Solid-State Circuit Breaker with Air-Gap Fault Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional circuit breakers are slow to respond to faults, which can lead to increased risk of fire, equipment damage, and arc flashes, and require significant maintenance and oversight, limiting their effectiveness in modern electrical distribution systems.
Innovation Solution
A solid-state circuit breaker with self-diagnostic, self-maintenance, and self-protection capabilities, incorporating a power semiconductor device, air gap disconnect unit, sense and drive circuit, and microcontroller unit that monitors and controls the circuit breaker's components to quickly isolate faults and prevent damage or hazardous conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional electromechanical circuit breakers are used, then they provide effective fault isolation, but they respond slowly (several milliseconds) to faults
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electromechanical operating mechanism with solid-state power semiconductor devices (such as IGBTs or MOSFETs) that can switch electrical circuits in microseconds without mechanical moving parts. This substitution eliminates the inherent mechanical delay in conventional breakers while maintaining the essential function of circuit isolation, thereby achieving both fast response speed and reliable fault isolation.
2Extent of automation
If conventional circuit breakers are used, then they provide durable operation, but they require significant human oversight and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a microcontroller unit that continuously monitors the operational status of all critical components including the power semiconductor devices, sense and drive circuits, and air gap disconnect unit. The system automatically detects deviations from normal operation, diagnoses potential failures, and triggers protective actions without human intervention, enabling the circuit breaker to monitor and maintain itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements comprehensive feedback mechanisms where sensors continuously monitor electrical parameters and component health status, feeding this information back to the microcontroller. The microcontroller processes this feedback data to detect anomalies, diagnose issues, and adjust system operation or trigger protective tripping actions, creating a closed-loop self-monitoring system that reduces maintenance needs.
3Speed
If solid-state devices are used for fast fault isolation, then response time is reduced to microseconds, but the system requires sophisticated monitoring and control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into unified components: the microcontroller unit simultaneously performs fault detection, diagnostic analysis, control signal generation, and protective tripping activation. The sense and drive circuits combine current sensing, signal processing, and power semiconductor switching control in a single integrated subsystem, reducing overall system complexity despite the advanced capabilities required for microsecond-level fault isolation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solid-state circuit breaker rapidly isolates faults, reduces maintenance needs, and ensures safe operation by automatically monitoring and responding to deviations, thus enhancing safety and reliability in electrical systems.
Implementation Method 1
an air gap disconnect unit connected in series with the power semiconductor device; a microcontroller unit (MCU) that triggers the air gap disconnect unit to form an air gap and galvanically isolate an attached load
Implementation Method 2
a power semiconductor device; a sense and drive circuit that switches the power semiconductor device OFF upon detecting a short circuit or overload
Data Source
AI summary
A solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) with self-diagnostic, self-maintenance, and self-protection capabilities includes: a power semiconductor device; an air gap disconnect unit connected in series with the power semiconductor device; a sense and drive circuit that switches the power semiconductor device OFF upon detecting a short circuit or overload of unacceptably long duration; and a microcontroller unit (MCU) that triggers the air gap disconnect unit to form an air gap and galvanically isolate an attached load, after the sense and drive circuit switches the power semiconductor device OFF. The MCU is further configured to monitor the operability of the air gap disconnect unit, the power semiconductor device, and other critical components of the SSCB and, when applicable, take corrective actions to prevent the SSCB and the connected load from being damaged or destroyed and/or to protect persons and the environment from being exposed to hazardous electrical conditions.