# US 2022/0045232 A1 · Diffuse discharge circuit breaker

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2022/0045232 A1
- Document ID: US20220045232A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/397,699
- Filed: 2021-08-09
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-10
- Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC; Opcondys, Inc.
- Applicants: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC; Opcondys, Inc.
- Inventors: Stephen E. Sampayan; Kristin C. Sampayan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045232A1

## CPC

- H10F 30/10: the devices being sensitive to infrared radiation, visible or ultraviolet radiation, and having no potential barriers, e.g. photoresistors
- H10F 55/205: {wherein the radiation-sensitive semiconductor devices have no potential barriers, e.g. photoresistors}
- H01H 33/596: {for interrupting DC}
- H01H 33/6661: {Combination with other type of switch, e.g. for load break switches (H01H33/143, H01H33/6662 take precedence)}
- H01H 89/00: Combinations of two or more different basic types of electric switches, relays, selectors and emergency protective devices, not covered by any single one of the other main groups of this subclass
- H03K 17/78: using opto-electronic devices, i.e. light-emitting and photoelectric devices electrically- or optically-coupled
- H01H 33/125: {comprising a separate circuit breaker (H01H33/122 takes precedence)}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- 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)
- 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)

## Abstract

Devices, methods and techniques are disclosed to interrupt a fault current in a high-voltage direct-current circuit. In one example aspect, a device includes a mechanical switch including a pair of contacts configured to be positioned apart upon activation of the circuit breaker, and a photoconductive component connected in parallel with the mechanical switch. The photoconductive component is configured to establish a current upon activation of the circuit breaker. The photoconductive component comprises a crystalline material positioned to receive a pulsed light signal from a laser light source, and a pair of electrodes coupled to the crystalline material and configured to allow an electric field to be established across the crystalline material to generate the current.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A direct current (DC) circuit breaker operable to interrupt a current flow in an electrical circuit, the DC circuit breaker comprising:
a mechanical switch including a pair of contacts configured to be positioned apart upon activation of the circuit breaker; and
a photoconductive component connected in parallel with the mechanical switch, the photoconductive component configured to establish a current upon activation of the circuit breaker, wherein the photoconductive component comprises:
a crystalline material positioned to receive a pulsed light signal from a laser light source, wherein the crystalline material is doped with a dopant that forms a mid-gap state within a bandgap of the crystalline material to achieve, upon excitation of the crystalline material by the pulsed light signal, a recombination time that is at least one order of magnitude smaller than a characteristic time of a highest frequency component of an electrical signal controlling the light source; and
a pair of electrodes coupled to the crystalline material and configured to allow an electric field to be established across the crystalline material to generate the current.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein photoconductive component further includes an optical fiber between the light source and the crystalline material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to emit a pulsed laser signal having a pulse time between 10−8 to 10−4 seconds.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the DC circuit breaker includes a laser configured to produce the pulsed laser signal that comprises a square pulse or a rectangular pulse.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanical switch is configured to diffuse discharge caused by a fault current.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mechanical switch comprises one of a rod array vacuum breaker, a non-rod array breaker a series saturable reactor, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photoconductive component is configured to establish the current in both directions parallel to the pair of contacts.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a resonant circuit configured to store energy to enable generation of the current upon the electric field being established across the crystalline material, wherein the resonant circuit includes at least an inductor and a capacitor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the photoconductive component is configured to be stackable with at least one of the pair of contacts or the resonant circuit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a convective cooling configuration coupled to the photoconductive component and configured to dissipate heat generated from the photoconductive component.

### Claim 11

A method for operating a circuit breaker that is part of an electrical circuitry, comprising:
opening a pair of contacts upon receiving an indication that the circuit breaker is to be activated;
generating a pulse by a laser light source coupled to a photoconductive component that is connected in parallel with the pair of contacts; and
receiving the pulse from the laser light source at a crystalline material of the photoconductive component, wherein the crystalline material is coupled to a pair of electrodes to allow an electric field to be established across the crystalline material upon receiving the pulse, and wherein the crystalline material is doped with a dopant that forms a mid-gap state within a bandgap of the crystalline material to achieve, upon excitation of the crystalline material by the pulsed light signal, a recombination time that is at least one order of magnitude smaller than a characteristic time of a highest frequency component of an electrical signal controlling the laser light source, and wherein upon receiving the pulse by crystalline material, at least part of a current that flows through the electrical circuitry to flow through the photoconductive component.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving of the pulse includes receiving the pulse via an optical fiber positioned coupled to the laser light source and to the crystalline material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the generating of the pulse light comprises:
emitting, by the laser light source, a pulsed laser signal having a pulse width between 10−6 to 10−4 seconds.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the pulsed laser signal is a square pulse or a rectangular laser pulse.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the mechanical switch comprises one of a rod array vacuum breaker, a non-rod array breaker a series saturable reactor, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the current that flows through photoconductive component flows in either direction parallel to the pair of contacts.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
storing energy in a resonant circuit connected to the photoconductive component, wherein the resonant circuit is configured to generate a reverse current in response to activation of the circuit breaker.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the photoconductive component is configured as a stackable component with at least one of the pair of contacts or the resonant circuit.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
dissipating heat generated by photoconductive component by a convective cooling configuration attached to the photoconductive component.