ETO-Based DC Circuit Breaker

This invention describes a novel, high current, high speed, solid state DC circuit breaker capable of interrupting high DC currents over a very short time. Potential market opportunities exist for electric traction systems, mining trolley systems, power stations and industrial applications.

A newly developed power semiconductor device, the Emitter Turn-Off (ETO) Thyristor is incorporated in the design, demonstrating superior performance over mechanical circuit breakers without increasing cost. This ETO technology incorporates a positive temperature coefficient of the device on-conduction resistance, guaranteeing current sharing between devices. Additionally, the ETO has built-in current sensing applications, allowing the circuit breaker to effectively interrupt 5,000 ampheres in 4 microseconds. Unlike many available circuit breakers on the market, this circuit breakers includes both a solid state switch and tripping unit.

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