Process for testing the operability of a circuit breaker device

1. A process for testing the operability of a circuit breaker device to establish or to sever a connection of two circuit areas, the process comprising the steps of:

providing the circuit breaker device comprising a gate driver device and a MOSFET circuit component with a source terminal in connection with one of the circuit areas and a drain terminal in connection with another of the circuit areas and a gate terminal wherein the gate driver device is associated with the MOSFET circuit component for applying a gate voltage to the gate terminal of the MOSFET circuit component for switching the circuit breaker device into a connection switching state connecting the two circuit areas to one another;

switching the circuit breaker device into the connection switching state connecting the two circuit areas to the one another by applying the gate voltage to the gate terminal of the MOSFET circuit component during a connection phase;

monitoring the gate voltage during the connection phase;

monitoring of a base voltage being applied to the source terminal or/and being applied to the drain terminal during the connection phase; and

determining if a difference between the gate voltage and the base voltage falls below a predefined reference difference during the connection phase, to determine that a circuit defect is present in the MOSFET circuit component of the circuit breaker device.

2. The process for testing in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gate driver device comprises a boost converter.

3. The process for testing in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

an input voltage, which is below the base voltage by a predefined first voltage difference, is generated by the gate driver device based on the base voltage being applied or to be applied to the source terminal or/and to the drain terminal; and

an output voltage, which is above the input voltage by a predefined second voltage difference and which is to be applied to the gate terminal as the gate voltage, is generated by the gate driver device based on the input voltage; and

the output voltage is compared with the base voltage in said step of determining.

4. The process for testing in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:

a reference voltage, which is above the base voltage, is defined by the predefined reference difference; and

the gate voltage is compared with the reference voltage in said step of determining, and it is determined that the circuit defect is present if the gate voltage is below the reference voltage.

5. The process for testing in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of the circuit areas comprises a voltage source or/and at least one electrical energy consumer.

6. The process for testing in accordance with claim 1 , wherein if it is determine that the circuit defect is present in the MOSFET circuit component of the circuit breaker device, a safety switching action is taken.

7. The process for testing in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the safety switching action comprises:

an ending of the connection phase; or

the generation of a safety warning; or

the controlled ending of a driving operation of a vehicle provided with the circuit breaker device; or

any combination of an ending of the connection phase, and a generation of a safety warning, and a controlled ending of a driving operation of a vehicle provided with the circuit breaker device.

8. The process for testing in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the circuit breaker device comprises at least another MOSFET circuit component to provide the circuit breaker device with a plurality of MOSFET circuit components connected in series or/and parallel to the one another, wherein the plurality of MOSFET circuit components is under actuation of the gate driver device.

9. The process for testing in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the gate driver device comprises a boost converter.

10. The process for testing in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the circuit breaker device is provided in a vehicle comprising the two circuit areas.

11. A process for testing the operability of a circuit breaker device to establish or to sever a connection of two circuit areas, the process comprising the steps of:

providing the circuit breaker device comprising a gate driver device and a MOSFET circuit component with a source terminal in connection with one of the circuit areas and a drain terminal in connection with another of the circuit areas and a gate terminal wherein the gate driver device is associated with the MOSFET circuit component for applying a gate voltage to the gate terminal of the MOSFET circuit component for switching the circuit breaker device into a connection switching state connecting the two circuit areas to one another;

switching the circuit breaker device into the connection switching state connecting the two circuit areas to the one another by applying the gate voltage to the gate terminal of the MOSFET circuit component during a connection phase;

monitoring the gate voltage during the connection phase;

monitoring of a base voltage being applied to the source terminal or/and being applied to the drain terminal during the connection phase; and

determining if a difference between the gate voltage and the base voltage falls below a predefined reference difference during the connection phase, to determine that a circuit defect is present in the MOSFET circuit component of the circuit breaker device, wherein:

an input voltage, which is below the base voltage by a predefined first voltage difference, is generated by the gate driver device based on the base voltage being applied or to be applied to the source terminal or/and to the drain terminal;

an output voltage, which is above the input voltage by a predefined second voltage difference and which is to be applied to the gate terminal as the gate voltage, is generated by the gate driver device based on the input voltage; and

the output voltage is compared with the base voltage in said step of determining.

12. A process for testing the operability of a circuit breaker device to establish or to sever a connection of two circuit areas, the process comprising the steps of: providing the circuit breaker device comprising a gate driver device and a MOSFET circuit component with a source terminal in connection with one of the circuit areas and a drain terminal in connection with another of the circuit areas and a gate terminal wherein the gate driver device is associated with the MOSFET circuit component for applying a gate voltage to the gate terminal of the MOSFET circuit component for switching the circuit breaker device into a connection switching state connecting the two circuit areas to one another; switching the circuit breaker device into the connection switching state connecting the two circuit areas to the one another by applying the gate voltage to the gate terminal of the MOSFET circuit component during a connection phase; monitoring the gate voltage during the connection phase; monitoring of a base voltage being applied to the source terminal or/and being applied to the drain terminal during the connection phase; determining if a difference between the gate voltage and the base voltage falls below a predefined reference difference during the connection phase, to determine that a circuit defect is present in the MOSFET circuit component of the circuit breaker device, wherein: a reference voltage, which is above the base voltage, is defined by the predefined reference difference; and the gate voltage is compared with the reference voltage in said step of determining, and it is determined that the circuit defect is present if the gate voltage is below the reference voltage.