초록

A system and method for operating a semi-conductor based circuit breaker as a transient current limiter includes a semi-conductor switch that operates in a linear mode during a transient event and thereby reduces the transient current passing through the switch.

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1. A power distribution system comprising: a power bus;at least one power distribution branch for providing power from said power bus to an electrical system;a semi-conductor based circuit breaker module mounted directly to said power bus and interruptably connecting said power distribution branch t

1. A power distribution system comprising: a power bus;at least one power distribution branch for providing power from said power bus to an electrical system;a semi-conductor based circuit breaker module mounted directly to said power bus and interruptably connecting said power distribution branch to said power bus;a controller capable of controlling said semi-conductor based circuit breaker module in an off mode, a linear mode, and an on mode;wherein said semi-conductor based circuit breaker module further comprises a current limiting module such that said semi-conductor based circuit breaker module can further operate as a current limiter; andwherein said semi-conductor based circuit breaker module further comprises a resistor/Zener diode (RZ) network connected between a gate of a semi-conductor switch and an emitter of said semi-conductor switch, thereby allowing said semi-conductor switch to operate in a linear mode, and said at least one resistor/Zener (RZ) network comprises multiple branches, each of said multiple branches having a resistor in series with a Zener diode. 2. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein said semi-conductor based circuit breaker module further comprises a resistor/capacitor/Zener diode (RCZ) network connected between a gate of a semi-conductor switch and an emitter of said semi-conductor switch, thereby allowing said semi-conductor switch to operate in a linear mode. 3. The power distribution system of claim 1, wherein said semi-conductor based circuit breaker module further comprises at least one uni-directional semi-conductor switch arranged such that power can pass through said semi-conductor based circuit breaker module in either a positive or negative direction. 4. A bus-mounted circuit breaker comprising: a semi-conductor switch capable of operating in an off mode, a linear mode, and an on mode;at least one resistor/Zener (RZ) network connected to a control input of said semi-conductor switch, thereby allowing for control of the semi-conductor switch in a linear mode and wherein said at least one resistor/Zener (RZ) network comprises multiple branches, each of said multiple branches having a resistor in series with a Zener diode;a controller electrically coupled to said control input of said semi-conductor switch; andwherein said semi-conductor switch interruptably connects a power input and a power output. 5. The bus-mounted circuit breaker of claim 4, wherein said semi-conductor switch comprises at least one of an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET), and a Bipolar junction Transistor (BJT). 6. The bus-mounted circuit breaker of claim 4, wherein said RZ network is a resistive/capacitance/Zener (RCZ) network. 7. The bus-mounted circuit breaker of claim 4, wherein said circuit breaker comprises two uni-directional semi-conductor modules, each of said uni-directional semi-conductor modules having a semi-conductor switch. 8. The bus-mounted circuit breaker of claim 7, wherein a collector of a first uni-directional semi-conductor module is connected to a collector of a second semi-conductor module, thereby enabling said bus-mounted circuit breaker to operate bi-directionally. 9. The bus-mounted circuit breaker of claim 4, wherein said circuit breaker comprises a bi-directional semi-conductor module having a semi-conductor switch. 10. The bus-mounted circuit breaker of claim 9, wherein said bi-directional semi-conductor module comprises a diode bridge, wherein said semi-conductor switch connects a first diode junction and a second diode junction, and wherein each of said first and second diode junction have no other connections, thereby allowing said semi-conductor switch to operate bi-directionally. 11. The bus-mounted circuit breaker of claim 8, further comprising a Zener diode clamp, wherein said Zener diode clamp is connected in parallel to said semi-conductor switch. 12. A method for actively controlling transient/inrush currents to a load, comprising the step of operating a passive resistive/Zener (RZ) circuit, wherein said passive resistive/Zener (RZ) network comprises multiple branches, each of said multiple branches having a resistor in series with a Zener diode, and a semi-conductor switch in a linear mode, thereby eliminating a need for load side current limiters and recognizing size and space savings. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the operating said semi-conductor switch in an off mode when no through current is required and when a fault is detected. 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of operating said semi-conductor switch in a fully-on mode as a circuit breaker or switch. 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: detecting a start of a transient event;placing said semi-conductor switch in the linear mode for a duration of said transient event; anddetecting an end of said transient event. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of passing said transient current through said semi-conductor switch operating in the linear mode reduces said transient current. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein said semi-conductor switch is a component of a bus-mounted semi-conductor circuit breaker. 18. The method of claim 12, wherein said passive RZ circuit is a passive resistance/capacitance/Zener (RCZ) circuit. 19. The bus mounted circuit breaker of claim 4, wherein each of said multiple branches is substantially identical. 20. The bus mounted circuit breaker of claim 4, further comprising a capacitor connected in electrical parallel to each of said multiple branches. 21. The bus mounted circuit breaker of claim 4, wherein said resistor/Zener (RZ) network connects said control input to an emitter of said semi-conductor switch. 22. The method of claim 12, wherein each of said multiple branches is substantially identical. 23. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of operating a passive resistive/Zener (RZ) circuit, wherein said passive resistive/Zener (RZ) network comprises multiple branches, each of said multiple branches having a resistor in series with a Zener diode and a semi-conductor switch in a linear mode further comprises operating a capacitor connected in electrical parallel to each of said multiple branches.