LSU Electrical, Computer Engineering Professor Researches Hybrid Circuit Breaker
June 24, 2024
BATON ROUGE, LA – LSU Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Shahab Mehraeen is working on a bipolar hybrid direct current circuit breaker (DCCB) that generates a current zero crossing (i.e., point at which there is no voltage present) that reverses and re-routes the current, causing current decay with minimal arc.
The new DCCB employs a design that prevents over-voltages across the breaker contacts, reducing stress across the switches and other components, making it so that the fault energy can be partially sent back to the direct current (DC) source. In addition, the design ensures reduced arc, or discharge of high current between conductors through an air gap, making it safer for operation in the presence of a human.
“Experimental and simulation results have proven the performance of the bipolar hybrid circuit breaker in current breaking and rapid fault interruption with no significant arc between the breaker contacts,” Mehraeen said.
Benefits of the DCCB include improved DC grid reliability, protection from short circuiting by rapid current interruption via creating artificial current zero crossing, reduced arc and providing user safety, low-cost production and reduced size compared to other hybrid DCCBs that utilize bulky inductors, energy loss reduced without use of complex control and energy conservation methods, and increased life span and decreased maintenance costs.
The new DCCB is marketable to low- and high-voltage DC power grids, as well as green energy resources such as wind farms, solar panels, and tidal wave generators. It is also useful for multi-terminal DC systems.
Mehraeen is working with LSU’s Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization (ITC) on patenting this DCCB.
About LSU ITC
LSU ITC protects and commercializes LSU’s intellectual property. The office focuses on transferring early-stage inventions and works into the marketplace for the greater benefit of society. ITC also handles federal invention reporting, which allows LSU to receive hundreds of millions of dollars each year in federally funded research, and processes confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements, and other agreements related to intellectual property.
Like us on Facebook (@lsuengineering) or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram (@lsuengineering).
###
Contact: Libby Haydel
Communications Manager
225-578-4840
ehaydel1@lsu.edu
Latest College of Engineering News
- Meet the LSU Cybersecurity Student Whose Work CISA Calls “Staggering”Last week, LSU cybersecurity graduate student George Buras from Baton Rouge received a shoutout from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, for the “Staggering!” impact his work, and the work of other interns, is having on the nation. Here, Buras explains what he’s working on, and why.
- LSU BAE Professor, Team Work to Create Eyedrop for Retinoblastoma TreatmentBATON ROUGE, LA - Retinoblastoma is a rare, malignant tumor in the retina that mostly affects children under the age of 5 and can lead to blindness or even death if not treated. Since many patients are unable to access current treatments that include chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, LSU Biological and Agricultural Engineering Assistant Professor Qi Cai and a team of LSU researchers are creating an eyedrop gel that will be more accessible to retinoblastoma patients, thanks to a $75,000 Provost Award grant.
- LSU Civil, Environmental Engineering Professor Assesses Impact of Sulphur Mines Salt Dome Cavern Collapse on Well WaterNovember 18, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - The Gulf Coast is home to more than 500 salt domes, and at least 200 of those are located in Louisiana. While salt domes and their caverns can be beneficial, such as being used to hold petroleum reserves, they can also be a possible hazard should the caverns collapse. The Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources (LDENR) currently has its eye on two caverns in Sulphur, La., and have awarded a $156,602 grant to LSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Frank Tsai to assess the impact a collapse would have on well water in the area.
- LSU, PNNL Research Team Study Microplastics in the AtmosphereNovember 14, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - Microplastics are sub-millimeter-sized plastic fragments, similar to or smaller than the thickness of a human hair, that present a relatively new and increasingly prevalent type of environmental pollutant. In fact, they have been widely detected in the air we breathe and at altitudes where clouds form.
- LSU Engineering, Chance Maritime Collaborate on Uncrewed Underwater ResearchNovember 13, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - In an old quarry near Lafayette, La., an uncrewed boat is dropping a remote-controlled robot down to the bottom of a lakebed before retrieving it and returning to shore. If a passerby stumbled upon this scene, he or she might think it was something out of a spy movie. Instead, it's a cutting-edge project that shows how advanced robotic systems can help monitor and protect marine environments, as well as inspect and maintain offshore infrastructure.
- LSU Computer Science Senior Conquers School, Raising Four KidsBATON ROUGE, LA - Though Baton Rouge native Malana Fuentes grew up with the cards stacked against her, she has come out on the other side, hoping to inspire younger generations, including her own kids, that they can do it all if they want it badly enough.