Solid state switch utilizing GTOs in series

The gate turn-off thyristor (GTO) is discussed for such applications as circuit breakers and power conversion, particularly for space-based systems. The most serious of the drawbacks is the limit on voltage on one device. The solution is to form a series of devices and thus add the voltage capabilities of each device. To do this requires physical integration of several devices and their support systems (electronic and thermal) and the devising of a control algorithm to ensure that every device turns on and off with every other device. Each device requires its own protective snubber circuit. The rapid turn-off capability of such devices (100s of microseconds or better) enables a great deal of additional protection to be built into high-power systems