A New Efficient Non-coupled Bidirectional Z-source Circuit Breaker for DC Microgrid Protection

Semiconductor power devices are the main loss source of Z-source circuit breakers (ZSCBs). Therefore, this paper presents a new efficient non-coupled bidirectional ZSCB (Bi-ZSCB) for DC microgrid protection. The proposed Bi-ZSCB multiplexes the fault commutation branch, and optimizes the number of the power devices in the main current path, thereby reducing the on-state loss of the Bi-ZSCB. Combined with the simulation waveforms, the working principle of the Bi-ZSCB is analyzed in detail. Finally, the performance of the Bi-ZSCB is verified by small-scale hardware test-bed.