An apparatus includes at least one fuse clearing switch operable to create a fault on at least one AC line between a fuse and a transformer of a substation. The apparatus further includes a control system configured to be coupled to an arc detector and to operate the at least one fuse clearing switch responsive to a control signal produced by the arc detector.

An apparatus includes at least one fuse clearing switch operable to create a fault on at least one AC line between a fuse and a transformer of a substation. The apparatus further includes a control system configured to be coupled to an arc detector and to operate the at least one fuse clearing switch responsive to a control signal produced by the arc detector.

An electrical system forming part of a solar power plant is described. The electrical system includes a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) panels, a power converter, and a controller. In response to a detected electric arc on the DC side of the power converter, the controller is configured to enable a short circuit state of the power converter by controlling semiconductor switches of the power converter (e.g., turning on some or all of the semiconductor switches) to create a short circuit between DC input terminals of the power converter. The short circuit path though the power converter will extinguish the detected electric arc in the connected DC circuit.

A short circuit detection apparatus includes a capacitor connected to a high potential side of a semiconductor switching device via a diode and a resistor connected in series, a short circuit determination circuit that detects a terminal voltage of one terminal of the capacitor, and determines that the semiconductor switching device has short-circuited when the terminal voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold voltage, and a voltage control circuit that is provided between another terminal of the capacitor and a low potential side of the semiconductor switching device, switches between a conduction and an interruption of the capacitor and the semiconductor switching device, and applies an offset voltage between the capacitor and the semiconductor switching device when conducting.

A safety shutdown apparatus with self-driven control is coupled to a power-supplying path between a power supply apparatus and a load. The safety shutdown apparatus includes a detection unit, a controllable switch, and a drive circuit. The detection unit is coupled to the power-supplying path, and the controllable switch is coupled between a positive node and a negative node of the power-supplying path. The drive circuit is coupled to the detection unit, the power-supplying path, and the controllable switch. The drive circuit receives an output voltage of the power supply apparatus to turn on the controllable switch, and turn off the controllable switch according to whether the detection unit detects a current flowing through the power-supplying 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.

The DC electrical network comprises an electrical load supplied with electricity by an electrical power source to which the electrical load is linked by a first electrical line and a second electrical line. An overcurrent protection system comprising an input pole and an output pole is mounted in series on the first electrical line. The overcurrent protection system comprises an electronic switch mounted in series between the input pole and the output pole, an electrical current sensor, and a controller configured to control the electronic switch. It also comprises an electronic device linked to the input pole and to the second electrical line. The controller is configured to command a conducting state of the electronic device when a current measurement from the electrical current sensor is above a predetermined current threshold, then to command an opening of the electronic switch.

An electronic device includes: a control terminal, which extends on a first face of a substrate; a first conduction terminal, which extends in the substrate at the first face of the substrate; a first insulating layer interposed between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal; a conductive path, which can be biased at a biasing voltage; and a protection element, coupled to the control terminal and to the conductive path, which forms an electrical connection between the control terminal and the conductive path and is designed to melt, and thus interrupt electrical connection, in the presence of a leakage current higher than a critical threshold between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal through the first insulating layer.

The electronic circuit protector of the invention comprises a first semiconductor, a second semiconductor, a third semiconductor, a first diode, a second diode, a first resistor, a second resistor and a third resistor, constituting an application circuit with load overload or short circuit protection function, which avoids the damage caused by overload or short circuit at both terminals of the load.

A high voltage DC (HVDC) system can include a generator configured to output alternating current (AC), a rectifier connected to the generator via AC phase lines, the rectifier configured to convert the AC to DC to output the DC to DC feeder lines, and a crowbar system. The crowbar system can include a switch module operatively connected to the AC phase lines to prevent AC from flowing to the rectifier in a cutoff state. The crowbar system can be configured to determine whether at least one cutoff condition exists. The at least one cutoff condition can be or include one or more of a DC overcurrent downstream of the rectifier, a DC overvoltage downstream of the rectifier, an AC overcurrent from the generator, or an arc fault. The crowbar system can be configured to control the switch module to the cutoff state if the at least one cutoff condition exists.