Solid-state circuit breaker trips an air gap actuator and solid-state switiching components at the same time or the solid-state switiching components with a delay

A method of air gap driving in a solid-state circuit breaker, the method comprising:

• providing a breaker housing;
• providing line-in and line-out terminals;
• providing one or more solid state switching components configured between the line-in and line-out terminals;
• providing an air gap disposed between the line-in and line-out terminals and coupled in series with the one or more solid state switching components to complete a current conducting path when closed, the air gap including a pair of opposing contacts and an air gap driving mechanism;
• providing an air gap actuator to interact with the air gap driving mechanism;
• and
• providing a controller that controls the air gap actuator and is configured to:
• (a). send a tripping signal to the air gap actuator and the one or more solid state switching components at the same time or
• (b). send a tripping signal to the air gap actuator earlier than sending the tripping signal to the one or more solid state switching components,
• wherein the air gap can open in a first reaction time after the one or more solid-state switching components are off, and
• wherein a solid-state switching component of the one or more solid-state switching components has a reaction time such that it can switch off in a second reaction time after receiving the trigger signal from the controller, wherein the second reaction time is smaller than the first reaction time by at least an order of magnitude of about 10 times.