ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY DESIGN AND TEST FOR MEGAWATT MEDIUM VOLTAGE SOLID STATE CIRCUIT BREAKER

Abstract

Naval Postgraduate School and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division, University of Connecticut, and Clemson University propose to advance the response speed, power density, efficiency, and altitude capability of circuit breaker technology by developing a fast lightweight altitude-ready solid state circuit breaker for hybrid electric propulsion (FLASH). This thesis describes the procedure and methods used to create a nondestructive testbed that identifies the potential issues in the circuit breaker related to electromagnetic interference (EMI) susceptibility. The testbed uses magnetic and electric field injection to simulate harsh EMI environments and pinpoints the exact areas within a system that are susceptible to EMI. Furthermore, this thesis recommends low-cost solutions to correct the identified problematic areas and components. Lastly, the testbed designed in this thesis can be used on the FLASH circuit breaker as well as a wide range of other applications and electrical circuits. This thesis will identify the potential issues in the circuit breaker related to EMI and proposes solutions that will help the team integrate the solutions in the circuit breaker design. In addition, it develops a tool used to enhance the EMI performance of the circuit breaker components. Lastly, this thesis documents the results of the full power test and validates the proposed solutions with experimental data.