Fast Y-Type Thyristor-Based DC SSCB Using Complementary Commutation in a Capacitor-Capacitor Pair Structure

This article proposes a new thyristor-based dc solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) named Y-type. Main contributions focus on a new complementary commutation circuit including a capacitor-capacitor pair, which features three remarkable advantages. First, a fast commutation is achieved using a countercurrent pulse injection by the capacitor-capacitor pair structure. Second, metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) are disconnected from the power line when SSCB is off, which solves the reliability issue due to the MOV degradation and enhances the voltage utilization rate of the main switch. Third, benefiting from the capacitor-capacitor pair structure, reliable reclosing and rebreaking are obtained for practical applications. Experiments are conducted on a 400 V/120 A prototype to validate the proposed Y-SSCB. The peak voltage on the main and auxiliary thyristors reaches 773 and 400 V, respectively. Also, the peak voltage on the auxiliary capacitors pair reaches 740 and 400 V. The Y-SSCB achieves a fast reaction time of 80 μs in interrupting 120 A short-circuit fault current.