Atom Power releases second-generation digital circuit breaker

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

Atom Power has launched its second-generation Atom Switch, a digital circuit breaker, for commercial use. The Generation 2 Atom Switch is UL-listed to UL 489I, meeting the standard for solid-state circuit breakers. Featuring the company’s proprietary silicon carbide (SiC) power modules, the technology doubles the performance of the new circuit breaker compared to the Generation 1 Atom Switch.

Atom Power said that it is the first company to use wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors in commercially available solid-state circuit breakers and the only company to manufacture SiC semiconductor modules specifically for use in circuit protection. The SiC power modules — models SWXFT100CPM and SWXFT50CPM — are UL 1557-recognized.

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The second-generation solid-state circuit breaker offers an increased interrupting rating and additional firmware capability, including new internal self-diagnostic and enhanced maintenance functions. It also offers significantly reduced manufacturing time — 10× faster to assemble than the previous generation, according to the company.

In addition to the digital circuit breakers, the company offers distribution panels and software to complete the distribution system, enabling circuit-interruption capabilities up to 150,000 A. A single Atom Switch replaces the need for more than 100 products used in commercial power today, said the company, mitigating explosions from electrical faults.

“With the first generation Atom Switch, we introduced the first-ever circuit breaker on the market that completely controls the flow of power via software and solid-state semiconductors,” said Denis Kouroussis, co-founder and CTO of Atom Power, in a statement. “Now, by incorporating semiconductor power modules that we designed and manufactured ourselves, we have taken our technology to the next level. With enhanced performance capabilities and faster assembly times, our Generation 2 circuit breaker is more accessible than ever and furthers our mission of revolutionizing power management.”