An integrated circuit with a hot-plug protection circuit includes input pins and an output pin. The input pins are electrically coupled to a common node in the hot-plug protection circuit via respective electrical connections. The integrated circuit includes clamping circuitry coupled between the common node and the output pin, the clamping circuitry activatable as a result of a voltage spike applied across the clamping circuitry. The plurality of electrical connections and the clamping circuitry provide respective current discharge paths between the input pins in the input pins and the output pin, the respective current discharge paths configured to become conductive as a result of a voltage spike applied to any of the input pins in the plurality of input pins being transferred to the common node via the respective electrical connection in the plurality of electrical connections electrically coupling said any of said input pins to the common node.

The present disclosure provides a DC mechanical circuit breaker that can utilize two switches, one of which can generate zero-crossing with an alternate oscillatory circuit for the other one, which can be a conventional zero-crossing-based AC breaker and can be used in the main circuit. This is different from the conventional single-switch commute-and-absorb method currently used. The present disclosure shows that disclosed circuit breaker improves the fault current extinction and significantly reduces the voltage rate-of-change while creating the current zero-crossing faster compared to the available technology. Thus, disclosed circuit breaker is capable of interrupting high DC currents with minimal arc through a less expensive AC circuit breaker. Simulation and hardware results are provided to show the efficiency of the disclosed circuit breaker.

One example includes a power relay system. The system includes a circuit breaker configured, when triggered, to provide an open circuit in a power line configured to conduct a current between a power grid point-of-interconnect (POI) and a power generator system. The system also includes a power controller configured to monitor the current and to generate a dynamic current threshold based on the current, the power controller being further configured to compare the current with the dynamic current threshold and to trigger the circuit breaker based on a difference of the current relative to the dynamic current threshold to set an arc flash incident energy level of the power generator system to less than or equal to a predetermined safety level.

A circuit interrupter includes a sensor structured to output a sensor signal, a control unit structured to receive an external control signal, the control unit including: a communication interface structured to receive the external control signal, and a waveform generator structured to generate a waveform equivalent to the sensor signal in response to the external control, and a signal processing circuit structured to receive and process the sensor signal or the generated waveform and to output the processed sensor signal or generated waveform to the control unit.

An integrated circuit with a hot-plug protection circuit includes input pins and an output pin. The input pins are electrically coupled to a common node in the hot-plug protection circuit via respective electrical connections. The integrated circuit includes clamping circuitry coupled between the common node and the output pin, the clamping circuitry activatable as a result of a voltage spike applied across the clamping circuitry. The plurality of electrical connections and the clamping circuitry provide respective current discharge paths between the input pins in the input pins and the output pin, the respective current discharge paths configured to become conductive as a result of a voltage spike applied to any of the input pins in the plurality of input pins being transferred to the common node via the respective electrical connection in the plurality of electrical connections electrically coupling said any of said input pins to the common node.

An arc mitigation apparatus includes an arc mitigation device and a solar cell. The arc mitigation device is configured to be mounted to a low-, medium-, or high-voltage switchgear. The arc mitigation device is configured to stop or limit current flow within at least one part of the low-, medium-, or high-switchgear when activated. The solar-cell is configured to be located within a compartment of the low-, medium-, or high-voltage switchgear. The solar-cell is configured to cause the arc mitigation device to activate due to radiation from an electrical arc of the switchgear impinging upon the solar-cell.

The disclosure relates to an electronic fuse system, and to a method for an electronic fuse system. The method comprises determining (201) if the number of engaged electronic circuit breaker modules (108) has changed compared to the stored configuration. Upon determining that the number of engaged electronic circuit breaker modules (108) has changed, determining (202) if the configuration of the electronic fuse system has changed by means of comparing a stored configuration in the power distribution controller (105) and a stored configuration in the electronic circuit breaker module (108). Upon determining that the configuration of the electronic fuse system has changed, determining (203) if a stored configuration is available from the bus (101). Upon determining (203) that a stored configuration is available from the bus, fetch (204) the stored configuration from the bus and start operation of the electronic fuse system according to the fetched configuration. Upon determining (203) that a stored configuration is not available from the bus, determining (205) if a stored configuration is available from the connectable external main processor. Upon determining (205) that a stored configuration is available from the connectable external main processor, fetch (206) the configuration from the connectable external main processor and start operation of the electronic fuse system according to the fetched configuration. Upon determining (205) that a stored configuration is not available from the connectable external main processor, start operation of the electronic fuse system according to a default configuration (207).

The present disclosure provides a DC mechanical circuit breaker that can utilize two switches, one of which can generate zero-crossing with an alternate oscillatory circuit for the other one, which can be a conventional zero-crossing-based AC breaker and can be used in the main circuit. This is different from the conventional single-switch commute-and-absorb method currently used. The present disclosure shows that disclosed circuit breaker improves the fault current extinction and significantly reduces the voltage rate-of-change while creating the current zero-crossing faster compared to the available technology. Thus, disclosed circuit breaker is capable of interrupting high DC currents with minimal arc through a less expensive AC circuit breaker. Simulation and hardware results are provided to show the efficiency of the disclosed circuit breaker.

The present disclosure relates a method of detecting an electrical disturbance by a DC component in a digital protective relay, which includes acquiring a sample value by sampling an input signal at a regular cycle, detecting the electrical disturbance based on a difference between a sampled first sample value and a second sample value after the first sample value, and when the electrical disturbance is detected, detecting the DC component based on a difference between the second sample value and a third sample value after the second sample value and a difference between the third sample value and a fourth sample value after the third sample value.

A protection relay is disclosed that generates a trip signal to operate a circuit breaker in case of a fault condition. A first module provides measurement and analysis of power parameters of the power line connecting the power equipment that is being protected, the protection being provided by generating a first trip signal for operating a circuit breaker connected in the power line. One or more second modules can boost performance of the protection relay by measurement and analysis of power parameters-to generate a second trip signal for operating a circuit breaker connected in the power line. The first trip signal and the second trip signal are logically combined to generate a trip signal that operates the circuit breaker.