Bypass thyristor

The bypass thyristor, 5STP 10L8500, is a new semiconductor device that offers three modes of operation:

• Normal operation: Device is blocked permanently.

• Protection mode: Device is irreversibly shorted by a surge current event (I_TSM / I²t) triggered through the gate.

• SCFM mode: Continuous stable long-term short circuit mode.

A typical application is short-circuiting faulty cells in a multilevel converter topology (MMC). The thyristor housing will not rupture when passing currents up to, or exceeding, 363 kA or 217 MA²s. After a fault, the device operates as a stable short circuit for more than a year.