GaN High Current Solid State Circuit Breaker for Military Ground Vehicles

Fast and reliable means to limit fault currents and isolate faulted subsystems are required to meet emerging power needs for military and commercial ground vehicles. We propose to develop a Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based Solid State Circuit Breaker (SSCB) product that is much faster and more robust than existing protective devices. Our GaN SSCB will be capable of switching large amplitude bidirectional currents, allowing large loads to be isolated more quickly than existing electromechanical relays and enabling the move to greater electrical power system capacity. During Phase I, we demonstrated feasibility with comprehensive design, analysis, computer based simulations, and fabrication and testing of a functional hardware prototype. We demonstrated high efficiency, fast and reliable control of large amplitude current, and a commercialization plan for a scalable and cost-effective protection device. During Phase II, we will complete development and demonstrate a prototype in a representative environment at TRL-6.