An electrical distribution panel for controlling the distribution of electrical power to a plurality of loads includes a plurality of solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs), each including a thermally conductive heatspreader and one or more power semiconductor devices that control whether electrical current is able to flow to an attached load; a distribution panel heatsink configured in thermal contact with the SSCB heatspreaders; one or more cooling fans that blow air onto the distribution panel heatsink; a stacked bus bar with quick-fit pin-mount receptacles for receiving mating/matching press-fit connection pins located on line-side terminals of the SSCBs; a communications and control (comm/control) bus communicatively coupled to the plurality of SSCBs; and a head-end interface and gateway to which an external computer can connect, to, among other things, set and alter trip settings of the plurality of SSCBs via the comm/control bus.

A solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) with galvanic isolation capability includes an electrical bus with line-side and load-side terminals and a solid-state device connected in series with a closeable air gap between the line-side and load-side terminals. During normal operating conditions, the solid-state device is switched ON and the SSCB forces movable contacts inside the SSCB to close the air gap, so that an electrical current path is maintained between the line-side and load-side terminals and electrical current is allowed to flow through the SSCB and an attached load. Upon a short circuit or overload of unacceptably long duration occurring in the load circuit, the SSCB switches the solid-state device OFF to prevent current from flowing through the load, and releases the movable contacts to open the air gap and thereby establish galvanic isolation between the line-side and load side terminals.

An electrical distribution panel for controlling the distribution of electrical power to a plurality of loads includes a plurality of solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs), each including a thermally conductive heatspreader and one or more power semiconductor devices that control whether electrical current is able to flow to an attached load; a distribution panel heatsink configured in thermal contact with the SSCB heatspreaders; one or more cooling fans that blow air onto the distribution panel heatsink; a stacked bus bar with quick-fit pin-mount receptacles for receiving mating/matching press-fit connection pins located on line-side terminals of the SSCBs; a communications and control (comm/control) bus communicatively coupled to the plurality of SSCBs; and a head-end interface and gateway to which an external computer can connect, to, among other things, set and alter trip settings of the plurality of SSCBs via the comm/control bus.

A rotary switch includes a housing having an interior and an exterior, a plurality of moving contacts entirely disposed within the interior of the housing, a plurality of stationary contacts disposed partially within the interior of the housing and extending to an exterior of the housing, and a rotary element coupled to the plurality of moving contacts and being structured to rotate between a closed state where at least one of the plurality moving contacts contact a corresponding one of the plurality of stationary contacts and an open state where the plurality of moving contacts and the plurality of stationary contacts are separated.

A disconnecting device for interrupting the direct current between a direct current source, in particular in the direct voltage range between 300 VDc and/or in the nominal current range between 4A and 250A, and a load. The device has at least one protection switch with a protection switch arrangement having a magnetic trigger, and has semiconductor electronics which are connected in parallel to the at least one protection switch and which block the current when the protection switch arrangement is in a current-conducting state and which conducts current at least temporarily when the protection switch arrangement is triggered. A current, in particular an electric arc current generated as a result of an electric arc, is switched, when the protection switch arrangement is triggered, from the at least one protection switch to the semiconductor electronics.

A rotary switch includes a housing having an interior and an exterior, a plurality of moving contacts entirely disposed within the interior of the housing, a plurality of stationary contacts disposed partially within the interior of the housing and extending to an exterior of the housing, and a rotary element coupled to the plurality of moving contacts and being structured to rotate between a closed state where at least one of the plurality moving contacts contact a corresponding one of the plurality of stationary contacts and an open state where the plurality of moving contacts and the plurality of stationary contacts are separated.

An electrical distribution panel for controlling the distribution of electrical power to a plurality of loads includes a plurality of solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs), each including a thermally conductive heatspreader and one or more power semiconductor devices that control whether electrical current is able to flow to an attached load; a distribution panel heatsink configured in thermal contact with the SSCB heatspreaders; one or more cooling fans that blow air onto the distribution panel heatsink; a stacked bus bar with quick-fit pin-mount receptacles for receiving mating/matching press-fit connection pins located on line-side terminals of the SSCBs; a communications and control (comm/control) bus communicatively coupled to the plurality of SSCBs; and a head-end interface and gateway to which an external computer can connect, to, among other things, set and alter trip settings of the plurality of SSCBs via the comm/control bus.

A solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) with galvanic isolation capability includes an electrical bus with line-side and load-side terminals and a solid-state device connected in series with a closeable air gap between the line-side and load-side terminals. During normal operating conditions, the solid-state device is switched ON and the SSCB forces movable contacts inside the SSCB to close the air gap, so that an electrical current path is maintained between the line-side and load-side terminals and electrical current is allowed to flow through the SSCB and an attached load. Upon a short circuit or overload of unacceptably long duration occurring in the load circuit, the SSCB switches the solid-state device OFF to prevent current from flowing through the load, and releases the movable contacts to open the air gap and thereby establish galvanic isolation between the line-side and load side terminals.

A circuit breaker includes a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact moveable between an open state and a closed state; an armature, wherein movement of the armature from a first position to a second position initiates the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact to move from the closed state to the open state; a first electromagnetic device configured to move the armature from the first position to the second position in response to being energized by a first signal; and a second electromagnetic device configured to move the armature from the first position to the second position in response to being energized by a second signal and in response to generation of the first signal and the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact still being in the closed state. Other circuit breakers and methods of operating circuit breakers are disclosed.

In the field of power distribution networks, a digital output circuit, for controlling an item of equipment within a power distribution network, comprises a switch element openable and closeable to selectively permit the flow of current to an item of equipment being controlled in use by the digital output circuit. The digital output circuit also includes a current acquisition circuit to measure the current flowing through the switch element. In addition, the digital output circuit includes a condition monitoring circuit that is arranged in communication with the current acquisition circuit. The condition monitoring circuit is configured to record the measured current flowing through the switch element as the switch element closes and thereby establish a switch element closing signature.