Safety Through Switching Speed

This paper expands on the relationship between fault interrupting speed versus incident energy. It will provide some details about the world's fastest low voltage (LV) circuit breaking technology. With ultra-fast and consistent clearing times, devices using this technology provide the fastest method of removing fault currents. This sequentially reduces fault incident energies to nearly non-existent levels. Adding this switching technology could be the next step in enhancing your safety program. This new and very rapidly growing technology is the LV Solid-State Circuit Breaker (SSCB). Using silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor modules, and unique current sensing methodologies, furnishes the SSCB with the ability to provide extremely rapid, consistent, and arc-less switching. Since the interruption of the current is performed without any electro-mechanical contacts, these devices can provide an almost unlimited number of switching operations. While at the same time, release virtually no arc flash incident energy whilst also limiting the let-through current to the lowest level in industry. In this work, we will provide an overview of this new technology and how Petroleum and Chemical industry users can take advantage of eliminating almost all release of arc flash incident energy associated with traditional LV molded case circuit breakers (MCCB). And, at the same time, significantly reduce the electromechanical stress on the connected load while virtually eliminating the need for breaker maintenance providing a protection device with a much higher mean time between failures.