This is extremely important, particularly because we now want to transmit power even across the Atlantic to Ireland. It all starts with fast switching for high voltage. This is surely what stop direct current electricity cold a century ago.
We still need to engineer fail safe systems because any failure has the potential to convert any sub station into a molten mass.
You get the message, but this is so important and valuable.
New US high-speed breaker tested at 1,800-volt could spark DC electricity boom
A DC grid can also better support the flow of power from modern sources like solar panels and batteries.Updated: Aug 07, 2025 12:54 PM EST
The team is scaling up medium-voltage circuit breakers that use affordable semiconductors.
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/us-high-speed-breaker-electricity-boom
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new circuit breaker that operates hundreds of times faster than traditional models, clearing a path for a safer and more efficient US power grid.
“The ORNL team developed medium-voltage circuit breakers capable of handling increasing levels of direct current at a lower cost,” said the research team.
The device interrupts currents of 1,400 volts in less than 50 microseconds—a speed essential for protecting next-generation direct current (DC) power systems.
“Until now, semiconductor breakers have been too expensive to either compete economically with mechanical breakers for AC, or to facilitate expanded use of DC grids,” stated the researchers in a press release.
“No type of commercial breaker can handle DC above 2,000 volts, and most can’t achieve half that.”
Making high-power DC grids feasible
This breakthrough makes the widespread use of high-power DC grids feasible. The ORNL team has already proven the technology can be scaled by linking breakers in a series.
“ORNL researchers designed solutions and tested them in a series of breakers operating up to an 1,800-volt testing capacity,” added the press release.
They are now working toward systems that can handle the 10,000 volts required by future energy demands from applications like AI data centers.
The team built the breaker using an inexpensive and robust semiconductor called a thyristor.
“Thyristors are affordable enough to make semiconductor-based switches competitive for the first time,” explained the press release.
While affordable, thyristors have a key limitation: they cannot be easily switched off.
Preventing explosive electrical arcs
The ORNL engineers solved this by designing a novel external circuit that forcibly stops the current, making the technology economically competitive for the first time.
“We selected a base technology that was robust, efficient and inexpensive,” noted lead researcher Prasad Kandula.
This speed is a game-changer for DC power. Standard alternating current (AC) is easy to interrupt because its flow naturally drops to zero multiple times per second, giving mechanical switches a safe window to open. DC power flows constantly in one direction.
“Once you go to DC, that ‘zero current’ moment is gone — and without it, a mechanical switch isn’t fast enough to stop a fault before heat builds up and a fire starts,” Kandula explained.
The new semiconductor design instantly routes dangerous currents away, preventing the explosive electrical arcs that can occur when mechanical breakers fail on DC lines.
Unlocking benefits of DC grid
This development unlocks the major benefits of a DC grid. DC power is more efficient, losing less energy during transmission and reducing electricity costs.
It is also better suited to support the multi-directional power flows from modern sources like solar panels and batteries.
This increased capacity and safety are critical for the nation’s future.
“Developing this technology helps keep the grid working safely and reliably while keeping more energy available to support our growing population and economy,” Kandula concluded.
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