Evaluation of design variables in Thompson coil based operating mechanisms for ultra-fast opening in hybrid AC and DC circuit breakers

The paper presents the operation transient analysis and multi-physics complexities in the design of a Thompson coil based ultra-fast mechanical switch for hybrid AC and DC circuit breakers. The electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal behavior of the switch has been analyzed through simulation using a multi-physics finite element software. The design variables have been classified into lumped circuit and geometric parameters; the sensitivity analysis by means of systematic and comprehensive simulations on these parameters helped establish the design guidelines. The switch has been designed with optimization for both the circuit parameters and geometrical dimensions of components targeting 2 mm travel for separation within 1 ms.