Systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of high current protection are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a power system comprising a solid-state circuit breaker including a solid-state switching device, an energy dissipation branch, an assistive branch, and a controller. The energy dissipation branch is coupled in parallel with the solid-state switching device and includes an energy dissipation device. The assistive branch is coupled in parallel with the solid-state switching device and includes a resistor, an inductor, and a galvanic isolation switching device coupled together in series. The controller is configured to determine the solid-state circuit breaker is conducting a high magnitude current, select a continuous current limiting mode or an intermittent current limiting mode, and operate the solid-state switching device based on the selected current limiting mode.

A miniature circuit breaker for providing short circuit and overload protection is disclosed herein. The miniature circuit breaker features a field effect transistor (FET), which may be a depletion mode metal oxide semiconductor FET (D MOSFET), a junction field-effect transistor (JFET), or a silicon carbide JFET, the FET being connected to a bi-metallic switch, where the bi-metallic switch acts as a temperature sensing circuit breaker. In combination, the D MOSFET and bi-metallic switch are able to limit current to downstream circuit components, thus protecting the components from damage.

Electrical devices are connected to a DC voltage power supply grid being connected to a power source and having a supply voltage. Protection devices protect the electrical devices against an unintentional overcurrent sensed by a sensor unit. The protection devices disconnect the electrical devices from the DC voltage power supply grid when an overcurrent is detected. A pulse circuit having a capacitor with a semiconductor switching element connected in series with the capacitor is connected to respective inputs of the protection devices and supplies an amount of electric charge when a voltage dip occurs, wherein the amount of supplied electric charge is determined based on the detected overcurrent and a predetermined time period.

A surge protective device (SPD) includes a first electrical terminal, a second electrical terminal, and an overvoltage protection circuit connected between the first and second electrical terminals. The overvoltage protection circuit includes a gas discharge tube and a current management circuit connected in series to the gas discharge tube. The current management circuit includes a varistor and a resistor that are connected in parallel between a first node of the current management circuit and a second node of the current management circuit.

A three-stage surge protection device protects against complex, time-variant voltage transients, including those resulting from a high-altitude nuclear electromagnetic pulse or a solar coronal mass ejection. The device relies on interaction between a snubbing low-pass filter, a transient voltage suppressor, and an electronic crowbar circuit. The low-pass filter significantly lowers the let-through voltage of the device for short-duration pulses, and helps to spread the energy to more effectively utilize the transient voltage suppressor. The transient voltage suppressor limits the let-through voltage to a clamping level and provides indication to the crowbar circuit when it is no longer able to do so. Once the clamping level is no longer able to be maintained, the crowbar circuit draws enough current to trip an upstream protective device, such as a breaker or fuse.

A T-type DC circuit breaker includes a main branch, a first commutation switch, a second commutation switch, and a bypass branch. The first commutation switch and the second commutation switch are arranged at both ends of the main branch, respectively. The bypass branch is connected in parallel with the main branch. The main branch includes at least one half-controlled power electronic component. The bypass branch includes a bypass capacitor and a bypass diode connected in series. Each of the first commutation switch and the second commutation switch includes at least one fully-controlled power electronic component. The first commutation switch is connected in parallel with a first surge arrester, and the second commutation switch is connected in parallel with a second surge arrester. The grounded branch is arranged between the main branch and the second commutation switch and is grounded or connected to the negative terminal of the load.

The present invention discloses a DC solid-state circuit breaker with self-adapt fault current limiting capability. The topology of the DC solid-state circuit breaker is a H-bridge circuit consisting of two unidirectional breakable bridge arms and two series-connected diode bridge arms, wherein the two unidirectional breakable bridge arms are connected in series to the two series-connected diode bridge arms in a same direction to form two series branches, respectively; the series branches are connected in parallel; a series branch formed by a DC reactor L and a DC biased power supply is connected to the PCC between the two unidirectional breakable bridge arms and the PCC between the two series-connected diode bridge arms; the DC line is connected to the two PCCs, respectively.

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 solid state power controller includes at least one solid state switching device connected to at least one load to be supplied with power from a power feed line and configured to selectively connect the respective load to the power feed line or to disconnect the respective load from the power feed line; at least one SSPC control circuit configured to supply a control voltage to a control terminal of the solid state switching device; and a discrete output circuit electrically that supplies a discrete output signal indicative of the state of the control terminal of the solid state switching device and the discrete output circuit detects an overcurrent in a circuit connected to the discrete output terminal and to limit an output current and/or interrupt supply of the discrete output signal in case an overcurrent is detected.

A system for limiting power consumption from an auxiliary power supply is provided with a controller configured to toggle a switching circuit in accordance with an output of a sensing module and a time threshold, to sequentially cause the auxiliary power supply to be disconnected from an output terminal when the time threshold is reached and connected to the output terminal when a fault condition in the system is identified.