A Medium-Voltage Hybrid DC Circuit Breaker—Part II: Ultrafast Mechanical Switch

Abstract

This paper presents the test results of an ultrafast (less than 2 ms) medium-voltage hybrid dc circuit breaker prototype that consists of three switching devices: a 15-kV silicon carbide (SiC) emitter turn-off thyristor as the main breaker (MB), a fast acting mechanical switch, and a commutating switch (CS) to quickly divert the primary current to the MB for arcless interruption. The hybrid dc circuit breaker prototype can interrupt a circuit in less than 2 ms in dc power systems up to 10 kV, such as in electric ships. The ultrafast operations and extremely low loss can effectively limit the fault current level and switching transients in all medium-voltage systems, and can provide intelligent and fast protection function for smart power distribution and critical loads in a modernized grid. The design considerations of the three switching devices of the hybrid dc circuit breaker are presented. This paper focuses on the ultrafast mechanical switch and the testing of the hybrid dc circuit breaker, while a companion paper addresses the high-voltage solid-state main switch and the low-voltage solid-state CS.