Design of a Solid State Circuit Breaker Using a SiC MOSFET for LVDC Applications

Abstract

In this paper, a solid state circuit breaker(SSCB) for a low voltage direct current (LVDC) system is presented. The LVDC distribution system such as a household distribution, require a DC input source, DC loads, and a DC circuit breaker. The major problems in the DC distribution system are the arc problem of disconnecting power from loads and a fast acting circuit breaker for the existing power converter. Therefore, a fast acting and high-voltage-withstanding circuit breaker such as the SSCB is required. The SSCB is composed of wide-band gap power semiconductor switch, such as a SiC MOSFET. It can operate in a very short time and contain the energy-absorbing or bypass circuit to protect itself and other components in the LVDC distribution system under a short circuit fault. In this paper, an SSCB using a SiC MOSFET for LVDC applications is presented. It contains a parallel bypass circuit to reduce the fault energy. The circuit of the SSCB was simulated using PSIM and validated experimentally using a prototype.