Performance Assessment of DC Circuit Breakers in Networks with Unpredictable Fault Current Peak Value

The DC Circuit Breaker (DCCB) is the first protective component in the DC network. On the other hand, the converters used in all DC networks are sensitive to the excess current and voltage caused by the fault. The HDCCB based on the current commutation drive circuit (CCDC) is one of the structures that provide a speedy interruption of the fault current as well as reduced losses in the pre-fault circuit while maintaining a simple structure. This structure can only be successfully interrupted at a specific rate of fault current and a specific peak of fault current, while changing the location of the fault causes a change in the peak and rate of increase of the fault current, which disrupts the interruption performance of this HDCCB. This study aims to evaluate and analyze the various structures of DCCB particularly the HDCCB based on CCDC, which is considered superior to other DCCBs. Furthermore, it emphasizes the limitations of interrupting the various peaks of fault currents using HDCCB based on CCDC, with simulated verification by Finite Element (FE). Finally, multiple proposals for further research are made to improve the performance of the CCDC structure as an ideal structure.