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Circuit breaker with no moving parts protects direct-current (dc) loads. Current which circuit breaker opens (trip current) is adjustable and so is time delay before breaker trips. Forward voltage drop rises from 0.6 to 1.2 V as current rises to trip point. Breaker has two terminals, like fuse, therefore replaces fuse in dc circuit. Powered by circuit it protects and reset by either turning off power source or disconnecting load.
NASA Lewis Research Center and associated contractors have conducted a program to assess the potential requirements for a high-current switch to conceptually design a switch using the best existing technology, and to build and demonstrate a breadboard which meets the requirements. The result is the high current remote bus isolator (HRBI). The HRBI is rated at 180 V dc, 335 A continuous with a 1200 A interrupt rating. It also incorporates remote-control and protective features called for by the Space Station Freedom PMAD dc test bed design. Two breadboard 335 A circuit breakers were built and tested that demonstrate a promising concept of paralleled current-limiting modules. The units incorporated all control and protective features required by advanced aerospace power systems. Component stresses in each unit were determined by design, and are consistent with a life of many thousands of fault operations.
Design, development, and testing of ground prototype ac circuit breakers and dc engine contactors for space nuclear electric system
The feasibility of processing 25-kW of power with a single, transistorized, series resonant converter stage was demonstrated by the successful design, development, fabrication, and testing of such a device which employs four Westinghouse D7ST transistors in a full-bridge configuration and operates from a 250-to-350 Vdc input bus. The unit has an overall worst-case efficiency of 93.5% at its full rated output of 1000 V and 25 A dc. A solid-state dc input circuit breaker and output-transient-current limiters are included in and integrated into the design. Full circuit details of the converter are presented along with the test data.
The feasibility of processing 25 kW of power with a single, transistorized, 20 kHz, series resonant converter stage has been demonstrated by the successful design, development, fabrication, and testing of such a device. It employs four Westinghouse D7ST transistors in a full-bridge configuration and operates from a 250-to-350-Vdc input bus. The unit has an overall worst-case efficiency of 93.5% at its full rated output of 1000 V and 25 A dc. A solid-state dc input circuit breaker and output-transient-current limiters are included in and integrated into the design. Circuit details of the converter are presented along with test data.
A feasibility study to design and demonstrate solid state switchgear in the form of circuit breakers and a power transfer switch is described. The switchgear operates on a nominal 270 V dc circuit and controls power to a load of up to 15 amperes. One circuit breaker may be interconnected to a second breaker to form a power transfer switch. On-off and transfer functions of the breakers or the transfer switch are remotely controlled. A number of reclosures with variable time delay between tripout and reclosure are programmed and controlled by integrated analog and COSMOS logic circuits. A unique commutation circuit, that generates only minimal transient disturbance to either source or load, was developed to interrupt current flow through the main SCR switching element. Laboratory tests demonstrated performance of the solid state circuit breakers over specified voltage and temperature ranges.
The design of a solid-state circuit breaker that can be interconnected to a second breaker to form a transfer switch is presented. The breaker operates on a nominal 270-V dc circuit and controls power to loads of up to 15 A. Automatic overload trip is provided as a function of excess energy measured through the breaker and/or excess current through the breaker. After an overload trip, up to nine preprogrammable attempts to reclose may be tried with programmable delays between each attempt. The breaker or switch is remotely controllable. Test data on performance in the laboratory over temperatures from -45 to 100 C are provided. The feasibility of solid-state switch gear has been established.
The Electrical Power Branch at Marshall Space Flight Center has a Power System Development Facility where various power circuit breadboards are tested and evaluated. This project relates to the evaluation of a particular remote power controller (RPC) energizing high power loads. The Facility equipment permits the thorough testing and evaluation of high-voltage, high-power solid-state remote power controllers. The purpose is to evaluate a Type E, 30 Ampere, 200 V dc remote power controller. Three phases of the RPC evaluation are presented. The RPC is evaluated within a low-voltage, low-power circuit to check its operational capability. The RPC is then evaluated while performing switch/circuit breaker functions within a 200 V dc, 30 Ampere power circuit. The final effort of the project relates to the recommended procedures for installing these RPC's into the existing Autonomously Managed Power System (AMPS) breadboard/test facility at MSFC.
The purpose of this effort was to advance the selection, characterization, and modeling of a propulsion electric grid for a Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion (TeDP) system for transport aircraft. The TeDP aircraft would constitute a miniature electric grid with 50 MW or more of total power, two or more generators, redundant transmission lines, and multiple electric motors driving propulsion fans. The study proposed power system architectures, investigated electromechanical and solid state circuit breakers, estimated the impact of the system voltage on system mass, and recommended DC bus voltage range. The study assumed an all cryogenic power system. Detailed assumptions within the study include hybrid circuit breakers, a two cryogen system, and supercritical cyrogens. A dynamic model was developed to investigate control and parameter selection.
A number of key electrical safety requirements for the high voltage arrays of central station photovoltaic power systems are explored. The suitability of representative industrial DC power switchgear for control and fault protection was evaluated. Included were AC/DC circuit breakers, electromechanical contactors and relays, load interruptors, cold disconnect devices, sectionalizing switches, and high voltage DC fuses. As appropriate, steady state and transient characteristics were analyzed. Failure modes impacting upon operation and maintenance safety were also identified, as were the voltage withstand and current interruption levels.
Circuits combine functions of remotely controlled switch and circuit breaker. Circuits developed at different power levels but conceptually very similar. Selection of appropriate switching devices and minor modifications, circuits used to build RPC's covering range of voltage and power levels limited only by switching devices chosen. RPC's using GTO's have power capability ranging from 7.8 to 52 kW, while those using MOSFET's range from 8 to 15 kW. Applications include satellite, Space Station, commerical aircraft, naval vessels, and numerous industrial areas.
Two general types of remote power controllers (RPC's), which combine the functions of a circuit breaker and a switch, were developed for use in dc aerospace systems. Power-switching devices used in the designs are the gate-turnoff thyristor (GTO) and MOSFET. The RPC's can switch dc voltages to 1200 V and currents to 1000 A. Seven different units were constructed and subjected to laboratory and thermal vacuum testing. Two of these were dual units that switch both positive and negative voltages simultaneously. The RPC's using MOSFET's have slow turnon and turnoff times which limit surge currents and voltage spiking from high di/dt. The GTO's have much faster transition times. All RPC's have programmable overload tripout proportional to I sq T and microsecond tripout for large overloads.
Solid state power controllers (SSPC's) are to be considered for use as replacements of electromechanical relays and circuit breakers in future spacecraft and aircraft. They satisfy the combined function of both the relay and circuit breaker and can be remotely controlled by small signals, typically 10 mA, 5 to 28 v(dc). They have the advantage over conventional relay/circuit breaker systems in that they can be located near the utilization equipment and the primary ac or dc bus. The low level control, trip indication and status signals can be circuited by small gauge wire for control, computer interface, logic, electrical multiplexing, onboard testing, power management, and distribution purposes. This results in increased system versatility at appreciable weight saving and increased reliability. Conventional systems require the heavy gage load wiring and the control wiring to be routed from the bus to the load to other remote relay contacts, switches, sensors, etc. and to the circuit breaker located in the flight engineer's compartment for purposes of manual reset.
The rationale, analysis, design, breadboarding and testing of the incremental functional requirements are reported that led to the development of prototype 1 and 5 Amp dc and 1 Amp ac solid state power controllers (SSPC's). The SSPC's are to be considered for use as a replacement of electro-mechanical relays and circuit breakers in future spacecraft and aircraft. They satisfy the combined function of both the relay and circuit breaker and can be remotely controlled by small signals, typically 10 mA, 5 to 28 Vdc. They have the advantage over conventional relay/circuit breaker systems in that they can be located near utilization equipment and the primary ac or dc bus. The low level control, trip indication and status signals can be circuited by small guage wire for control, computer interface, logic, electrical multiplexing, unboard testing, and power management and distribution purposes. This results in increased system versatility at appreciable weight saving and increased reliability.
Two general types of remote power controller (RPC) that combine the functions of a circuit breaker and a switch were developed for use in direct-current (dc) aerospace systems. Power-switching devices used in these designs are the relatively new gate-turnoff thyristor (GTO) and poweer metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET). The various RPC's can switch dc voltages to 1200 V and currents to 100 A. Seven different units were constructed and subjected to comprehensive laboratory and thermal vacuum testing. Two of these were dual units that switch both positive and negative voltages simultaneously. The RPC's using MOSFET's have slow turnon and turnoff times to limit voltage spiking from high di/dt. The GTO's have much faster transition times. All RPC's have programmable overload tripout and microsecond tripout for large overloads. The basic circuits developed can be used to build switchgear limited only by the ratings of the switching device used.
Two terminal device protects dc electronic circuits and experimental solid state devices, and replaces fuses and circuit breakers directly. The device consists of two transistors and two resistors and draws its necessary supply voltage from power source being protected. The limiter acts as a voltage regulator.
A feasibility study to design and demonstrate solid-state switchgear composed of circuit breakers and a power transfer switch is described. The switchgear operates on a nominal 270 Vdc circuit and controls power to a load up to 15 A. One circuit breaker may be interconnected to a second to form a power transfer switch. Breaker or switch on-off and transfer functions can be remotely controlled. Automatic overload trip-out is provided through an ultimate current trip and an I squared t trip for transient overcurrents lower than the ultimate current trip level. A number of reclosures with variable time delay between trip-out and reclosure are programmed and controlled by integrated analog and COSMOS logic circuits. A commutation circuit that creates minimal transient disturbances to either source or load was developed to interrupt current flow through the main SCR switching element.-
Logic controlled solid state circuit breakers and power transfer switches have been designed and built to demonstrate their use for 270 V dc power systems. This switchgear provides remote operation, automatic current level, and operates several orders of magnitude faster with much greater accuracy of response than conventional switchgear.