US 12,237,661 B2
Solid state circuit interrupter with solid state interlocking mechanism
Andrew W. Lichauer, McMurray, PA (US)
Assigned to EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed by EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed on Aug. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/238,638.
Application 17/748,478 is a division of application No. 16/746,002, filed on Jan. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,368,010, issued on Jun. 21, 2022.
Application 18/238,638 is a continuation of application No. 17/748,478, filed on May 19, 2022, granted, now 11,777,301.
Prior Publication US 2024/0030697 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. H02H 3/05 (2006.01); H02H 1/00 (2006.01); H02H 3/08 (2006.01)
CPC H02H 3/05 (2013.01) [H02H 1/0007 (2013.01); H02H 3/08 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of first circuit breakers, each first circuit breaker comprising a first solid state switch structured to interrupt current flowing to respective load in an event of fault, first mechanical contacts structured to provide galvanic isolation, a current sensor structured to sense current flowing through respective first circuit breaker, and a solid state interlocking firmware structured to provide a communication scheme and allow solid state interlocking to be performed upon a detection of a failure mode; and
a plurality of second circuit breakers electrically connected upstream to the plurality of first circuit breakers, each second circuit breaker comprising the solid state interlocking firmware,
wherein the first circuit breakers and the second circuit breakers are structured to communicate with one another in a wired or wireless connection and perform together the solid state interlocking (SSI), and
wherein the failure mode comprises a failure of a first solid state switch of a first circuit breaker to open, and wherein for performing the SSI, the first circuit breaker is structured to send an SSI request to closest second circuit breaker upon the detection of the failure mode, and the closest second circuit breaker is structured to responsively interrupt current flowing to the first circuit breaker.