A Semiconductor Current-Limiting Device Based on a DC Converter

Short-circuit currents in autonomous and isolated electrical complexes today are approaching the switching capacity of operated circuit breakers. Since the existing equivalents cannot ensure the necessary reliability of power supply to consumers in emergency situations, it is pertinent to assess the need for developing new types of current-limiting devices (CLDs). This paper proposes an electrical circuit of a semiconductor current-limiting device based on a step-down DC-DC converter, where the main switch is a thyristor with an artificially switched circuit. Transient processes during the operation of the device are considered in detail. A mathematical model of the device is also provided. This model was verified by modeling the CLD circuit in MATLAB Simulink. In turn, the validity of the computer model used was proven experimentally. During the experiments, the current-limiting efficiency of the circuit was demonstrated, and its proposed mathematical model was also confirmed. This research was carried out as part of the project within the State Assignment FSEG-2023-0012.