Modular solid-state circuit breaker including integrated switch and voltage-clamping elements

1 . A system, comprising:

a first module housing comprising a first heatsink and having a first plurality of fins extending therefrom configured to dissipate heat; and

a first circuit breaker circuit comprising at least one first semiconductor switch connected in parallel to a first at least one voltage clamping element, the first at least one semiconductor switch and the first at least one voltage clamping element of the first circuit breaker circuit being integrated with one another inside the first module housing;

wherein the first at least one voltage clamping element comprises a first at least one transient voltage suppression (TVS) diode;

a second module housing comprising a second heatsink and having a second plurality of fins extending therefrom configured to dissipate heat; and

a second circuit breaker circuit comprising a second at least one semiconductor switch connected in parallel to a second at least one voltage clamping element, the second at least one semiconductor switch and the second at least one voltage clamping element of the second circuit breaker circuit being integrated with one another inside the second module housing;

wherein the second at least one voltage clamping element comprises a second at least one TVS diode.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuit breaker circuit comprises a plurality of semiconductor switches connected in parallel to the at least one voltage clamping element.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first circuit breaker circuit comprises the plurality of semiconductor switches connected in parallel to a plurality of voltage clamping elements, respectively.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first at least one voltage clamping element further comprises at least one metal oxide varistor (MOV);

wherein the first semiconductor switch is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET); and

wherein the first at least one voltage clamping element is configured to clamp a voltage across the voltage clamping element and to absorb energy from system inductance responsive to cutting off a fault current.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the MOSFET is a SiC MOSFET or an Si MOSFET.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor switch is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), a thyristor, or an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the HEMT is a GaN HEMT.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor switch is a unidirectional switch.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor switch is a bidirectional switch;

wherein the first semiconductor switch comprises one or more anti-series semiconductor switches or one or more anti-parallel semiconductor switches.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a snubber circuit connected in parallel to the first circuit breaker circuit, the snubber circuit being integrated inside the first module housing.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a driver circuit integrated inside the first module housing and connected to the first at least one semiconductor switch.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuit breaker circuit is a first circuit breaker circuit of one of a plurality of first circuit breaker circuits.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first circuit breaker circuits are connected in series.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first circuit breaker circuits are connected in parallel.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of first circuit breaker circuits are connected in series and a second subset of the plurality of circuit breaker circuits are connected in parallel.

16 . A system, comprising:

at least one solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) module, the SSCB module comprising:

a module housing comprising a heatsink and having a plurality of fins extending therefrom configured to dissipate heat; and

a circuit breaker circuit comprising at least one semiconductor switch connected in parallel to at least one voltage clamping element, the at least one semiconductor switch and the at least one voltage clamping element of the circuit breaker circuit being integrated with one another inside the module housing; and

a controller coupled to the SSCB module and configured to generate a control signal responsive to a short circuit event in an electrical load;

wherein the at least one semiconductor switch is responsive to the control signal; and

wherein the at least one voltage clamping element comprises at least one transient voltage suppression (TVS) diode;

wherein the at least one SSCB module is a first SSCB module, the module housing is a first module housing, the heatsink is a first heatsink, the plurality of fins is a first plurality of fins, the circuit breaker circuit is a first circuit breaker circuit, the at least one semiconductor switch is a first semiconductor switch, the at least one voltage clamping element is a first at least one voltage clamping element, and the at least one TVS diode is a first one TVS diode, the system further comprising:

a second SSCB module, comprising:

a second module housing comprising a second heatsink and having a second plurality of fins extending therefrom configured to dissipate heat; and

a second circuit breaker circuit comprising a second at least one semiconductor switch connected in parallel to a second at least one voltage clamping element, the second at least one semiconductor switch and the second at least one voltage clamping element of the second circuit breaker circuit being integrated with one another inside the second module housing; and

wherein the controller is coupled to the first and second SSCB modules;

wherein the second at least one semiconductor switch is responsive to the control signal; and

wherein the second at least one voltage clamping element comprises a second at least one TVS diode.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second SSCB modules are connected in series.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second SSCB modules are connected in parallel.

19 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a third SSCB module, and a fourth SSCB module that are electrically connected to the first SSCB module and the second SSCB module;

wherein first and third SSCB modules are connected in series and the second and fourth SSCB modules are connected in parallel.