A compact 100-A, 850-V, silicon carbide solid-state DC circuit breaker

A 100-A, 850-V, solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) having silicon carbide transistors and diodes was developed. The SSCB conducts 100 A continuously with air cooling in a 32 square-centimeter footprint. It is normally off and unidirectionally blocking, and has a configurable trip response allowing a range of overcurrent transients to be conducted, while maintaining a fast trip response at its fault-current limit. The SSCB also provides remote trip, status output, and reset functions. The time-versus-current trip response of the SSCB was characterized at 25, 50, and 75 degrees Celsius baseplate temperatures using pulsed currents with ramp rates of over 70 amps per microsecond. Saw-tooth-shaped current pulse widths of less than 5 microseconds, with amplitudes of greater than 200 A, were demonstrated.