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(a) Photovoltaic driving circuit block diagram. (b) Ideal current-to-voltage PV 1 characteristic. (c) Gate charge characteristic.
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This paper introduces a Solid State Circuit Breaker with Latching and Current Limiting capabilities for DC distribution systems. The proposed circuit uses very few electronic parts and it is fully analog. A SiC N-MOSFET driven by a photovoltaic driver and a maximum current detector circuit are the core elements of the system. This work details circ...
Citations
... They have small footprints and can be connected in series and parallel. Unlike capacitive or transformer isolation which requires continuous AC pulsating feed to sustain the on or off state [9], in particular, for applications with long on or off durations, the PVD can achieve this by using a small DC current sufficient to drive its Light Emitting Diode (LED). They also are able to drive MOSFETs in their linear region for current-limiting purposes or amplification. ...
... For driving power switches like MOSFETs, the low ratings of the short circuit current in µAs enables a slow turn-on, mitigates the inrush current and enhances the circuit stability [9]. This will be investigated more in the next sections. ...
Newly introduced Photovoltaic (PV) devices, featuring a built-in chip with an illuminating Light Emitting Diode (LED), have emerged in the commercial market. These devices are touted for their utility as both low- and high-side power switch drivers and for data acquisition coupling. However, comprehensive knowledge and experimentation regarding the limitations of these Photovoltaic Drivers in both switching and signal processing applications remain underexplored. This paper presents a detailed characterization of a Photovoltaic Driver, focusing on its performance under resistive and capacitive loads. Additionally, it delineates the device’s constraints when employed in signal processing. Through the analysis of switching losses across various power switches (Silicon and Silicon Carbide) in both series and parallel driver configurations, this study assesses the driver’s efficacy in operating Junction Field-Effect Transistors (JFETs). Findings suggest that Photovoltaic Drivers offer a low-cost, compact solution for specific applications, such as high-voltage, low-bandwidth measurements, and low-speed turn-on with fast turn-off power switching scenarios, including solid-state switches and hot-swap circuits. Moreover, they present a straightforward, cost-effective method for driving JFETs, simplifying the circuit design and eliminating the need for an additional negative power source.
... The photodiode array is generally composed of a dozen of photodiodes connected in series [27], as shown in figure 1(a). In the presence of infrared indicator light, the voltage generated across the photodiode stack depends mainly on the number of photodiodes in the stack. ...
A novel photodiode array structure is proposed and implemented in the paper. Based on the silicon-on-insulator substrate, the structure adopts double SiO2 layers for isolation among PN junctions. Compared with incumbent photodiode arrays with a single isolation layer, the novel design shows less leakage current, less noise, high optical response sensitivity, and better compatible integration with other devices. The dark current of this structure is less than nanoamperes (10⁻⁹ A), with the benefits of 1000 times’ less leakage current than that of other structures, and a higher sensitivity with a response speed less than 200 ns. The device is fabricated and characterized. The doping concentration and structural profile are characterized. The fabricated device is packaged with a photo light-emitting diode and the MOS device to act as the MOS relay driver. The wavelength used in the photodiode is between 500 nm–560 nm, with peak wavelength 520 nm, which can be used to drive MOS device.
... However, SSCBs have the disadvantage of presenting high power losses, and being very expensive and large, due to the need for heat sinks [21]. Another group of SSCBs is the devices proposed since 1989 [65], in which the predominant material is a wide band gap (WBG), such as SiC JFETs [66], SiC ETO [67], SiC MOSFETs [68,69], SiC SITs [70], GaN HEMTs, and GaN MOSFETs [15]. WBG semiconductors exhibit superior material properties than silicon ones, which enable the operation of power devices at higher-temperature operation, higher blocking voltage capability, and higher switching frequencies [34,71]. ...
... In the Ref. [68], a photovoltaic-driven SSCB with latching and current-limiting (LCL) capabilities (SSCB-LCL) was proposed. In case the load current is exceeded, the SSCB-LCL limits the load current during a pre-configured time by the user. ...
This paper deals with circuit breakers (CBs) used in direct current microgrids (DCMGs) for protection against electrical faults, focusing on their evolution and future challenges in low voltage (<1.5 kV) and medium voltage (between 1.5 kV and 20 kV). In recent years, proposals for new circuit-breaker features have grown. Therefore, a review on the evolution of circuit breakers for DCMGs is of utmost importance. In general terms, this paper presents a review concerning the evolution of circuit breakers used in DCMGs, focusing on fuses, mechanical circuit breakers (MCBs), solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs), and hybrid circuit breakers (HCBs). Their evolution is presented highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each device. It was found that although modern circuit breakers have begun to be commercially available, many of them are still under development; consequently, some traditional fuses and MCBs are still common in DCMGs, but under certain restrictions or limitations. Future challenges that would allow a successful and adequate implementation of circuit breakers in DCMGs are also presented.
... Another more applicable and simple technique to limit the converter inrush current can be done using a single MOSFET switch connected with the input side of the DC-DC converter [35][36][37]. MOSFETs switches are usually considered as ideal devices because they are characterized by fast switching time due to majority carrier, lower switching losses due to fast rise and fall times, as well as very small on-state DC resistance, which helps to reduce the voltage drop through the switch at steady state operation [38]. Control of the inrush current to the required limit can be done by controlling the gate charge transfer characteristics of the MOSFET switch in order to control the slew rate of the input capacitance charging time [39]. ...
This paper presents a complete mathematical design of the main components of 2 kW, 54 direct current (DC)–DC converter stage, which can be used as the second stage of the two stages of alternating current (AC)–DC telecom power supply. In this paper, a simple inrush current controlling circuit to eliminate the high inrush current, which is generated due to high input capacitor at the input side of the DC–DC converter, is proposed, designed, and briefly discussed. The proposed circuit is very easy to implement in the lab using a single metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) switch and some small passive elements. PSIM simulation has been used to test the power supply performance using the value of the designed components. Furthermore, the experimental setup of the designed power supply with inrush current control is built in the lab to show the practical performance of the designed power supply and to test the reliability of the proposed inrush current mitigation circuit to eliminate the high inrush current at initial power application to the power supply circuit. DC–DC power supply with phase shift zero voltage switching (ZVS) technique is chosen and designed due to its availability to achieve ZVS over the full load range at the primary side of the power supply, which reduces switching losses and offers high conversion efficiency. High power density DC–DC converter stage with smooth current startup operation, full load efficiency over 95%, and better voltage regulation is achieved in this work.
