Hybrid circuit breaker and pre-charge control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12519303-B2
Application number	US-202318371971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2023
Priority date	Sep 22, 2023
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A hybrid circuit breaker and a pre-charge control method are provided. The hybrid circuit breaker includes an outer branch, a first branch, a first mechanical switch module, a second branch, an electronic switch and a current commutation circuit. The first branch is connected with the outer branch in series. The first mechanical switch module is located on the first branch. The second branch is connected with the first branch in parallel. The electronic switch is located on the second branch. The current commutation circuit includes a voltage source module and an inductor. The voltage source module is located on the second branch. The inductor is located on one of the first branch or the second branch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hybrid circuit breaker, comprising:
an outer branch; a first branch connected with the outer branch in series; a first mechanical switch module located on the first branch; a second branch connected with the first branch in parallel; an electronic switch located on the second branch; and a current commutation circuit comprising a voltage source module and a first inductor, wherein the voltage source module is located on the second branch, the first inductor is located on the first branch or the second branch.

2 . The hybrid circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the hybrid circuit breaker comprises a second mechanical switch module located on one of the outer branch or the second branch.

3 . The hybrid circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the second mechanical switch module is located on the second branch, wherein the first mechanical module and the second mechanical switch module comprise a plurality of low-voltage rated switch elements and a plurality of conductor parts, respectively, the plurality of low-voltage rated switch elements are connected in series, every two conductor parts of the plurality of conductor parts are connected with corresponding low-voltage rated switch element in parallel, and a fixed parasitic capacitance value is between the two conductor parts.

4 . The hybrid circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the second mechanical switch module is located on the outer branch, wherein the second mechanical switch module comprises a plurality of low-voltage rated switch elements and a plurality of conductor parts, the plurality of low-voltage rated switch elements are connected in series, every two conductor parts of the plurality of conductor parts are connected with corresponding low-voltage rated switch element in parallel, and a fixed parasitic capacitance value is between the two conductor parts.

5 . The hybrid circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the first inductor is located on the first branch, the current commutation circuit comprises a second inductor located on the second branch, and the second inductor and the first inductor are coupled with each other.

6 . The hybrid circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the hybrid circuit breaker comprises at least one clamping circuit, the number of the at least one clamping circuit is equal to the number of the electronic switch, the at least one clamping circuit is located on the second branch and connected with the electronic switch in parallel.

7 . The hybrid circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the hybrid circuit breaker comprises a driving circuit, wherein the driving circuit comprises a transformer, a primary side circuit and at least one secondary side circuit, the at least one secondary side circuit comprises a first Zener diode, a second Zener diode and a first resistor, the first resistor is connected between the electronic switch and first Zener diode, the transformer comprises a primary winding, at least one secondary winding, the primary winding is connected with a trigger generator through the primary side circuit, the at least one secondary winding is coupled with the primary winding and connected between the first Zener diode and the second Zener diode.

8 . The hybrid circuit breaker according to claim 7 , wherein the transformer has a container, and the inside of the container is provided with a PCB board with multi-layer structures, multiple secondary windings are arranged on the multi-layer structures of the PCB board, at least one primary winding is arranged on at least one layer of the PCB board, and a magnetic core, the primary side connection wire pair and the plurality of secondary side connection wire pairs are located on a circuit board, and a space inside the container is filled with insulation material.

9 . A pre-charge control method for a DC circuit system, the DC circuit system comprising a switch circuit, a power source and a capacitor module, the switch circuit connected between the power source and the capacitor module, and the pre-charge control method comprising:
providing the switch circuit, wherein the switch circuit comprises at least one electronic switch and at least one clamping circuit; controlling the at least one electronic switch in an off state; controlling the at least one electronic switch to turn on according to a pre-charge command; detecting a charging current flowing into the switch circuit; controlling the at least one electronic switch to turn off when the charging current reaching a limit current value, wherein the charging current is gradually reduced due to the limitation of the at least one clamping circuit; controlling the at least one electronic switch to turn on according to a pre-charge signal; and controlling the switch circuit to turn on when reaching a pre-charge end condition.

10 . The pre-charge control method according to claim 9 , wherein the pre-charge command is a command indicating the DC circuit system to pre-charge, the pre-charge signal is determined according to a time when the charging current is reduced to zero.

11 . The pre-charge control method according to claim 9 , wherein the pre-charge end condition is a difference between a voltage of the capacitor module and a voltage of the power source, wherein the pre-charge end condition is less than a preset difference.

12 . The pre-charge control method according to claim 9 , a first delay time is existed between two times of turning on the DC circuit system.

13 . The pre-charge control method according to claim 9 , wherein the charging current is determined by a tolerance of the at least one electronic switch.

14 . A pre-charge control method for a three-phase AC circuit system, and the three-phase AC circuit system comprising a first hybrid circuit breaker, a second hybrid circuit breaker, a third hybrid circuit breaker and an AC power source, the AC power source providing a three-phase voltage and comprising a first phase terminal, a second phase terminal and a third phase terminal, and the pre-charge control method comprising:
providing a first phase voltage of the three-phase voltage to the first hybrid circuit breaker through the first phase terminal, providing a second phase voltage of the three-phase voltage to the second hybrid circuit breaker through the second phase terminal, and providing a third phase voltage of the three-phase voltage to the third hybrid circuit breaker through the third phase terminal; controlling the first hybrid circuit breaker, the second hybrid circuit breaker and the third hybrid circuit breaker in an off state; controlling the first hybrid circuit breaker to turn on when the first phase voltage of the three-phase voltage is equal to zero; controlling the second hybrid circuit breaker to turn on when the first phase voltage of the three-phase voltage is equal to the second phase voltage of the three-phase voltage; controlling the third hybrid circuit breaker to turn on when the third phase voltage of the three-phase voltage is equal to zero.

Assignees

• Delta Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Wang Ruxi
• Hu Boxue
• Hung Jui-Chien
• Zhang Chi
• Anurag Anup
• Barbosa Peter Mantovanelli

Classifications

• H01H89/00

  Combinations of two or more different basic types of electric switches, relays, selectors and emergency protective devices, not covered by any single one of the other main groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H02H3/05 Primary

  with means for increasing reliability, e.g. redundancy arrangements {(for logic circuits H03K19/003)} · CPC title

• H01H9/563

  for multipolar switches, e.g. different timing for different phases, selecting phase with first zero-crossing · CPC title

• H01H33/596

  for interrupting DC · CPC title

• H01H9/548

  Electromechanical and static switch connected in series · CPC title