DC current interruption system able to open a DC line with inductive behaviour

• US 9,450,396 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mersen France SB SAS
• Original Assignee: Mersen France SB SAS
• Inventors: Balboni, Florent, Sarrus, Franck, Tournier, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THIENVU V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brooks, Angela
• Application Number:
  US13/824,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 361/13, 361/14, 361/91.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 33/596 for interrupting dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/20 responsive to excess voltage

Abstract

The invention pertains to a DC current interruption system able to open a DC line with inductive behavior, comprising a primary mechanical breaker (S0), a secondary mechanical breaker (S1) and an electronic overvoltage protection circuit (B1, B2) comprising at least one transistor. The DC current interruption system of the invention furthermore comprises an electronic opening system (72, 76) comprising a passive circuit able to auto-bias the electronic protection circuit (B1, B2) upon the opening of said primary mechanical breaker (S0), so as to trigger a switching of said at least one transistor (M1, M2, IG1) making it possible to limit the voltage and the current in the DC line, total interruption of said DC line being obtained by subsequent opening of said secondary mechanical breaker (S1).

Claims

1. DC current interruption system for opening a DC line with inductive behaviour, comprising a primary mechanical breaker, a secondary mechanical breaker and an electronic overvoltage protection circuit comprising at least one transistor, further comprising an electronic opening system comprising a passive circuit to auto-bias the electronic overvoltage protection circuit upon the opening of said primary mechanical breaker, so as to trigger a switching of said at least one transistor making it possible to limit a voltage and a current in the DC line, with a total interruption of said DC line being obtained by subsequent opening of said secondary mechanical breaker,

wherein said electronic overvoltage protection circuit comprises a plurality of field effect transistors mounted in parallel, switch to an ohmic mode in a first step after opening of said primary breaker, then to a breakdown mode in a second step when the voltage reaches a predetermined value, and

said electronic overvoltage protection circuit further comprising a breakdown balancing system, making it possible to operate in breakdown mode quasi-simultaneously said plurality of field effect transistors.

2. DC current interruption system according to claim 1, wherein the breakdown balancing system comprises a resistor mounted in series with each field effect transistor.

3. DC current interruption system according to claim 1, wherein said electronic overvoltage protection circuit comprises a first block limiting the voltage comprising at least one transistor of the first type, and a second block limiting the current comprising at least one transistor of the second type.

4. DC current interruption system according to claim 3, wherein said second block comprises, for each transistor of the second type, a resistor mounted in series with said transistor.

5. DC current interruption system according to claim 3, comprising two electronic opening systems, i.e. a first electronic opening systems with fast self-biasing actuate said first block and a second electronic opening system with slow self-biasing actuate said second block, in such a way as to allow, upon the opening of said primary mechanical breaker, a limitation of the voltage by said first block followed by a limitation of current by said second block.

6. DC current interruption system according to claim 3, wherein, upon the opening of said primary breaker, the following phases are sequenced:

implementation of said first block by the electronic opening system with fast self-biasing, said at least one transistor of the first type operating in ohmic mode,

implementation of said second block by the electronic opening system with slow self-biasing, said at least one transistor of the first type being in non-passing mode,

implementation of said first block when the voltage reaches a predetermined value, said at least one transistor of the first type operating in breakdown mode.

7. DC current interruption system according to claim 3, wherein said transistor of the first type is a MOSFET transistor and said transistor of the second type is a IGBT transistor.

8. DC current interruption system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic opening system comprises at least one passive circuit comprised of a diode mounted in series with a capacitor, and a resistor mounted in parallel with said capacitor.

9. DC current interruption system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of transistors mounted in parallel in said protection circuit is determined according to constraints in voltage, current and inductance of said DC line.