The distribution of power via DC links is under serious consideration by power system designers for several reasons. Vessels must power propulsion, radar, winches and other heavy equipment, all of which require a DC input. The size and weight of the necessary AC generators and transformers are a limiting factor and often undesirable. Future electrical power requirements are expected to support power converters capable of integrating alternative sources and storage systems, including wind and solar power as well as battery storages with a range of voltages, frequencies, and power levels. DC links are ideal for this integration but cannot be safely deployed without effective DC breakers.
In case of an event, a breaker has to interrupt the current within microseconds. With this response time requirement, local fault protection must be performed autonomously by the switch control system without the need for external control or fault detection. The fast opening time of solid-state breakers limits the fault current and reduces the negative impact on the load to a minimum. The current does not reach damaging energy levels and can be interrupted without forming an arc. In addition to the fast over-current protection, the 300A DC breaker opens based on a configurable time-current profile (I 2 t) for overload protection.
| Weight | 21 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 383 × 490 × 307 mm |
| DC Link voltage typical VDC link (kV) | 1 |
| DC Link voltage max. VDC link (kV) | 1.5 |
| DC Link current IDC link (A) | 300 |
| Current interruption (kA) | 2.5 |
| System loop inductance min. LDC link (μH) | 5 |
| System loop inductance max. LDC link (μH) | 100 |
| Breaking time typical tBreak (µs) | 8 |
| Breaking time maximum tBreak (µs) | 10 |
| Clearance time maximum tClearance (µs) | 100 |
| Link length max. ILink (m) | 30 |
| Input Voltage min. VIn (V) | 20 |
| Input Voltage typical VIn (V) | 24 |
| Input Voltage max. VIn (V) | 31 |
