Oak Ridge has developed a medium-voltage circuit breaker that can interrupt direct current faults in under 50 microseconds—fast enough to finally make grid-scale DC distribution practical and safe. (Newswise)
Between the lines: ORNL researchers designed and tested solutions in a series of breakers operating up to an 1,800-volt testing capacity. They’re currently scaling up to 10,000 volts, filling a major protection gap as utilities eye DC for data centers, electrified transport, and next-gen grid design.