Enhanced LV solid-state DC circuit breaker design with divided surge absorption technique

Abstract

This article presents an innovative design for low-voltage (LV) solid-state DC circuit breaker (SS-DCCB), incorporating the divided surge absorption technique (DSAT). This novel approach divides the circuit-breaking process into two distinct sections: a line-side surge absorber and a load-side surge damper. Upon detecting a fault through embedded current transformer (CT) measurements and microprocessor-defined thresholds, the SS-DCCB rapidly protects the system by disconnecting the load, ensuring reliable performance. The line-side surge is absorbed via a bypassed path utilizing silicon-controlled rectifier (SCRs) and a series electrolytic capacitor based subcircuit, while the load-side surge is mitigated through a circulation diode pathway. The adaptability of the proposed DSAT technique is assessed at two voltage levels: V1=300 V and V2=48 V, demonstrating its effectiveness and potential to extend in a wide range of LV and medium voltage (MV) levels. These findings validate the theoretical concept through MATLAB simulations and in-lab practical analysis demonstrated by the proposed model.