Comparison between 1200 V 5th generation SiC MPS Diode and Silicon Power Diode in DC/AC Hybrid Circuit Breaker

This paper presents a comparison between 5th Generation Infineon Technologies 1200V silicon carbide (SiC) CoolSiC(TM) merged pn/Schottky (MPS) diode and 1200V Emitter Controlled 4th Generation silicon (Si) diode in an Hybrid Circuit Breaker (HCB) application. The designed HCB has a rating of 45A, 380VDC / 230VAC, and can interrupt a detected fault in approximately 330mus in a power grid having 10kA short-circuit capacity (Isc). An experimental setup is developed to analyze the surge current capability of both of the technologies. Further, observations on dynamic-static current sharing and forward characteristics are reported. These results are then used to design the most appropriate technology for the highest reliability and most compact HCBs.