Fast breaker failure detection for HVDC circuit breakers

A breaker failure detection device for a direct current (DC) circuit breaker, the DC circuit breaker comprising:

• a circuit breaking element being arranged for interrupting a DC circuit upon reception of a trip signal, and
• a non-linear resistor being connected in parallel with the circuit breaking element,
• wherein the breaker failure detection device comprises:
• at least one current sensor being arranged for measuring a current commutating from the circuit breaking element, and
• a breaker failure detection unit configured to:
• compare the measured current to desired values,
• decide, under the condition that the measured current deviates from the desired values, that an internal commutation process of the circuit breaker does not proceed as desired, and
• re-close, in response to deciding that the internal commutation process does not proceed as desired, the circuit breaking element.

A breaker failure detection device for a direct current (DC) circuit breaker, the DC circuit breaker comprising:

• a circuit breaking element being arranged for interrupting a DC circuit upon reception of a trip signal, and
• a non-linear resistor being connected in parallel with the circuit breaking element,
• wherein the breaker failure detection device comprises:
• at least one current sensor being arranged for measuring a current commutating from the circuit breaking element, and
• a breaker failure detection unit configured to
• compare the measured current to desired values,
• decide, under the condition that the measured current deviates from the desired values, that an internal commutation process of the circuit breaker does not proceed as desired,
• estimate, based on the measured current and a counter voltage of the non-linear resistor, the amount of energy to be dissipated by the non-linear resistor, and
• compare the estimated energy to a predetermined value, and decide, under the condition that the estimated energy exceeds the predetermined value, that the non-linear resistor is overloaded.

A method of breaker failure detection for a direct current (DC) circuit breaker, the DC circuit breaker comprising:

• a circuit breaking element being arranged for interrupting a DC circuit upon reception of a trip signal, and
• a non-linear resistor being connected in parallel with the circuit breaking element,
• wherein the method comprises:
• measuring a current commutating from the circuit breaking element,
• comparing the measured current to desired values,
• deciding, under the condition that the measured current deviates from the desired values, that an internal commutation process of the circuit breaker does not proceed as desired, and
• assessing, based on the measured current as a function of time, a cause of the undesired internal commutation process.

A method of breaker failure detection for a direct current (DC) circuit breaker, the DC circuit breaker comprising:

• a circuit breaking element being arranged for interrupting a DC circuit upon reception of a trip signal, and
• a non-linear resistor being connected in parallel with the circuit breaking element,
• wherein the method comprises:
• measuring a current commutating from the circuit breaking element,
• comparing the measured current to desired values,
• deciding, under the condition that the measured current deviates from the desired values, that an internal commutation process of the circuit breaker does not proceed as desired, and
• re-closing, in response to deciding that the internal commutation process does not proceed as desired, the circuit breaking element.

A method of breaker failure detection for a direct current (DC) circuit breaker, the DC circuit breaker comprising:

• a circuit breaking element being arranged for interrupting a DC circuit upon reception of a trip signal, and
• a non-linear resistor being connected in parallel with the circuit breaking element,
• wherein the method comprises:
• measuring a current commutating from the circuit breaking element,
• comparing the measured current to desired values,
• deciding, under the condition that the measured current deviates from the desired values, that an internal commutation process of the circuit breaker does not proceed as desired,
• estimating, based on the measured current and a counter voltage of the non-linear resistor, the amount of energy to be dissipated by the non-linear resistor, and
• comparing the estimated energy to a predetermined value, and deciding, under the condition that the estimated energy exceeds the predetermined value, that the non-linear resistor is overloaded.