A novel hybrid high-speed DC arc extinguishing circuit topology for the relay

Hybrid relays can effectively suppress arcing and enhance the electrical life and reliability of relays. However, existing hybrid relays require multiple commutations during the turn-off process, leaving room for improvement in turn-off speed. This paper proposes an improved topology, introducing a new fast DC hybrid relay that enhances switching speed by combining zero voltage switching (ZVS) and zero current switching (ZCS) technologies to achieve arc suppression. A transient model of the hybrid relay is established, and the key switching transient process is analyzed. A 28V/40A experimental prototype is built to verify the performance of the proposed circuit topology. Experimental results demonstrate that by simplifying the commutation process, the turn-off time of the hybrid relay is reduced to 17.4 μs . Additionally, the hybrid relay exhibits a minimum arc energy of 0.09 percent of that of the electromagnetic relay during the switching process. The arc suppression effect of the hybrid relay becomes more pronounced as the load current increases. The circuit topology proposed in this paper is universal and can be applied to hybrid switches of different voltage levels.