Surge Current Capability of IGBTs Used in Low Voltage DC/AC Hybrid Circuit Breaker

This paper presents a characterization work of an IGBT in a Hybrid Circuit Breaker (HCB) application. A HCB is designed with a rating of 45A, 380VDC/230VAC, to interrupt a detected fault within approximately 300mus in a power grid with 10kA short-circuit capacity. IGBTs used in HCBs are subject to non-repetitive surge currents during overcurrent and short-circuit interruptions. An experimental setup is developed to analyse the surge current capability of this technology. Further, observations on dynamic-static current sharing, forward, and reverse biased characteristics are reported. These results are then used to design the most appropriate technology for the highest reliable and most compact HCBs.