Hybrid circuit breaker and methods for opening and closing such a circuit breaker

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hybrid circuit breaker (1), comprising a switching device (5) and a control unit (7). The switching device (5) comprises a main branch (25), including a mechanical switch (17), and an interrupting branch (27), including a semiconductor component (19) and an isolation switch (21). The semiconductor component (19) is configured to switch between a conducting and a blocking configuration. The isolation switch (21) is configured to switch between a closed and an open configuration. The mechanical switch (17) is configured to switch between a closed, an open, and a disconnected configuration.The resistance to current flow in the main branch of the mechanical switch (17) in the sectioned configuration is greater than the resistance to current flow in the main branch of the mechanical switch (17) in the open configuration.

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