Current interruption aided by thyristors

Current interruption requires that a `part´ of the circuit ideally switches from a conducting state, to an insulating one. This operation can be achieved by an electric arc appearing between separating contacts, but semiconductors are also able to undergo this transition. The authors present research that has been performed at the University of Liege, in order to develop hybrid circuit breakers. These devices combine both interrupting solutions: separating contacts and semiconductors. This technique avoids the drawbacks existing when using only one of them. The authors discuss both AC and DC current interruption using these thyristor based circuit breakers. The main features and advantages are discussed