Surge Current Interruption Capability and Failure Mechanisms of Discrete IGBTs Under Hard and Soft Switching in Hybrid DC Circuit Breakers
Ali W, Bissal A, März M (2026)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2026
Journal
Pages Range: 1-1
DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3665947
Abstract
Hybrid circuit breakers (HCBs) represent a new generation of circuit breakers that combine the advantages of mechanical breakers (MBs) and solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs), offering fast interruption speeds and low on-state losses without requiring cooling. However, their adoption remains limited due to the high cost of semiconductors. This paper investigates the surge current capability and failure dynamics of discrete insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), a critical component in HCBs. The study employs a gate voltage of 50 V to drive the IGBT, evaluating its surge current capability under controlled conditions by varying three parameters: the voltage derivative ( dV/dt ), the current derivative ( di/dt ), and the case temperature. Results show that a single discrete IGBT rated for 110 A can conduct and turn off surge currents up to 1400 A, which is nearly 13 times its nominal current, under hard switching conditions. Under soft switching conditions, the surge current interruption capability increases from 1400 A to 1600 A, representing a 14 % improvement, while the turn-off energy losses are reduced by 40 %. It was also shown that at such high peak turn-off currents, device failure was associated with gate voltage oscillations during turn-off, primarily caused by elevated junction temperatures. Additionally, reducing the system inductance from 29 μh to 15 μh decreased the energy absorption capability by 50 %, highlighting the importance of incorporating a dedicated inductor in low-inductance systems. These findings underscore key design considerations for enhancing the reliability and performance of cost-effective hybrid circuit breakers.
Authors with CRIS profile
Waqas Ali
Lehrstuhl für Leistungselektronik (LEE)
Martin März
Lehrstuhl für Leistungselektronik (LEE)
Involved external institutions
Italy (IT)How to cite
APA:
Ali, W., Bissal, A., & März, M. (2026). Surge Current Interruption Capability and Failure Mechanisms of Discrete IGBTs Under Hard and Soft Switching in Hybrid DC Circuit Breakers. IEEE Access, 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3665947
MLA:
Ali, Waqas, Ara Bissal, and Martin März. "Surge Current Interruption Capability and Failure Mechanisms of Discrete IGBTs Under Hard and Soft Switching in Hybrid DC Circuit Breakers." IEEE Access (2026): 1-1.
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