Siemens and Infineon collaborate on solid-state circuit breakers

Siemens has partnered with semiconductor company Infineon Technologies on circuit breaker technology for data centres, production facilities and battery storage systems.

The collaboration involves Infineon supplying silicon carbide (SiC) power modules for use in Siemens’ SENTRON 3QD2 semiconductor circuit breakers, which should increase the circuit breakers’ efficiency, power density and reliability.

Andreas Weisl, Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer of Industrial and Infrastructure at Infineon, said AI data centres and factories were becoming increasingly electrified and complex. “This increases vulnerability to electrical failures and drives the demand for more sustainable, efficient and reliable power distribution systems,” he said.

“By combining our advanced silicon carbide technology with Siemens’ expertise in power distribution, we are addressing this demand to ensure fast, safe and reliable operations in power-critical environments.”

Also known as solid-state circuit breakers, semiconductor circuit breakers are electronic devices that protect electrical circuits from damage caused by excessive current flow, such as short circuits or overloads. Unlike traditional electromechanical circuit breakers, which rely on mechanical parts to interrupt the flow of current and typically operate on the millisecond scale, the Siemens SENTRON 3QD2 uses semiconductor components and smart protection algorithms to perform this function.

Siemens said this enables ultra-fast interruption in the microsecond range: up to 1000 times faster than conventional systems. This capability is essential for direct current (DC) grids and offers a significant increase in protection and system availability — something that’s crucial in applications like industrial manufacturing and AI data centres, where even a slight delay can cause costly downtime, data loss or expensive hardware damage in the event of electrical failures.

“Our new direct current portfolio offers innovative solutions that not only improve energy efficiency but also enable the development of resilient, future-proof infrastructure,” said Markus Grabmeier, CEO Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure.

“Direct current applications can decrease energy consumption and substantially cut material usage. By integrating batteries, peak power can also be significantly reduced.

“With this approach, we are making a decisive contribution to the decarbonisation of our industries, while reinforcing our commitment to developing technologies that deliver tangible value to our customers and society.”

Image caption: Siemens SENTRON 3QD2. Image: Supplied