Design of high-voltage, high-power, solid-state remote

Two general types of remote power controllers (RPC´s), which combine the functions of a circuit breaker and a switch, were developed for use in direct-current (dc) aerospace systems. Powerswitching devices used in these designs are the relatively new gate-turnoff thyristor (GTO) and power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET). The various RPC´s can switch dc voltages to 1200 V and currents to 100 A. Seven different units were constructed and subjected to comprehensive laboratory and thermal vacuum testing. Two of these were dual units that switch both positive and negative voltages simultaneously. The RPC´s using MOSFET´s have slow turnon and turnoff times which limit surge currents and voltage spiking from high di/dt. The GTO´s have much faster transition times. All RPC´s have programmable overload tripout proportional to I² and microsecond tripout for large overloads.