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Piezoelectric actuators provide several advantages, including rapid response time, travel control, high resolution and actuation efficiency. They are a good candidate for actuating mechanical switches designed for electrical circuit breakers. This study investigates the utilisation of an Amplified Piezoelectric Actuator (APA) in Block-Free (B-F) operational mode as an actuation unit for a Fast-Mechanical Switch (FMS) and an Ultra-Fast Disconnector (UFD) to be utilised in a DC Hybrid Circuit Breaker (HCB). Initially, the principle and construction of the piezoelectric actuator actuating scheme were described and illustrated. A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model was built to simulate and analyse the presented switch/disconnector static and dynamic behaviours. A prototype was constructed based on calculations, and the travel characteristics were experimentally validated. Subsequently, the proposed switch/disconnector was insulated once in a vacuum and later in a nitrogen gas interruption chamber. Both arrangements were integrated into a DC Hybrid Circuit Breaker test platform to investigate their interruption features. Results show that the presented switch/disconnector achieved a total gap of approximately 1 mm in 1.4 ms and interrupted a DC power of 0.6 kV/60 A within 0.85–1.5 ms in vacuum and 0.98–1.45 ms in nitrogen gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DC circuit breakers， as one of the vital devices for fault clearance in DC power systems， significantly influence the secure and stable operation of the system. Given the problem that most circuit breakers lack fault current limiting capability and are comparably expensive， this paper proposes a design for a capacitive high voltage DC circuit breaker incorporating a current limiting function. By utilizing the charging and discharging characteristics of capacitors， current limiting reactors and lightning arresters can be switched， significantly reducing the peak value of fault current. The extensively used IGBTs in conventional DC circuit breakers are replaced by capacitors， effectively reducing the cost while retaining the current cutout capability. A single-ended equivalent model is developed using PSCAD/EMTDC software， and simulation is conducted. The simulation results show that， compared with traditional high-voltage DC circuit breakers， the proposed scheme reduces the peak value of fault current and shortens the fault isolation time. It demonstrates pleasing performance.

Copyright of Zhejiang Electric Power is the property of Zhejiang Electric Power Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Globally, grid systems are facing substantial challenges due to the rapid growth in power demand. New technologies equipped by means of smart energy resources are one promising solution to cope with this challenge, leading to microgrid systems. The growing demand to develop the power sector by utilizing alternative energy resources plays an influential role in the advancement of low-voltage DC (LVDC) systems. With the prompt development of LVDC distribution grids, bipolar LVDC distribution topology is becoming a leading and promising solution. Therefore, this review paper represents a comprehensive overview as well as a comparative and critical analysis for the development of novel methods on LVDC grid analysis, control strategy, and protection schemes to solve energy management problems that lead to a futuristic novel solution in the green revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid circuit breakers are the most promising circuit breakers among DC circuit breakers. Conventional hybrid circuit breakers complete fault current isolation by converting current to IGBT when fault current occurs. However, in this case, the fault current continues to increase, so the IGBT must be large enough to withstand this current. In addition, in the case of a method of detecting and operating a fault, a delay time of up to hundreds of microseconds occurs, and in a hybrid circuit breaker, this delay time is a very large value. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a hybrid Z-source circuit breaker that operates without delay for low-impedance faults. The proposed breaker is designed to reduce stress on IGBTs and mechanical switches by generating a current zero crossing, as well as to enable the breaker to trip quickly in high-risk cases such as low-impedance fault circuits. Due to the limited environment of the laboratory, we performed 600 V fault isolation experiments. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that the proposed circuit breaker successfully isolated the fault within 1.6 ms. The current limiting feature of the Z-source appears to reduce stress on the IGBTs and MOVs used, and it allows for faster fault isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a study of the research development of electrodynamic phenomena occurring in ultra-fast electrodynamic drives. These types of linear drives are among the fastest, not only because of the huge accelerations achieved, but, above all, because of the extremely short reaction time. For this reason, electrodynamic drives are used in hybrid short-circuit breakers. The phenomena occurring in this type of drive are actually magneto-thermo-elastic in nature, but the coupling of these phenomena should be considered weak if the criteria for repeatable operation in a hybrid circuit breaker system are met. The authors have been researching this type of drive for many years through not only experimental studies, but also primarily simulation studies developing models of such drives. The authors present the history of the development starting from the first works of Thomson, and Kesserling and ending with the most current models, including mainly their own. This article presents mainly works studying electrodynamic phenomena. Thermal and mechanical phenomena were comprehensively presented by the authors in previous papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A massive number of DC circuit breaker is usually necessary to be installed to protect HVDC grids from DC faults, this will lead to high capital costs because large number of expensive IGBT-in-series are used. In this paper, an interline hybrid circuit breaker is proposed by the combination of SCR string and a small number of H-bridge modules (SCR-IHCB). The proposed SCR-IHCB has the capacity of blocking DC fault of two adjacent lines respectively by sharing only one main breaker branch (MB) mainly composed of low-cost SCR string and H-bridge module instead of IGBT-in-series string. The interline current flow control function is also integrated. Hence it has advantages of simple and compact topology, economical design compared with typical IGBT based HCB solutions. The operation process of the proposed SCR-IHCB is discussed in detail, and the performance is verified by MATLAB Simulink simulation and scale-down prototype experiment.

A new series-type hybrid circuit breaker (S-HCB) concept for dc fault protection is reported that is fundamentally different from other prior-art hybrid circuit breakers (HCB) or solid-state circuit breakers (SSCB) in the literature. The S-HCB conducts its load current through metal wires instead of power semiconductor switches and curtails its fault current to near zero throughout the entire opening process of a series mechanical switch. It offers the low on-resistance of the conventional mechanical contacts for normal operation and µs-scale fault response even faster than the fast-acting SSCBs. A proof-of-concept S-HCB prototype experimentally demonstrates the interruption of a fault current of 30 A within 10 μs at a dc voltage of 600 V. The operating principle, simulation, and experimental results are discussed in this letter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To protect power systems from severe short circuit faults, the zero-current switching (ZCS) technique is widely accepted due to its fast interruption speed. However, the traditional ZCS technique is more complicated in bidirectional switching, which limits its wide application, especially in AC power systems. Therefore, a novel auto-oriented bidirectional ZCS hybrid circuit breaker is proposed to simplify the overall topology of the circuit breaker. The design of the ZCS hybrid circuit breaker is based on the idea of diverting the pulse current toward the reverse direction of the fault current by the arcing voltage itself. The proposed scheme can interrupt bidirectional faults with just one ZCS circuit, without detecting fault current direction. Firstly in the paper, the topology and operating principles of the proposed bidirectional ZCS hybrid circuit breaker are introduced. Moreover, the key parameters are optimized to make the hybrid circuit breaker capable of bidirectional interruption automatically. Furthermore, dielectric recovery characteristics of the vacuum interrupter under special conditions are also measured to determine the design parameters. The proposed topology of the bidirectional ZCS hybrid circuit breaker is validated using a 450VAC/630A prototype. Short circuit breaking tests of the prototype are conducted without detecting fault current direction in advance. Experimental results show that the breaking time of the prototype is less than 1 ms in clearing either direction of fault current with a prospective value of 20 kA and $\text{d}i/\text{d}t$ of 8 A/ $\mu \text{s}$ . The feasibility of the proposed scheme is verified with these test results.

Medium voltage direct current (MVDC) power systems are in their early phase of development, but the lack of efficient and reliable DC circuit breakers is currently one of the most significant bottlenecks for widespread adoption of MVDC applications. Compared to protection devices in high voltage direct current (HVDC) systems, MVDC circuit breakers are expected to interrupt fault currents with higher rates of rise in more power-dense and more controllable structures. A hybrid approach with a piezoelectrically actuated fast mechanical switch in parallel to a solid-state circuit breaker is expected to meet the above requirements. A prototype of a 15 kV-class piezoelectrically actuated fast mechanical switch is presented in this paper. The prototype demonstrates an actuator opening time of 1 ms, a breakdown voltage of over 20 kV, and a continuous current rating of 500 A. After integrating the fast mechanical switch into a hybrid circuit breaker testbed, the fast mechanical switch was able to open within 1.5 ms and the fault was cleared within 5 ms. Therefore, piezoelectrically actuated fast mechanical switches can enable fast, reliable and controllable protection for various MVDC systems like electric ships, electric aircraft and microgrids that integrate distributed energy resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constrained by the characteristics of neutral sections (NS) and traditional vacuum circuit breakers, previous phase-controlled strategies have a long power supply dead time, it is difficult to realize a continuous power supply to the auxiliary power system. The dead time can be reduced by using the ground automatic convert method, hybrid phase-controlled technologies can in theory completely eliminate inrush currents. In this paper, a new system based on hybrid phase-controlled switches is described and termed ground-switching passing neutral section system (GPNSS). The principle for restraining inrush currents is analyzed and strategies are carried out with the dead time limited to 5 ms. The characteristics of the vacuum circuit breaker are illustrated and the closing time window of the transformer is quantified. Through the use of mechanical switches and power electronics, the auxiliary power system may be continuously powered. The prototype system is implemented and experimentally tested in the laboratory.

The medium voltage DC (MVDC) type system can connect multiple terminals to a common MVDC bus, so it is possible to connect several renewable DC power sources to the common MVDC bus, but a DC circuit breaker is needed to isolate short circuit accidents that may occur in the MVDC bus. For this purpose, the concept of a hybrid DC circuit breaker that takes advantage of a low conduction loss contact type switch and an arcless-breaking semiconductor switch has been proposed. During break the hybrid switch, a dedicated current commutation device is required to temporarily bypass the load current flowing through the main switch into a semiconductor switch branch. Existing current commutation methods include a proactive method and a reverse current injection method by a LC (Inductor-capacitor) resonant circuit. This paper proposes a power circuit of a new MVDC hybrid circuit breaker using a low withstanding voltage capacitor branch for commutation and a sequence controller according to it, and verifies its operation through an experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid direct current circuit breaker consisting of electrical contacts connected in parallel with a silicon carbide metal oxide semiconductor field‐effect transistor semiconductor device is capable of operating with low energy loss and high short‐circuit tolerance. It features a short‐duration arc discharge during current commutation; however, how the arc affects the dielectric strength between the contacts is not yet clear. This study conducts a quantitative evaluation of the dielectric strength after a short‐duration arc commutation. It is shown that the dielectric strength decreases after the arc commutation, and the breakdown electric field decreases as the arc duration increases. These results suggest that the existence of metal vapor and an increase in contact erosion caused by the commutation arc lower the dielectric strength of the electric contacts, in addition to the known effects of temperature rise of the contact surface and the air between contacts. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electric Power Automation Equipment / Dianli Zidonghua Shebei is the property of Electric Power Automation Equipment Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper proposes a coupled inductor-based hybrid dc circuit breaker topology with zero current switching for fast fault interruption in dc systems. A series resonant circuit comprising of the secondary winding of a two-winding coupled inductor and a charged capacitor (commutation capacitor) is switched on during fault to inject a counter-current pulse, and, consequently, force a zero crossing of fault current. Proposed solution facilitates arcless breaking for a mechanical circuit breaker due to zero current turn-off. The proposed circuit breaker exhibits fast fault response ($\sim$ 30  $\mu$ s), and the response time is programmable based on the design of the coupled inductor and commutation capacitor. Furthermore, presented solution mitigates the requirement of energy-absorbing elements for demagnetizing the dc network following fault interruption, in contrast to conventional dc breakers. The paper also presents two modified circuit-breaker topologies to achieve unipolar voltage profile on the capacitor, which will enable the use of electrolytic capacitors for commutation so that the capacitor stack size is reduced in high-voltage applications. Detailed analysis and design equations are presented to explain the operation of the proposed topologies. Functionality of the proposed circuit breakers is verified through simulation, and experimental results are based on two laboratory prototypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of direct current (DC) loads such as LED lighting, IT equipment, electric vehicles, and DC powers generated from renewable energy sources, low voltage DC (LVDC) distribution system is becoming a hot issue. One of the hurdles in the LVDC distribution system is arc flash at the contact points that occurs during the circuit is opening. Unlike alternating current, direct current has no zero points and sustains constantly. Therefore, there is a risk of electric fire due to continuous generating arcs when the load current is interrupted with an existing electrical contact type circuit breaker. Recently, the concept of a hybrid circuit breaker that takes advantage of traditional electrical contact type switch and the arcless semiconductor switch has been proposed, but how to cooperatively operate the two switches has become an issue. This paper analyzes the principle of a hybrid circuit breaker for blocking LVDC current and proposes a gate drive controller for it. Through 400V class LVDC cutoff test, the operation of the proposed hybrid circuit breaker is verified and the characteristics are analyzed.

The paper presents a new family of low voltage direct current, hybrid circuit breakers for urban traction vehicles (DCH-T) that also can be used in related industrial applications. A hyper-speed current breaking operation is performed by the means of a serial hybrid system, additionally protected by a fuse and a surge arrester. This process is arcless under any conditions. DCH-T circuit breakers are characterized by unique constructional and operational features and superior short-circuit parameters that are unreachable for classical magnetic blow-out devices. They effectively reduce short-circuit currents and the thermal and electrodynamic consequences of this phenomenon. They can protect all types of semiconductor converters used in electric traction vehicle drives. Moreover, they operate selectively in relation to the substation circuit breakers. Their contact life (even under short-circuit conditions) is equal to their mechanical life. Despite all the breaker standard functions, they offer special functions, such as cooperation with an on-board vehicle computer or a traffic control system. They are environmentally neutral and they can meaningfully improve passenger safety. Chosen thermal problems of DCH-T breakers has been modeled with the aid of simulation software and analyzed. DCH-T short-circuit parameters have been verified experimentally and the results are presented herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protection of multi-terminal HVDC systems by means of hybrid circuit breakers is a challenge because without coordination between the circuit breakers some unfaulted sections of the system could be disconnected. This paper proposes a new hybrid circuit breaker operation that accounts for the response of all circuit breakers installed to protect a multi-terminal HVDC system in order to coordinate them and avoid a false operation. The paper also includes the optimum selection of the main circuit breaker parameters installed to protect a multi-terminal HVDC system. The application of the procedure, based on a parallel MATLAB-EMTP application previously presented by the authors, shows that the resulting ranges of parameter values that optimize circuit breaker operations when the goal is to protect a multi-terminal HVDC system can be different from those obtained for a two-terminal system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct current (DC) circuit breakers are a key enabling technology for fault management in multiterminal highvoltage DC (HVDC) systems. DC fault isolation is challenging due to the high rate of rise of the fault current and the lack of natural current zero-crossings found in ac systems. In this paper, we present a novel superconducting hybrid dc circuit breaker that utilizes the intrinsic characteristics of the superconductor material. The automatic quench of the superconductor coil as a result of a high fault current transfers the current from the mechanical switch to the semiconductor switch. The isolating mechanical switch is able therefore to open at low current and recover its dielectric capability rapidly. A low voltage DC circuit breaker prototype has been built using a multistrand magnesium diboride (MgB2 ) coil, a vacuum interrupter, and an insulated-gate bipolar transistor module. This prototype successfully demonstrated interruption of 500 A DC within 4.4 ms. This paper presents the design of the superconducting hybrid breaker prototype and a detailed analysis of the experimental results. This superconducting hybrid dc circuit breaker has significant potential for scaling up the high-voltage and high-current applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper deals with a key issue, how to limit the hazard and assure reliability, safety and repeatability of operation of selected critical devices protecting electrical power systems. The main research is focused on the incorrect operation of hybrid switches caused by random disturbances of the thyristor gate signals in the electrodynamic drive coil power supply circuit. Firstly, a pilot experiment on the operation of hybrid circuit breaker actuators under random disturbance conditions was carried out and the results are presented. Next, an in-depth operation analysis, based on experimental and simulation research, according to setting conditions of the circuit breaker actuator parameters such as capacitance, voltage and switching time was performed. A simulation study with the use of a field-circumferential model in the Ansys Maxwell program of electrodynamic propulsion of rectilinear motion, which enables energy transfer from the capacitor bank to the actuator coil power supply at selected time intervals, was executed. The study analysed the impact of the discontinuity of energy transfer on the dynamic properties of the actuator and some recommendations for designers and users on how to limit this hazard are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the problems of traditional forced commutation hybrid type DC circuit breaker like that there is large reverse recovery voltage when high-speed mechanical switches instantly open, and it is needed to add charging power supply to pre-charging capacitor, this paper proposed a new non-arc DC breaker topology based on once natural commutation and secondary forced commutation. The critical moment of the working stage was calculated though the equivalent mathematical model and the simulation was carried out to analysis the correctness of the derivation. The results show that the new DC breaker not only realizes the mechanical switch arc-less breaking，but also makes the breaking speed faster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An active damping method for Thomson coil actuated ultrafast mechanical switches is proposed, including its control. Ultrafast mechanical switches are crucial for both dc and ac circuit breakers that require fast-acting current-limiting capabilities. However, fast motion means high velocity at the end of travel resulting in over-travel, bounce, fatigue, and other undesirable effects. The active damping proposed in this paper not only avoids such issues but actually enables faster travel by removing limitations that would otherwise be necessary. This active damping mechanism is applicable in particular to medium- and high-voltage circuit breakers, but can be extended to actuators in general. A 15 kV/630 A/1 ms mechanical switch designed to enable the fast protection of medium voltage dc circuits is used as a testbed for the concept. The switch is based on the principle of repulsion forces (Thomson coil actuator). By energizing a second coil, higher opening speeds can be damped, resulting in limited over-travel range of the movable contact. The overall structure is simple and the size of the overall switch is minimized. To validate the concept and to study the timing control for best active damping performance, both finite element modeling and experimental studies have been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Medium voltage direct current (MVDC) grids are proposed as a solution for future distribution systems providing advantages of lower transmission losses and high controllability. Protection of a DC grid is more challenging than AC systems due to fast fault propagation and high peak currents as well as lack of current zero crossing. Until now, proposed hybrid DC circuit breakers have been based on the power electronic components and considerably more expensive than AC circuit breakers. In case when DC circuit breakers are applied at each individual feeder, the cost of the MVDC grid increases significantly. In this paper, a multi-feeder protection system is proposed that utilizes the main power electronic part of the circuit breaker for several feeders' protection. The proposed solution allows the reduction of the protection system costs maintaining fast fault clearing capability provided by hybrid DC circuit breakers. Design evaluation of the protection system components is described in detail. Proposed multi-feeder protection solution is potentially capable to be used with any hybrid circuit breaker topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hybrid circuit breaker design offers a fast low-loss operation that can be of paramount importance for the development of future meshed HVDC systems. This paper summarizes the main results obtained from a parametric analysis based on a simplified representation of both the circuit breaker and the test system. The main goals are to investigate the operation of the new device when running as a fault-current limiter and find out the influence that some breaker and system parameters (e.g. prospective short-circuit current in the test system, operation time of the mechanical switch, cable length, fault position, rated voltage of arrester) can have on the overcurrents and overvoltages that will occur during breaker operation. The results derived from this study can be useful for choosing some breaker parameters and to lesser extent for improving the breaker design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and experimental results of a Thomson coil-based fast mechanical switch for hybrid ac and dc circuit breakers rated at 30-kV voltage and 630-A current. The compact design with optimized circuit parameters and geometric dimensions of components targets 2-mm travel within 1 ms when driven by a 2-mF capacitor bank precharged to 500 V. The use and design of a disc spring as the damping and holding mechanism is presented. Structural design of a complete switch assembly rather than just the actuator is given. Experimental results show that the switch can travel 1.3 mm in the first 1 ms and 3.1 mm in the first 2 ms when driven by a 360-V 2-mF capacitor bank. Such fast mechanical switches facilitate hybrid circuit breaker interruptions within 2 or 3 ms for ultra-fast and highly efficient protections in 5–35 kV medium-voltage dc as well as ac systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A hybrid circuit breaker consists of a series-connected vacuum- and SF6 interrupter. The vacuum interrupter has the function to withstand very steep-rising transient recovery voltages, whereas the SF6 interrupter is stressed with the peak of it. Full scale tests are described of a 145-kV prototype, which is subjected to short-line faults based on 63 kA. During these tests, current through the breaker and voltages across both interrupters were monitored with a high-resolution measurement system. It is shown that the principal idea works correctly. From measured results, it is demonstrated that the interaction between the two arcs of completely different physical nature has a positive effect on the interruption: Immediately before current zero, the SF6 arc assists the vacuum arc to interrupt, whereas after current zero, the vacuum arc assists the SF6 arc in the recovery against the recovery voltage. From the analysis of the measurements, it becomes clear that high values of postarc current (up to 30 A) have (at least initially) a positive effect on the breaker performance. Detailed modeling of the interaction of arc-arc and arc-circuit is described, showing a good agreement with the measured results. The model is used to predict the voltage distribution across both interrupters when other (capacitive) voltage grading is applied in the design than present during the tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have proposed a hybrid circuit breaker (CB) consisting of two series-connected arc devices with different arc-quenching media employing non-greenhouse gases. In the present research, a model hybrid CB adopting H2 and air as the quenching gases was constructed to examine the current interrupting performance. The model hybrid CB successfully interrupted an ac current with a peak value of 950 A. This interrupting capability was proved to be higher than that for another model CB being composed of two series-connected air arc switches. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the advent of direct current (DC) loads such as LED lighting, IT equipment, electric vehicles, and DC powers generated from renewable energy sources, low voltage DC (LVDC) distribution system is becoming a hot issue. One of the hurdles in the LVDC distribution system is arc flash at the contact points that occurs during the circuit is opening. Unlike alternating current, direct current has no zero points and sustains constantly. Therefore, there is a risk of electric fire due to continuous generating arcs when the load current is interrupted with an existing electrical contact type circuit breaker. Recently, the concept of a hybrid circuit breaker that takes advantage of traditional electrical contact type switch and the arcless semiconductor switch has been proposed, but how to cooperatively operate the two switches has become an issue. This paper analyzes the principle of a hybrid circuit breaker for blocking LVDC current and proposes a gate drive controller for it. Through 400V class LVDC cutoff test, the operation of the proposed hybrid circuit breaker is verified and the characteristics are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]