Development of Copper-Tungsten Clad-contacts for 400A-arc-less Switching of Hybrid DC Switch

Abstract

A hybrid DC switch has been studied extensively due to the increasing demand for photovoltaic plants or DC power distribution systems. The advantages of the hybrid DC switch are low contact resistance and high-speed interruption. We have demonstrated an arc-less commutation of current from copper-based tungsten contacts to a SiC-MOSFET. The arc-less commutation prevents the contact erosion that is one of the drawbacks of conventional DC mechanical switches. This report shows the experiment results on the threshold current of the arc-less commutation and the contact resistance with different material contacts up to 400A in a Hybrid DC switch.