Power supply system and method

Abstract

A power supply system S comprising a power processor 1, having a power input 2 and an AC power output 3 with a nominal voltage VN and a nominal current IN, and a power supply safety circuit 6 connected in parallel to said power processor 1 between said power input 2 and said AC power output 3. The purpose of the power supply safety circuit 6 is to provide an additional current in case of a short circuit condition downstream of the AC power output 3, so as to trigger the opening of an individual circuit breaker 4 connected to the short circuited load 5. For this purpose the power supply safety circuit 6 comprises a bidirectional switch 7, control means 12 for closing said bidirectional switch 7 after detecting a short circuit condition downstream of the AC power output 3 and a current limiter 9, preferably an impedance, connected in series to said bidirectional switch 7 to limit the current that can flow through the power backup circuit 6 to a maximum current of αINout wherein α has a value between 5 and 20, preferably between 7 and 13, and most preferably about 10. The invention also comprises a method of operation of said power supply system S.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.