SOLID-STATE CIRCUIT BREAKER CONFIGURED WITH AT LEAST ONE FAIL-OPEN MECHANISM AND PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THE SAME
A solid state circuit breaker includes at least one power device and a control circuit configured to detect a fault and further configured to control operation of the at least one power device to open and electrically disconnect a power source from a load. Further, the solid state circuit breaker includes at least one fail-open device.
1 . A solid state circuit breaker comprising:
at least one power device;
a control circuit configured to detect a fault and further configured to control operation of the at least one power device to open and electrically disconnect a power source from a load; and
at least one fail-open device.
2 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fail-open device is configured to provide a physical disconnect in case of failure of the at least one power device and/or the control circuit.
3 . (canceled)
4 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fail-open device comprises at least one fuse.
5 . (canceled)
6 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fail-open device comprises a first connection structure and a second connection structure.
7 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one fail-open device comprises a first connection structure and a second connection structure are configured to provide a physical air-gap in case of failure of the at least one power device and/or the control circuit.
8 .- 11 . (canceled)
12 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 6 , wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of at least a part of a material of the first connection structure is different from a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of at least a part of a material of the second connection structure.
13 . (canceled)
14 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first connection structure comprises an attachment portion, a body portion, and a connection portion; and
wherein the second connection structure comprises an attachment portion, a body portion, and a connection portion.
15 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 14 , wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the body portion of the first connection structure and/or the connection portion of the first connection structure is different from a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the body portion of the second connection structure and/or the connection portion of the second connection structure.
16 .- 19 . (canceled)
20 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 6 , further comprising an encapsulation configured to provide cooling,
wherein the encapsulation is configured to allow for movement of the at least one fail-open device.
21 . (canceled)
22 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first connection structure is configured to change shape including straightening, rotating, and/or twisting; and
wherein the second connection structure is configured to change shape including straightening, rotating, and/or twisting in a manner different from the first connection structure.
23 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 22 , wherein a change in shape by the first connection structure is opposite to a change in shape of the second connection structure.
24 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first connection structure comprises one or more metals, metal alloys, shape memory materials, shape memory alloys, memory metals, memory alloys, smart metals, and/or smart alloys;
wherein the second connection structure comprises one or more metals, metal alloys, shape memory materials, shape memory alloys, memory metals, memory alloys, smart metals, and/or smart alloys; and
wherein a material of the first connection structure is different from a material of the second connection structure.
25 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first connection structure comprises an upper portion of material; and
wherein the first connection structure comprises a lower portion of the first connection structure.
26 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 25 , wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a material of the upper portion of the first connection structure is different from a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a material of the lower portion of the first connection structure.
27 . (canceled)
28 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 6 ,
wherein the second connection structure comprises an upper portion of material; and
wherein the second connection structure comprises a lower portion of the first connection structure.
29 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 28 , wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a material of a lower portion of the second connection structure is different from a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a material of an upper portion of the second connection structure.
30 . (canceled)
31 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one fail-open device comprises at least one fuse; and
wherein the at least one fail-open device is further configured with a first connection structure and a second connection structure.
32 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one fail-open device comprises a plurality of paralleled implementations of the at least one fuse.
33 . (canceled)
34 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one second power device; and
another implementation of the at least one fuse.
35 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one second power device; and
another implementation of the at least one fail-open device.
36 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one second power device,
wherein the at least one fail-open device is between the at least one power device and the power source; and/or wherein the at least one fail-open device is between the at least one second power device and the load.
37 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the solid state circuit breaker is implemented as a power package, a package, a power module, and/or a module.
38 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one power device is implemented as a single standalone transistor and/or a single cascode transistor.
39 .- 45 . (canceled)
46 . A solid state circuit breaker comprising:
at least one power device;
a control circuit configured to detect a fault and further configured to control operation of the at least one power device to open and electrically disconnect a power source from a load; and
at least one fail-open device,
wherein the at least one fail-open device comprises at least one fuse and/or a first connection structure and a second connection structure.
47 .- 49 . (canceled)
50 . The solid state circuit breaker according to claim 46 , wherein the first connection structure and the second connection structure are configured to provide a physical air-gap in case of failure of the at least one power device and/or the control circuit.
51 .- 176 . (canceled)
177 . A fail-open device comprising:
a first connection structure; and
a second connection structure,
wherein the first connection structure is configured to be electrically disconnected from the second connection structure above a certain current flow.
178 . The fail-open device according to claim 177 , wherein the first connection structure and the second connection structure are configured to provide a physical disconnect.
179 .- 233 . (canceled)
234 . The fail-open device according to claim 6 , wherein the first connection structure and the second connection structure are configured to be electrically disconnected and stay disconnected.
235 . The fail-open device according to claim 6 , wherein the first connection structure and the second connection structure are configured to be electrically disconnected and subsequently reconnect.
236 . The fail-open device according to claim 1 , further comprising a monitoring circuit configured to measure a number of operations and/or a frequency of operations of the at least one fail-open device.
237 . The fail-open device according to claim 46 , wherein the first connection structure and the second connection structure are configured to be electrically disconnected and stay disconnected.
238 . The fail-open device according to claim 46 , wherein the first connection structure and the second connection structure are configured to be electrically disconnected and subsequently reconnect.
239 . The fail-open device according to claim 46 , further comprising a monitoring circuit configured to measure a number of operations and/or a frequency of operations of the at least one fail-open device.
240 . The fail-open device according to claim 177 , wherein the first connection structure and the second connection structure are configured to be electrically disconnected and stay disconnected.
241 . The fail-open device according to claim 177 , wherein the first connection structure and the second connection structure are configured to be electrically disconnected and subsequently reconnect.
242 . The fail-open device according to claim 177 , further comprising a monitoring circuit configured to measure a number of operations and/or a frequency of operations of the at least one fail-open device.