Solid-State Circuit Breaker Component Simulation

Abstract

The landscape of direct current (DC) solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs) is growing and so too is the choice of primary components. There now exists a wide range of devices capable of withstanding voltage levels conducive to electrical transmission; though steady state efficiency of these devices remains a concern. Choosing primary components out of the growing selection pool can be cumbersome and prone to biased decision-making. The purpose of using a multifaceted mathematical approach to decision-making is to reduce these complications. The contribution of this paper will reduce biased decision-making when choosing primary components of SSCBs. This methodology consists of developing accurate and consistent simulation comparisons of steady-state efficiency, thermal performance, and cost of a variety of SSCB types, topologies, and solidstate device materials. The results contained within this paper demonstrate an achievable holistic approach to SSCB primary component choice.