to the comm/control bus through which an external computer can set and control what information is displayed by the panelboard electronic display. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The electrical distribution panel of claim 8, further comprising a panelbox with a panelbox door that holds the panelboard display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electrical distribution panel of claim 10, wherein each of the SSCBs of the plurality of SSCBs includes an electronic display, and the panelbox door includes a panelbox door window through which the electronic displays can be viewed, when the panelbox door is closed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electrical distribution panel of claim 1, further comprising a stacked busbar to which the line-side terminals of the plurality of SSCBs electrically connect. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electrical distribution panel of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of hot-connection covers that cover the line-side terminal connections to the stacked busbar and that prevent a person who may access the electrical distribution panel from coming in contact with the line-side terminal connections. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The electrical distribution panel of claim 12, wherein the stacked busbar includes a plurality of electrically conductive receptacles formed along the busbar's length, and the plurality of SSCBs include electrically conductive line-side press-fit connection pins that fit into the plurality of electrically conductive receptacles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The electrical distribution panel of claim 1, further comprising one or more cooling fans configured to blow air on the distribution panel heatsink. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electrical distribution panel of claim 15, further comprising one or more front-access fan covers that provide access to the one or more cooling fans from a front of the electrical distribution panel.