Unwanted or parasitic capacitances may occur in MEMS switches. To reduce or eliminate the impact of the unwanted or parasitic capacitance, an extra device, such as a second MEMS switch, may be coupled to a first MEMS switch to divert the unwanted or parasitic capacitance to ground.

A low-voltage circuit breaker device includes: at least one external conductor section from an external conductor supply connection of the low-voltage circuit breaker device to an external conductor load connection of the low-voltage circuit breaker device; a mechanical bypass switch arranged in the external conductor section; a first semiconductor circuit arrangement connected in parallel to the mechanical bypass switch; an electronic control unit; a current measuring arrangement arranged in the external conductor section, which current measuring arrangement is connected to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit controlling the mechanical bypass switch and the first semiconductor circuit arrangement when a given overcurrent, namely a short-circuit current, is detected by the current measuring arrangement; and a second semiconductor circuit arrangement arranged in the external conductor section in series with the mechanical bypass switch and in parallel to the first semiconductor circuit arrangement.

A switching device is for a low-voltage electric circuit having a plurality of conductors. In an embodiment, the switching device includes a housing having connection contacts arranged on the housing for connection of conductors of the low-voltage electric circuit; and a mechanical unit situated in the housing having an isolating function and an OFF or IN position, the mechanical unit including isolating contacts for galvanically interrupting the conductors of the low-voltage electric circuit. An electronic unit is provided which is connected to the mechanical unit in series on the current flow side; an auxiliary switch connected to the mechanical unit is provided and is connected in turn to the electronic unit; and the auxiliary switch and the electronic unit are designed in such a way that the electronic unit is highly resistive during an opening process of the mechanical unit.

An electrical protective circuit arrangement includes: a first outer conductor path and a second outer conductor path, the first outer conductor path being arranged in parallel with the second outer conductor path in terms of circuit technology; a second semiconductor circuit arrangement arranged in the first outer conductor path; a first current measuring arrangement arranged in the first outer conductor path and being connected to a first electronic control unit, the first electronic control unit driving the second semiconductor circuit arrangement; a fourth semiconductor circuit arrangement arranged in the second outer conductor path; a second current measuring arrangement arranged in the second outer conductor path and being connected to a second electronic control unit, the second electronic control unit driving the fourth semiconductor circuit arrangement. The first electronic control unit and the second electronic control unit are connected in terms of communications technology.

A hybridization system for an electric device having two terminals and two states including a closed state allowing an electric current to circulate between the two terminals and an open state blocking the circulation of the electric current between the terminals, the device being suitable for an electric arc to be generated during the switching from the closed state to the open state. The hybridization system includes: two conductors connected to the two terminals of the electric device; a timer switch having two terminals connected to the two conductors and the timer switch being suitable for being in the open state by default and, after a first predetermined duration following the triggering of the electric arc, switching to the closed state for a second predetermined duration, and an electric power supply of the timer switch, connected to the two conductors in order to derive its power only from the electric energy provided by the electric arc.

A switching apparatus comprises: a first current-conductive branch (12) including a first switching element (24), the first switching element (24) configured to be switchable to selectively permit and block a flow of current in the first current-conductive branch (12); a second current-conductive branch (14) including a second switching element (32), the second switching element (32) configured to be switchable to selectively permit and block a flow of current in the second current-conductive branch (14); and first and second terminals (18,20) for connection, in use, to an electrical network (22), wherein the first and second current-conductive branches (12,14) extend between the first and second terminals (18,20), wherein the switching apparatus further includes an inductance element (44) configured to carry, in use, a current flowing through the switching apparatus, the inductance element (44) electrically coupled to the second switching element (32) so that the inductance element (44) is configured as a power source for enabling the operation of the second switching element (32).

In an electrical distribution system including a solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) and one or more downstream mechanical circuit breakers (CBs), a solid-state switching device in the SSCB is repeatedly switched ON and OFF during a short circuit event, to reduce a root-mean-square (RMS) value of the short circuit current. The resulting pulsed short circuit current is regulated in a hysteresis control loop, to limit the RMS to a value low enough to prevent the SSCB from tripping prematurely but high enough to allow one of the downstream mechanical CBs to trip and isolate the short circuit. Pulsing is allowed to continue for a maximum short circuit pulsing time. Only if none of the downstream mechanical CBs is able to trip to isolate the short circuit within the maximum short circuit pulsing time is the SSCB allowed to trip.

A system includes a first circuit breaker comprising a first solid state switch, first mechanical contacts, and a current sensor structured to sense current flowing through the first circuit breaker, and a second circuit breaker electrically coupled to the first circuit breaker and being structured to interrupt current flowing to the first circuit breaker, wherein the first circuit breaker is structured to transmit, to the second circuit breaker, a request upon detecting a failure mode, and wherein the second circuit breaker is structured to interrupt current flowing to the first circuit breaker in response to receiving the request, and the first circuit breaker is further structured to open the first mechanical contacts when the current flowing through the first circuit breaker drops to a predetermined level.

A solid state circuit interrupter provides structures which can manually move an isolation switch of a pole from the ON state to the OFF state without the use of auxiliary power but that advantageously additionally provides an interlock apparatus that avoids manually moving the isolation switch from the ON state to the OFF state until certain conditions exist. One such condition is to ensure that some action is taken, such as by switching a physical interlock between one state and another state. Such a change in state of the physical interlock might additionally result in a change in state of an electronic interlock that would resist the solid state switch being moved to its ON state while the isolation switch is capable of being manually switched to its OFF state. The physical interlock might additionally resist the isolation switch from being manually switched into its ON state.

The disclosure relates to a mechatronic circuit-breaker device adapted to break an electrical current flowing through electrical power transmission means, the device including a main branch comprising at least one electromechanical switch-disconnector connected in series with at least one breaker cell itself electrically in parallel with a snubber and a first voltage surge limiter; an auxiliary branch electrically in parallel with the main branch and comprising at least one power electronic switch, connected in series with at least one capacitor, itself electrically in parallel with its discharge resistance and a second voltage surge limiter. The first voltage surge limiter has a sharper voltage-current characteristic and offering a much steeper slope at low currents than the second surge limiter.