Modular Clamping Circuit for High Speed Solid State Circuit Breakers

The aviation industry is on the cusp of a revolutionary transformation with the advent of zero-emission aircraft. These innovative aircraft, powered by cutting-edge technologies such as electric propulsion and hydrogen fuel cells, promise to significantly reduce the environmental impact of air travel. As global awareness of climate change and sustainability grows, the development and adoption of zero-emission aircraft are becoming increasingly vital. However, the integration of these advanced technologies necessitates robust electrical network protection to ensure safety and reliability. This leads to the need for advanced protection circuits, such as Solid-State Circuit Breakers (SSCBs) and clamping circuits, which are essential for managing the complexities of modern electrical systems. This paper focuses on an advanced clamping circuit that enables efficient voltage clamping for high-speed SSCBs. The method effectively clamps overvoltage in failure cases, realizing almost no voltage overshoot and a minimum time to clear the fault current. Due to its complete analog nature it is very suitable for safety critical applications where active digital control circuits have to be avoided. The proposed method is very efficient, ensuring the stability and safety of electrical networks in zeroemission aircraft.