Modular circuit protection devices and configurable panelboard systems include arc-free operation, thermal management features providing safe operation in hazardous environments at lower cost and without requiring conventional explosion-proof enclosures and without entailing series connected separately provided packages such as circuit breaker devices and starter motor contactors and controls.

A circuit breaker includes an electromechanical switch, a current sensor, a voltage sensor, and a processor. The electromechanical switch is serially connected between a line input terminal and a load output terminal of the circuit breaker, and configured to be placed in a switched-closed state or a switched-open state. The current sensor is configured to sense a magnitude of current flowing in a path between the line input and load output terminals and generate a current sense signal. The voltage sensor is configured to sense a magnitude of voltage at a point on the path between the line input and load output terminals and generate a voltage sense signal. The processor is configured to receive and process the current sense signal and the voltage sense signal to determine operational status information of the circuit breaker and determine power usage information of a load connected to the load output terminal.

A load or a generator is connected to an energy line, e.g. a ring feeder of an energy distribution network by using a switching system. For this purpose, the switching system has a thyristor circuit, which is connected in parallel to a disconnect switch and connects the transformer of the switching system to an energy line. Thereby an efficient disconnect switch can be realized, which can be dimensioned depending on the power of the load or generator.

An ultra-fast moving conductor for use with a circuit breaker is provided. The moving conductor includes a hollow outer stem and a removable core. Multiple removable cores are produced for use with the moving conductor for different purposes. The outer stem is produced from annealed copper that must be brazed before the circuit breaker is placed into operation, and a first removable core produced from copper is inserted into the outer stem to provide structural reinforcement to the outer stem during brazing. After brazing is complete, the copper core is removed from the outer stem, and a significantly lighter work hardened aluminum core is inserted into the outer stem. The lightweight aluminum core enables the moving conductor to open the circuit breaker much faster than the copper core would, and the copper core prevents contamination of the brazing furnace that would result from using the aluminum core during brazing.

A two terminal arc suppressor for protecting switch, relay or contactor contacts and the like comprises a two terminal module adapted to be attached in parallel with the contacts to be protected and including a circuit for deriving an operating voltage upon the transitioning of the switch, relay or contactor contacts from a closed to an open disposition, the power being rectified and the resulting DC signal used to trigger a power triac switch via an optoisolator circuit whereby arc suppression pulses are generated for short predetermined intervals only at a transition of the mechanical switch, relay or contactor contacts from an closed to an open transition and, again, at an open to a close transition during contact bounce conditions.

A device for switching a direct current in a pole of a direct current network includes two connecting terminals to be connected in series with the pole, an operating current path extending between the connecting terminals, at least one mechanical switch in the operating current path, a disconnection branch including a power switching unit for shutting down high short-circuit currents having power semiconductor switches that can be switched on and off, and a commutation device for commutating a current from the operating current path to the disconnection branch. In order to provide such a device which is economical, generates fewer losses and at the same time is able to switch high short-circuit currents quickly, the commutation device is provided with at least one inductive component.

Multiple relays are connected in parallel by including one or more semiconductor devices connected across the relay contacts. The semiconductor devices are triggered to conduct and shunt transient currents during the opening and closing of the relay contacts to protect the relay contacts from overcurrent and to eliminate arcing during relay switching. This permits a combination of smaller relays to replace a larger and more expensive relay in applications that require switching of large load currents.

A system includes a contactor operatively connected to a coil for actuating the contactor to open and close a circuit. A pass element includes a source, a drain, and a gate, wherein the drain is electrically connected to the coil, and wherein the coil is in series between the pass element and ground. A voltage source is connected to the source of the pass element to pass current into the coil when the pass element is in a pass state. A current source control circuit with economizer is operatively connected to the gate of the pass element. A delay circuit is operatively connected to the current source control circuit with economizer and to a command line to command a lower current for holding the contactor closed after a delay has expired for the contactor to transition.

A commutating circuit breaker that works by progressively inserting increasing resistance into a circuit. This is done via physical motion of a shuttle that is linked into the circuit by at least one set of sliding electrical contacts on the shuttle (“shuttle electrodes”) that connect the power through the moving shuttle to a sequence of different resistive paths with increasing resistance; the motion of the shuttle can be either linear or rotary. A feature of the commutating circuit breaker is that at no point are the shuttle electrodes separated from the matching stationary stator electrodes so as to generate a powerful arc, which minimizes damage to the electrodes. Instead, the current is commutated from one resistive path to the next with small enough changes in resistance at each step that arcing can be suppressed. The variable resistance can either be within the moving shuttle, or the shuttle can comprise a commutating shuttle that moves the current over a series of stationary resistors. In either case, a “soft” opening of the circuit can be accomplished, with low switching transients, provided that the maximum step change of resistance is limited until the current is nearly extinguished. Commutating circuit breakers work equally well for DC or AC power.

A fault current limiter may include a current limiting leg to transmit a first current and a control leg in parallel with the current limiting leg, the control leg to transmit a second current. The control leg may include a plurality of solid state switches arranged in electrical series with one another; a plurality of current monitors arranged in electrical series with the plurality of solid state switches; and at least one triggering circuit, wherein the plurality of current monitors are electrically coupled to the at least one triggering circuit, and wherein the at least one triggering circuit is optically coupled to the plurality of solid state switches.