Circuit Breakers and Circuit Breaker Operational Methods

A circuit breaker comprising:

• an input node configured to receive an AC waveform of electrical energy into the circuit breaker;
• an output node configured to output an AC waveform from the circuit breaker;
• a mechanical breaker circuitry coupled with the input node and the output node, and wherein the mechanical breaker circuitry is configured to selectively operate in a conductive state to conduct the AC waveform from the input node to the output node;
• switching circuitry coupled with the input node and the output node, and wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively operate in a conductive state to conduct the AC waveform from the input node to the output node;
• and
• control circuitry configured to control the switching circuitry to change from the operation in the conductive state to operation in a non-conductive state after detection of a fault.

A circuit breaker comprising:

• an input node configured to receive an AC waveform of electrical energy into the circuit breaker;
• an output node configured to output an AC waveform from the circuit breaker;
• a mechanical breaker circuitry coupled with the input node and the output node, and wherein the mechanical breaker circuitry is configured to selectively operate in a conductive state to conduct the AC waveform from the input node to the output node;
• switching circuitry coupled with the input node and the output node, and wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively operate in a conductive state to conduct the AC waveform from the input node to the output node;
• and
• control circuitry configured to control the mechanical breaker circuitry to change from the operation in the conductive state to operation in a non-conductive state after detection of a fault and at a zero-crossing of the AC waveform.

A circuit breaker operational method comprising:

• receiving an AC waveform of electrical energy within a circuit breaker via an input node of the circuit breaker;
• conducting the AC waveform from the input node to an output node of the circuit breaker using the circuit breaker;
• detecting a fault during the conducting;
• after the detecting, changing operation of mechanical breaker circuitry of the circuit breaker that is coupled with the input node and the output node from a conductive state to a non-conductive state;
• after the detecting, changing operation of switching circuitry of the circuit breaker that is coupled with the input node and the output node from a conductive state to a non-conductive state;
• and
• absorbing electrical energy of the fault using energy absorption circuitry of the circuit breaker after the changings of the operations of the mechanical breaker circuitry and the switching circuitry to the non-conductive state.