Voltage clamping circuit for solid state circuit breaker
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsXiaoqing Song, Yu Du
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Unique systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of solid state circuit breaker protection are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a solid state circuit breaker comprising a primary switching device including a first terminal and a second terminal and a voltage clamping circuit coupled in parallel with the primary switching device. The voltage clamping circuit includes a metal-oxide varistor (MOV) coupled in series between the first terminal and an auxiliary semiconductor device, the auxiliary semiconductor device being arranged so as to selectively couple the MOV with the second terminal, and a bypass circuit coupled between the first terminal and the auxiliary semiconductor device.
Claims20
A solid state circuit breaker (SSCB) comprising:
- a primary switching device including a first terminal and a second terminal;
- and
- a voltage clamping circuit coupled in parallel with the primary switching device including:
- a metal-oxide varistor (MOV) coupled in series between the first terminal and an auxiliary semiconductor device, the auxiliary semiconductor device being arranged so as to selectively couple the MOV with the second terminal, and
- a bypass circuit coupled between the first terminal and the auxiliary semiconductor device,
- wherein the auxiliary semiconductor device is structured to turn on in response to receiving a fault current by way of the bypass circuit.
A solid state circuit breaker (SSCB) comprising:
- a primary switching device including a first terminal and a second terminal;
- and
- a voltage clamping circuit coupled in parallel with the primary switching device including:
- a metal-oxide varistor (MOV) coupled in series between the first terminal and an auxiliary semiconductor device, the auxiliary semiconductor device being arranged so as to selectively couple the MOV with the second terminal, and
- a bypass circuit coupled between the first terminal and the auxiliary semiconductor device,
- wherein the auxiliary semiconductor device includes a switching device and a control circuit, wherein the switching device and the control circuit are coupled to the bypass circuit.
A method for protecting a primary switching device of a solid state circuit breaker (SSCB), the method comprising:
- coupling a voltage clamping circuit in parallel with the primary switching device, the voltage clamping circuit including a metal-oxide varistor (MOV), an auxiliary semiconductor device, and a bypass circuit;
- receiving, with the auxiliary semiconductor device by way of the bypass circuit, a fault current after the primary switching device is turned off;
- turning on the auxiliary semiconductor device using the fault current;
- and
- commutating the fault current from the bypass circuit to the MOV in response to the auxiliary semiconductor device being turned on.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.