Quenched Flux-Coupling Superconducting Fault Current Limiter Scheme and Its Electromagnetic Design Method

Abstract

In order to solve the problem of excessive short-circuit current in the present power system, a fault current limiter has become a new type of power device with high demand and is one of the current research hotspots. The flux-coupling type superconducting fault current limiter (FC-SFCL) generates a current-limiting impedance through decoupling superconducting parallel inductance based on the circuit breakers’ fractional interruption. The principle is simple, and the impedance is low during normal operation. It can directly use the existing circuit breaker to open a short circuit that is much higher than its own breaking capacity. Thus, it can be used for large-capacity fault current limiting and effective failure breaking. This paper focused on exploring and studying the implementation scheme of practical products of FC-SFCL. Considering that the quenched-type parallel inductance can limit the first peak value of the fault current, a quenched-type improvement scheme was proposed. Then, an electromagnetic design method based on the simplified calculation of the number of parallel tapes was proposed, which simplified the design process and reduced the design difficulty of the quenched FC-SFCL. Taking a 10 kV/500 A/5 kA quenched prototype as an example, its electromagnetic design was completed, and the performances of the non-quenched and quenched schemes were compared. The results showed that, compared to the non-quenched structure, the technical economics of the quenched one were more prominent, and it can be used preferentially for engineering prototypes. This study about the scheme of the quenched FC-SFCL and its electromagnetic design method is useful for promoting the implementation of the current limiter engineering prototype.