A solid state circuit breaker that may include a metal oxide varistor (MOV) that is connected in series to a thyristor, the MOV to clamp voltage of current flowing through the solid state circuit breaker; the thyristor including a gate to control flow of the current to the MOV along a first path to the MOV; a breakover diode to activate at a target voltage level to allow the current to flow to the MOV along a second path; and a Zener diode to close the gate and allow current to flow along the first path in response to the current on the second path.

A circuit breaker comprises a solid-state bidirectional switch, a switch control circuit, current and voltage sensors, and a processor. The solid-state bidirectional switch is connected between a line input terminal and a load output terminal of the circuit breaker, and configured to be placed in a switched-on state and a switched-off state. The switch control circuit control operation of the bidirectional switch. The current sensor is configured to sense a magnitude of current flowing in an electrical 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 on the electrical path and generate a voltage sense signal. The processor is configured to process the current and voltage sense signals to determine operational status information of the circuit breaker, a fault event, and power usage information of a load connected to the load output terminal.

There may be two active snubbers for direct current (dc) solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs): metal-oxide-varistor with resistor-capacitor-switch (MOV-RCS) and active-MOV with resistor-capacitor-diode (AMOV-RCD). In the snubber branch, either half- or full-controlled switch can be used, leading to four topologies. The improved snubbers offer several improvements: 1) MOV is disconnected from the power line during SSCB OFF-state, which enhances reliability as neither voltage nor power appears on MOV; 2) voltage utilization rate ηv of the main switch is remarkably increased, which improves efficiency and power density, and reduces design cost shows experiments of five prototypes are conducted including four proposed snubbers and a comparison with conventional MOV-RCD snubber.

A current interrupting device includes a current limiting element on a power supply path from a predetermined power supply to a load device. The current limiting element is configured to exhibit a current limiting action when current flowing in the power supply path exceeds a first current threshold value. The current interrupting device further includes a current diversion path switch, and a controller programmed to control on and off of the current diversion path switch. The controller is programmed to switch a current diversion path switch on from an off state when it is detected that current flowing in the current limiting element is limited to a second current threshold value after the current flowing in the current limiting element has exceeded the first current threshold value, and switch the switch off again after a predetermined switched-on holding time has elapsed since the switch has been switched on.

A sliding power contact and method includes a mobile load device connector and a socket. The mobile load device connector includes a non-current power pin having a first length, a current power pin having a second length less than the first length, a neutral pin, and a ground pin. The socket includes a non-current power contact configured to electrically couple with the non-current power pin, a current power contact configured to electrically couple with the current power pin, a neutral contact configured to electrically couple with the neutral pin, and a ground pin configured to electrically couple with the ground pin. An arc suppressor is directly coupled to at least one of the non-current power pin and the non-current power contact, wherein the arc suppressor, the non-current power pin and the non-current power contact form a current path between the current power pin and the current power contact.

A circuit breaker having a mechanical switch which is inserted into a main current path and has a fixed contact and a moving contact which is connected to a contact bridge mounted movably thereto. The circuit breaker has a drive unit which is operatively connected to the contact bridge, and which comprises a first drive unit and a second drive unit. The first drive unit is energized by means of a control circuit, and the second drive unit is inserted into the main current path. Further, the invention relates to a motor vehicle.

A circuit breaker having a mechanical switch which is inserted into a main current path and has a fixed contact and a moving contact which is connected to a contact bridge mounted movably thereto. The circuit breaker comprises a drive, which is operatively connected to the contact bridge, and a control unit, via which the drive is energized and which is powered from a control circuit. The drive has a “moving magnet actuator.”Further, a vehicle having the circuit breaker is provided.

A circuit breaker having a mechanical switch introduced into a main current path, which comprises a fixed contact and a moving contact connected to a movably mounted contact bridge. The circuit breaker comprises a drive, which is in active connection with the contact bridge, and which comprises a first drive unit and a second drive unit. The first drive unit is energized via a control circuit, and the second drive unit is connected in parallel to a resistor element introduced into the main current path. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle.

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.