Arc flash mitigation device

1. A device comprising:

an electro-mechanical switching device having an open-circuit condition and a closed-circuit condition;

a path of least resistance having a path input and a path output with the electro-mechanical switching device between the path input and the path output;

a bypass power switch device that comprises a solid-state circuit interrupter and that is configured to conduct current between the path input and the path output in response to an open-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switching device;

a current sensor that is connected to the path output, the current sensor is configured to detect a fault current event;

an actuator that is coupled to the electro-mechanical switching device;

a controller that is configured to generate a trigger signal to activate the actuator to cause the open-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switching device and to interrupt the fault current event by the bypass power switch device, based on the detected fault current event; and

an external control panel connected to a control panel input of the controller,

wherein the external control panel is configured to provide a user interface to control operations of the controller, and

wherein the controller is also configured to:

in response to receiving a disarming control signal at the control panel input, cause in the path of least resistance the closed-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switching device; and

in response to receiving an arming control signal at the control panel input, cause in the path of least resistance the open-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switching device.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the current sensor has an output that is connected to a sensor input of the controller; and

the current sensor is configured to communicate a signal representative of detection of the fault current event to the sensor input of the controller.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid-state circuit interrupter comprises:

at least one transient-voltage suppression (TVS) diode having a first end connected to the path input and a second end connected to the path of least resistance between the electro-mechanical switching device and the path output; and

a bi-directional transistor switch having a first connection connected to the first end and the path input and a second connection connected to the second end and the path output.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one TVS diode comprises parallel TVS diodes.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a housing for housing the electro-mechanical switching device, the path of least resistance, the bypass power switch device and the controller,

wherein the housing comprises a molded case circuit breaker or an air circuit breaker.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the electro-mechanical switching device comprises a vacuum interrupter; and

the actuator comprises a Thompson coil or piezo-electric actuator connected to the vacuum interrupter.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bypass power switch device also comprises a cooling device.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the detected fault current event comprises a current associated with an arc flash event.

9. A method comprising:

controlling, in a path of least resistance including a path input and a path output, an electro-mechanical switching device that is between the path input and the path output;

detecting, by a current sensor, a fault current event at the path output;

generating, by a controller, a trigger signal to activate an actuator coupled to the electro-mechanical switching device;

causing an open-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switching device in the path of least resistance, in response to the activation of the actuator;

interrupting the detected fault current event by a bypass power switch device that comprises a solid-state circuit interrupter connected to the path input and the path output, in response to the open-circuit condition; and

controlling, by an external control panel connected to a control panel input of the controller, operations of the controller,

wherein the controlling comprises:

in response to a disarming control signal received at the control panel input of the controller, causing a closed-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switching device from the path input to the path output; and

in response to an arming control signal received at the control panel input of the controller, causing the open-circuit condition of the electro-mechanical switching device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fault current event comprises an arc flash event that occurred downstream the path output.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the interrupting by the bypass power switch device comprises:

passing the fault current event to at least one transient-voltage suppression (TVS) diode of the solid-state circuit interrupter connected to the path of least resistance between the electro-mechanical switching device and the path output, to suppress a transient voltage.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one TVS diode comprises parallel TVS diodes.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the electro-mechanical switching device comprises a vacuum interrupter with a vacuum chamber and an electro-mechanical switching device within the vacuum chamber; and

the actuator comprises a Thompson coil or piezo-electric actuator connected to the vacuum interrupter.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the bypass power switch device comprises a cooling device; and

the method further comprises cooling the bypass power switch device by the cooling device.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the detected fault current event is an arc flash event.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bypass power switch device has a response time between 100 microseconds and 0.5 milliseconds to interrupt the detected fault current event.