Solid-state circuit breaker configured to discharge and dissipate recovery voltage
A solid-state circuit breaker comprises a solid-state device configured between line-in and line-out terminals, an air-gap forming apparatus coupled in series with the solid-state device to complete a current conducting path and a sensing and control unit to control a gate of the solid-state device. It further comprises a first switching component coupled in series with an actuator coil across a connection point after an air gap and a neutral such that the sensing and control unit to control a gate of the first switching component. It further comprises a second switching component coupled between the line-out terminal and a terminal between the actuator coil and the first switching component such that the sensing and control unit to control a gate of the second switching component. The actuator coil is configured to discharge and dissipate a recovery voltage associated therewith an inductive load.
1. A solid-state circuit breaker configured to feed current to an inductive load having a recovery voltage associated therewith, the solid-state circuit breaker comprising:
line-in and line-out terminals;
a solid-state device configured between the line-in and line-out terminals;
an air-gap forming apparatus between the line-in and line-out terminals and coupled in series with the solid-state device to complete a current conducting path;
a sensing and control unit provided across a connection point after an air gap and a neutral to control a gate of the solid-state device;
a first switching component coupled in series with an actuator coil across the connection point after the air gap and the neutral such that the sensing and control unit to control a gate of the first switching component; and
a second switching component coupled between the line-out terminal and a terminal between the actuator coil and the first switching component such that the sensing and control unit to control a gate of the second switching component, wherein the actuator coil is configured to discharge and dissipate the recovery voltage.
2. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the first switching component is a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).
3. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 2 , wherein the second switching component is a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).
4. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein, during switching OFF, the gate of the second switching component is turned ON at the same time as the gate of the solid-state device is turned OFF.
5. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 4 , wherein when the recovery voltage occurs it is configured to discharge through a current path that comprises the second switching component and the actuator coil.
6. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 5 , wherein a recovery current from the recovery voltage is high enough to allow the actuator coil to open an air gap via the air-gap forming apparatus.
7. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 6 , wherein in case the recovery current is not high enough to open the air gap, the first switching component is still turned ON after a short delay and the air gap will be open.
8. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the actuator coil is used in combination with one or more capacitors in parallel or in series to best match with loads.
9. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the second switching component is optional.
10. The solid-state circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the actuator coil is used in combination with a suppressing component including a metal-oxide varistor (MOV) and a transient-voltage-suppression (TVS) diode.
11. A method for feeding current to an inductive load having a recovery voltage associated therewith, the method comprising:
providing line-in and line-out terminals;
providing a solid-state device configured between the line-in and line-out terminals;
providing an air-gap forming apparatus between the line-in and line-out terminals and coupled in series with the solid-state device to complete a current conducting path;
providing a sensing and control unit across a connection point after an air gap and a neutral to control a gate of the solid-state device;
providing a first switching component coupled in series with an actuator coil across the connection point after the air gap and the neutral such that the sensing and control unit to control a gate of the first switching component; and
providing a second switching component coupled between the line-out terminal and a terminal between the actuator coil and the first switching component such that the sensing and control unit to control a gate of the second switching component, wherein the actuator coil is configured to discharge and dissipate the recovery voltage.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first switching component is a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second switching component is a triode for alternating current (TRIAC), a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein, during switching OFF, the gate of the second switching component is turned ON at the same time as the gate of the solid-state device is turned OFF.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein when the recovery voltage occurs it is configured to discharge through a current path that comprises the second switching component and the actuator coil.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a recovery current from the recovery voltage is high enough to allow the actuator coil to open an air gap via the air-gap forming apparatus.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein in case the recovery current is not high enough to open the air gap, the first switching component is still turned ON after a short delay and the air gap will be open.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the actuator coil is used in combination with one or more capacitors in parallel or in series to best match with loads.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second switching component is optional.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the actuator coil is used in combination with a suppressing component including a metal-oxide varistor (MOV) and a transient-voltage-suppression (TVS) diode.