Low Voltage DC Circuit Breaker

Akhilesh Jindal(13085008),Akshay Paliwal(13085009),Yogesh Chandra(13085078),Yash Khunger(13084021)

Electrical Engineering, IIT(BHU) Varanasi
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
India
akumar.jindal.eee13@itbhu.ac.in
akshay.paliwal.ee13@itbhu.ac.in
yogesh.chandra.eee13@itbhu.ac.in
yash.khunger.eee13@itbhu.ac.in

Abstract Today's direct current distribution systems have

expanded to include electric vehicle charging stations, battery
storage and UPS systems, IT equipment such as computers,
servers, and digital devices. DC type loads will cover 50% for all
electricity loads in 2020 which was mere 10% in 2000. DC
distribution systems are also accelerated by the expansion of
renewable power systems since they are easy to be interfaced
with DC grids rather than AC grids. However, removing the fault
current in DC grids is comparably difficult since the DC current
has non zero-crossing point like in AC current. Thus, developing
dedicated DC circuit breakers for DC grids is necessary to get
safety for human and electrical facilities. Magnet arc
extinguishing method is proper to small size DC circuit breakers.
However, simple magnet arc extinguishing method is not enough
to break inductive fault currents. This paper proposed a novel
DC circuit breaker against inductive fault current defined by
Standard for Low-Voltage DC Power Circuit Breakers Used in
Enclosures. The performance of the proposed DC circuit breaker
was verified by an experimental circuit breaker test system built
in this research.

Keywords DC circuit breakers, SCR, Diode, UPS, Renewable

power system

I.

INTRODUCTION

From a historical point of view the decision to use an AC

distribution system with 50 or 60 Hz was mainly based on
cost of controlling and protecting DC systems. Apart from

this, a DC transmission and distribution system offers

significant advantages compared to AC systems, in particular
issues related to reactive power and harmonics as well as
limitation on transmission length play no role.
Since the possibilities of modern power electronic systems
have increased significantly during the past decade, DC grids
are discussed for high power applications. Especially the
usage of a DC grid for offshore wind farms is one major issue
today. Beside this, onshore medium-voltage distribution
system are also discussed as they offer the advantage of
reduced losses and reduced problems associated with cable
transmission (reactive power).
Today, the main arguments against a realization of low
voltage DC circuit breakers are issues related to switching and
protection. Existing low voltage DC circuit breakers are
designed on principal of arc. These circuit breakers are
mechanical devices, using SF6 to extinguish the occurring arc.
Magnet arc extinguishing method is proper to small size DC
circuit breakers. However, simple magnet arc extinguishing
method is not enough to break inductive fault currents.
This paper deals with low voltage DC circuit breakers
using SCR. After a short description of the used scenario
concept will be presented and compared under technical and
economical aspects. The performance of DC circuit breaker
was verified by experimental circuit breaker.

II.

BASIC OPERATION OF DC CIRCUIT BREAKER

DC circuit breaker is designed to protect an electrical

circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its
basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by
interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical
flow. Once a fault is detected, contacts within the circuit
breaker must open to interrupt the circuit. Unlike a fuse,
which operates once and then has to be replaced, a circuit
breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to
resume normal operation. Circuit breakers are made in
varying sizes, from small devices that protect an individual
household appliance up to large switchgear designed to
protect high voltage circuits feeding an entire city. Low
voltage (less than 1000 VAC) types are common in domestic,
commercial and industrial application. We basically deal with
low voltage DC circuit breaker by using the application of
SCR(Silicon Control Rectifier).
III.

SILICON CONTROL RECTIFIER

The thyristor or silicon controlled rectifier, SCR is a device

that has a number of unusual characteristics. It has three
terminals: Anode, cathode and gate, reflecting thermionic
valve / vacuum tube technology. As might be expected the
gate is the control terminal while the main current flows
between the anode and cathode.
As can be imagined from Figure 1, the device is a "one way
device" giving rise to the GE name for it the silicon controlled
rectifier. Therefore when the device is used with AC, it will
only conduct for a maximum of half the cycle.

much lower than the current through the SCR from cathode to
anode, so the SCR does achieve a measure of amplification.
This method of securing SCR conduction is
called triggering, and it is by far the most common way that
SCRs are latched in actual practice. In fact, SCRs are usually
chosen so that their break over voltage is far beyond the
greatest voltage expected to be experienced from the power
source, so that it can be turned on only by an intentional
voltage pulse applied to the gate.
The ability of an SCR to control large currents to a load by
means of small gate current makes the device very useful in
switching and control applications. The few possible
application of SCR are listed belowA. Power Control
B. Switching
C. Zero-Voltage Switching
D. Over-Voltage Protection
E. Pulse Circuit
We will not going in detail of every application. Our main
focus in on DC circuit breaker using SCR application
which is come under switching
1) Switching: Thyristor, being bistable device is widely
used for switching of power signals owing to their
long life, high operation speed and freedom from
other defects associated with mechanical and electromechanical
switches.

Fig. 1 SCR / Thyristor symbol for circuit diagrams and schematics

In operation, the thyristor or SCR will not conduct initially.

It requires a certain level of current to flow in the gate to
"fire" it. Once fired, the thyristor will remain in conduction
until the voltage across the anode and cathode is removed this obviously happens at the end of the half cycle over which
the thyristor conducts. The next half cycle will be blocked as a
result of the rectifier action. It will then require current in the
gate circuit to fire the SCR again.
By applying a small voltage between gate and cathode, the
lower transistor will be forced on by the resulting base
current, which will cause the upper transistor to conduct,
which then supplies the lower transistor's base with current so
that it no longer needs to be activated by a gate voltage. The
necessary gate current to initiate latch-up, of course, will be

Fig. 2 AC circuit breaker using SCR

Figure shows a circuit in which two SCRs are used for

making and breaking an ac circuit. The input voltage is
alternating and the trigger pulses are applied to the gates of
SCRs through the control switch S. Resistance R is
provided in the gate circuit to limit the gate current while
resistors R1 and R2 are to protect the diodes D1and
D2 respectively.
For starting the circuit, when switch S is closed, SCR 1 will
fire at the beginning of the positive half-cycle (the gate
trigger current is assumed to be very small) because during
positive half cycle SCR1 is forward biased. It will turn-off
when the current goes through the zero value. As soon as

SCR1 is turned-off, SCR2 will fire since the voltage polarity

is already reversed and it gets the proper gate current. The
circuit can be broken by opening the switch S. Opening of
gate circuit poses no problem, as current through this
switch is small. As no further gate signal will be applied to
the SCRs when switch S is open, the SCRs will not be
triggered and the load current will be zero. The maximum
time delay for breaking the circuit is one half-cycle.
Thus several hundred amperes of load current can be
switched on/off simply by handling gate current of few mA
by an ordinary switch. The above circuit is also called the
static contactor because it does not have any moving part.
DC Circuit Breaker
Fig. 4 flip-flop using SCR circuit

Fig. 3 SCR application-DC circuit breaker

As shown in Figure 3, Capacitor C provides the required

commutation of the main SCR since the current does not
have a natural zero value in a dc circuit. When the SCR 1 is
in conducting state, the load voltage will be equal to the
supply voltage and the capacitor C will be charged through
resistor R. The circuit is broken by turning-off SCR 1. This
is done by firing SCR2, called the auxiliary SCR. Capacitor
C discharges through SCR2and SCR1. This discharge
current is in opposite direction to that flowing through
SCR1 and when the two become equal SCR2 turns-off. Now
capacitor C gets charged through the load and when the
capacitor C gets fully charged, the SCR 2 turns-off. Thus the
circuit acts as a dc circuit breaker. The resistor R is taken of
such a value that current through R is lower than that of
holding current.
IV.
FLIP-FLOP CIRCUIT USING SCR
This circuit using SCR has been shown in fig. 4.There are
two SCRs S1and S2 in this circuit. S1, connected with load
Rl, is the main SCR and S2 is the auxiliary SCR. Two
resistor of 1K value connected at the gates of the two SCRs
are meant for limiting the gate triggering currents of the
two SCRs.

Working of this circuit can be understood from the

following explanation:
Let us assume that S1 is triggered first by applying a gate
signal .S1 immediately start conducting allowing the load
Rl to be an energized. Current flows from the positive
terminal of the 32volts supply through S1 and back to the
negative terminal. Capacitor C gets charged through low
resistor R1 such that its left hand plate acquires positive
polarity and right hand plate acquires negative polarity.
Since R1 is a small resistor, the voltage drop across it may
be neglected. The voltage at point A is practically
32volts.While S1 is conducting, the voltage drop across is
very less, say 1volt. In other words, the voltage at point B is
1V. Thus, in this condition the voltage across the capacitor
will be 32-1=31V.Simultaneously in this condition, S2 is in
the OFF position.
For turning S1, S2 is to be triggered by giving a signal at its
gate. The movement S2 is triggered, voltage at point A
drops to 1V. Since capacitor C is charged and cannot
instantaneously get discharged, the voltage at point B
immediately drops down to 1-31=-30V.This causes reverse
biasing at the anode of S1 which immediately gets turned
OFF. Thus it is seen that by turning of S2, S1 is turned
OFF. Similarly, by triggering S1, S2 can be turning OFF.
The circuit therefore acts like a flip-flop circuit. The load is
energized when S1 is ON and is denergised when S2 is ON.
Capacitor C is charged with opposite polarities when S2 is
triggered.
The voltage and current ratings of S1 depended on the
supply voltage and the load current. Auxiliary SCR S2 can
be taken as of much lower current rating because it does not
have to carry the load current through it.
V.
DIRECT CURENT CIRCUIT BREAKER

USING SCR
A DC Circuit breaker as shown in fig. 5 is also a type of
flip-flop circuit. There are two SCRs S1 and S2. S1, which
connect the load Rl across the supply is called the main
SCR and S2, which is meant for disconnecting the from
supply, is called the auxiliary SCR. The working of the
circuit is as follows:

Resistor R1 connected in series with the main SCR, S1

provides overload protection for the load. The value of R1 is
so selected that in case of an over-loading, if the voltage drop
across R1 exceeds the forward voltage drop of the string of
diodes D1,D2,D3 connected in series, the auxiliary SCR S2 is
triggered by obtaining the required gate signal even if the OFF
button is not pressed. This immediately cuts OFF the load
from the circuit and saves it from getting damaged. Rating of
the main SCR,S1 should be selected by considering the
magnitude of voltage and the load current.
CONCLUSION

Fig. 5 dc circuit breaker using SCR

After switching ON the DC supply when the button is pressed

AND gate of S1 receives signal through limiting resistor R3
and gets triggered immediately. Capacitor C get charged
through resistor R4 and S1, with its right hand plate acquiring
positive polarity and left-hand plate acquiring negative
polarity. When S1 starts conducting, it energies the load by
connecting it across the supply. The load can be disconnected
from the supply with the help of OFF ( Stop) button. When
the OFF button is pressed, the gate of S2 receives a signal
through the resistor R5. Resistors R5 and R2 makes the
potential divider. As soon as the gate signal is received by S2,
it starts conducting S1 is turn OFF due to the reverse polarity
obtained by the capacitor C. The load is immediately
interrupted and the current is starts flowing through S2.
Triggering S1 by pressing the ON button enables the load to
be connected in the circuit again. Thus, the device acts like a
circuit breaker.
.

DC Power Circuit Breakers designed to protect dc distribution

systems have been in service since the early 1900s.A DC
transmission and distribution system offers significant
advantages compared to AC systems, in particular issues
related to reactive power and harmonics as well as limitation
on transmission length play no role. But the main challenges
interrupt in DC circuit are as followsA. No natural current zero to assist in interruption.
B. Long time constants = high energy level to dissipate.
C. Short time constants = high fault currents to
interrupt.
In this paper we deal with DC circuit breaker using a
device called SCR. SCR has number of unusual
characteristics. The ability of an SCR to control large
currents to a load by means of small gate current
makes the device very useful in switching and
control applications. We use Flip-Flop circuit