Infineon and Siemens partner on SiC circuit breakers
Infineon and Siemens are partnering to advance electrical protection in data centres, production facilities and battery storage systems. As part of the collaboration, Infineon will supply 62 mm CoolSiC MOSFET 1200V modules to Siemens for use in its SENTRON 3QD2 semiconductor circuit breakers.
"AI data centres and factories are becoming increasingly electrified and complex. This increases vulnerability to electrical failures and drives the demand for more sustainable, efficient and reliable power distribution systems," said Andreas Weisl, EVP and chief sales officer of industrial and infrastructure at Infineon. "By combining our advanced SiC technology with Siemens' expertise in power distribution, we are addressing this demand to ensure fast, safe and reliable operations in power-critical environments."
Unlike traditional electromechanical circuit breakers, which rely on mechanical parts to interrupt the flow of current and typically operate on the millisecond scale, the Siemens SENTRON 3QD2 uses semiconductor components and smart protection algorithms to perform this function.
This enables ultra-fast interruption in the microsecond range, up to 1,000 times faster than conventional systems. This capability is essential for direct current (DC) grids and offers a significant increase in protection and system availability, which is crucial in applications like industrial manufacturing and AI data centres, where even a slight delay can cause costly downtime, data loss or expensive hardware damage in the event of electrical failures.
"Our new direct current portfolio offers innovative solutions that not only improve energy efficiency but also enable the development of resilient, future-proof infrastructure," said Markus Grabmeier, CEO electrical products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. "Direct current applications can decrease energy consumption and substantially cut material usage. By integrating batteries, peak power can also be significantly reduced. With this approach, we are making a decisive contribution to the decarbonisation of our industries, while reinforcing our commitment to developing technologies that deliver tangible value to our customers and society."
A demo of the Siemens SENTRON 3QD2 semiconductor circuit breaker will be exhibited at the Infineon booth at PCIM Europe 2026 in Nuremberg from 9 to 11 June.
