Blixt Zero - the world's first IEC certified solid state circuit breaker

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30 Sep, 2021, 15:35 GMT

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blixt Tech AB (Blixt) has reached another major milestone receiving IEC certification for its Blixt Zero solid state circuit breaker. This is the first time ever a residential solid state circuit breaker is approved for commercial use.

Earlier this month Blixt announced a strategic partnership with Infineon and on September 24th the parties signed an MOU to co-develop low-cost solid-state circuit breakers. Receiving certification for the Blixt Zero is another great achievement, making the company the first in the world to deliver a certified miniature solid state circuit breaker.

Classic circuit breakers are mechanical devices, which makes them slow and less effective over time. In the worst-case they can cause an arc-fault incident, feared by electricians and a source of fires. They are static devices built for one single purpose only, and lack any advanced digital capabilities and communication. Blixt's technology breakthrough with solid state circuit breakers enables completely new ways of handling electricity and allows real time control of the power flow.

We have an urgent global need to upgrade the current grid to handle peak loads and support the integration of renewables. But instead of investing in a static infrastructure based on outdated technology Blixt's vision is to enable a fully dynamic network that can respond in real time to change in demand and supply. It would result in much more efficient use of electricity and a more resilient and safe infrastructure. For emerging markets this is a great opportunity to leapfrog their grid evolution and establish a durable, distributed, and highly efficient electricity infrastructure from the beginning.

"Receiving the certification for the Blixt Zero has been an extraordinary team effort and an important milestone for our company. To achieve the IEC certification, the Blixt Zero had to meet vigorous electrical safety standards and electromagnetic compatibility criteria. It is also a proof point that we have managed to take our disruptive innovation from idea to commercial product" says Jens Peter Schroer CTO of Blixt.

The Blixt Zero is a pure solid state (electronic) device, without any moving parts and no physical separation of the conductive path for power flow. This leads to faster response times and interruption of extreme currents in nanoseconds without generating any arc faults. Furthermore, it has built in real-time voltage and current monitoring, as well as software programmability and two-way communication. This makes the system more efficient, wasting less energy, and at the same time increasing our safety levels.

The Blixt Zero is designed as a 16A, 110 – 230VAC breaker, but the technology is agnostic to the type of semiconductors used and future proof in this way. The system can take full advantage of new developments in the Power MOSFET segment and going forward be scaled up to medium voltage or high current systems.

About Blixt Tech AB

Blixt's mission is to enable full software control of electricity, using solid state technology. The first two innovations, developed solely by Blixt, embrace both current and voltage control. The company holds 39 patent applications in the field of solid state circuit breakers, voltage conversion and battery technology and is since 2021 an official member of Infineon's high-quality partner ecosystem program. Blixt was founded in Sweden in 2018 and has received multiple industry awards for its innovations.