Dual conductor Thomson coil for faster opening of a hybrid circuit breaker

A hybrid circuit interrupter, the hybrid circuit interrupter comprising:

• a line conductor structured to connect a load to a power source;
• a hybrid switch assembly disposed between the power source and the load, the hybrid switch assembly comprising:
• a fixed mechanical separable contact and a movable mechanical separable contact, the movable mechanical separable contact being structured to move between a closed state and an open state;
• and
• an electronic interrupter structured to commutate current when a fault is detected on the line conductor;
• a drive assembly operably coupled to the movable mechanical separable contact;
• an electronic trip unit structured to monitor the line conductor for fault conditions;
• and
• an actuator structured to open and close the movable mechanical separable contact, the actuator comprising:
• a conductive plate coupled to the drive assembly;
• and
• a conductive coil, the coil comprising:
• a plurality of turns;
• a first conductor wound into a first number of turns;
• a second conductor wound into a second number of turns;
• a first power source electrically connected to the first conductor;
• a second power source electrically connected to the second conductor;
• and
• an opening structured to receive the drive assembly and to enable the drive assembly to move freely during an opening stroke,
• wherein the plurality of turns is the sum of the first number of turns and the second number of turns,
• wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are nested such that the first number of turns forms alternating turns of the coil relative to the second number of turns,
• wherein the first power source and second power source are configured to simultaneously supply a first time-varying current signal and a second time-varying current signal, respectively, to the first conductor and the second conductor, and
• wherein the actuator is structured to cause the coil to repel the conductive plate when the first and second time-varying current signals are supplied to the first and second conductors.