The Vacon NXP DCGuard is a device that maintains the safety and stability of a DC grid system by detecting and cutting off any faulty direct currents (DCs) within 50 microseconds and, thereby, protecting the surrounding equipment by preventing brownouts associated with typical fuse or breaker protections that take up to 100 times longer to trip. Further, it enables connection of two different DC grids with voltage differences, and, more importantly, prevents accidents and injuries.
The semiconductor protection device is based on standard VACON NXP inverter hardware and new software. During a short circuit, the VACON NXP DCGuard disconnects the healthy side from the faulty side before the short circuit affects the healthy side. The fast isolation ensures the healthy side can continue to operate as normal after the short circuit situation. This enables a secure DC grid and is a key enabler for DC networks used in many different applications, such as data centers, commercial buildings, or factories.