1

Chapter 1Introduction
In power system, the fault current levels are rising due to
expansion and interconnectionof the grids, requiring
replacement of higher rated circuit breakers. A superconductor
faultcurrent limiter (SFCL) connected in series to a circuit
breaker will reduce the fault current tothe rated level of the
circuit breaker, so that it can be operated safely. This feature of
SFCLeliminates upgradations of grids with the higher capacity
breakers and the associatedequipment. Also, as the fault current
is limited, the electromagnetic and thermal stresses on
thecomponents would reduce resulting in reliability
enhancement. Three phase SFCL withstainless steel stabilized
high temperature superconductor YBCO tape project is under
thenational prospective plan (NPP) of Ministry of Power, Govt.
of India. This report discusses theconceptual designs, cryogenic
challenges and installation possibility of SFCL in the
gridsystem.
1.1

Fault Current Limiters

A fault is an unintentional short circuit, or partial short-circuit,
in an electric circuit. A varietyof factors such as lightning,
downed power lines, or crossed power lines cause faults. During
afault, excessive current called fault current, flows through the
electrical system often resultingin a failure of one section of that
system by causing a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse.A
fault current limiter (FCL) limits the amount of current flowing
through the system andallows for the continual, uninterrupted
operation of the electrical system, similar to the waysurge
protectors limit damaging currents to household devices.
Currently, two broad categoriesof FCL technologies exist: high-
temperature superconducting and solid-state.
1.2 Need of Fault Current Limiters
The need for FCLs is driven by rising system fault current levels
as energy demand increasesand more distributed generation and
clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, are added toan
already overburdened system. Currently, explosive fault-limiting
fuses are utilized to limitfault current, but they require a service
call to replace the fuse after it blows and they are onlyavailable
for voltages below 35 kV. Series reactors are also used but they
have constant highreactive losses, are bulky, and contribute to
grid voltage drops. FCLs overcome theseweaknesses.
Additionally, rising fault current levels increase the need for
larger and often

2
costly high impedance transformers. However, in contrast to
these transformers, FCLs operatewith little to no impedance
during normal operation which allows a more stable system.
1.3 Benefits of Fault Current Limiters
FCLs offer numerous benefits to electric utilities. For instance,
utilities spend millionsof dollars each year to maintain and
protect the grid from potentially destructive fault currents.These
large currents can damage or degrade circuit breakers and other
expensive T&D systemcomponents. Utilities can reduce or
eliminate these replacement costs by installing FCLs.
Other benefits include:
Enhanced system safety, stability, and efficiency of the power
delivery systems

Reduced or eliminated wide-area blackouts, reduced localized

disruptions, andincreased recovery time when disruptions do
occur

Reduced maintenance costs by protecting expensive downstream

T&D systemequipment from constant electrical surges that
degrade equipment and requirecostly replacement

Improved system reliability when renewables and DG are added

to the electric grid

Elimination of split buses and opening bus-tie breakers

Reduced voltage dips caused by high resistive system

components

Single to multiple short (fault) protection plus automatic

resetting

3
Chapter 2Superconducting Fault Current
LimitersIntroduction:
Superconducting fault current limiters exploit the extremely
rapid los
s ofsuperconductivity
(
called

quenching) above a critical combination of temperature,

currentdensity and magnetic field. In normal operation, current

flows through the superconductorwithout resi
stance and
negligible

impedance
.
If a fault develops, the superconductor quenches,its resistance
rises sharply and current is diverted to a parallel circuit with the
desired higherimpedance.Superconducting fault current limiters
are described as being in one of two major categories:
(i)

Resistive Fault Current Limiter:

In a resistive FCL, the current passesdirectly through the

superconductor. When it quenches, the sharp rise in
resistancereduces the fault current from what it would otherwise
be (the prospective faultcurrent). A resistive FCL can be
eitherDC orAC. If it is AC, then there will be asteady power
dissipation from AC losses (superconductinghysteresis losses)
whichmust be removed by thecryogenic system. An AC FCL is
usually made from wirewound non-inductively; otherwise the
inductance of the device would create anextra constant power
loss on the system.
(ii)

Inductive Fault Current Limiter

:
Inductive FCLs come in many variants, but the basic concept is
atransformer with a resistive FCL as the secondary. In un-
faulted operation, there is no resistance in the secondary and so
the inductance ofthe device is low. A fault current quenches the
superconductor, the secondary becomes resistive and the
inductance of the whole device rises.The advantage of this
design is that there is no heat ingress through current leads
intothe superconductor, and so the cryogenic power load may be
lower. However, the large amountof iron required means that
inductive FCLs are much bigger and heavier than resistive
FCLs.

GridON Ltd has developed the first commercial inductive FCL

for distribution & transmissionnetworks. Using a unique and
proprietary concept of magnetic-flux alteration requiring
nosuperconducting or cryogenic components the self-triggered
FCL instantaneously increases itsimpedance tenfold upon fault
condition. It limits the fault current for its entire duration and
4
recovers to its normal condition immediately thereafter. This
inductive FCL is scalable toextrahigh voltage ratings.
2.1 Resistive Fault Current Limiter
A resistive SFCL utilizes resistance increase upon quench of a
superconductor. It hasadvantages such as simpler structure,
smaller size, and possibly lower capital cost than othertypes.
During normal operation, the superconducting element is in its
superconducting stateand the normal load current passes with
theoretically no loss. In the case of a short circuit, thecircuit
current rises sharply and the superconductor undergoes a
transition to its normal state,so a certain value of nonlinear
resistance is created by self-sensing and self-triggering,
thuslimiting the fault current level.
Fig. 2.1 Resistive Fault Current Limiter
Principle of Operation:
The principle of their operation is shown in the one-line
diagramin the figure 2.1. The figure 2.2 is a normalized plot of
voltage across R
sc
as a function of theratio of current through the device, I
line
, to the critical current I
c
of the superconducting element.At present, for HTS materials,
the convention is to define critical current as the current at
which
a voltage drop of 1.0 μV/cm is observed along the
conductor. When a fault occurs, the currentincreases and causes
the superconductor to quench thereby increasing its
resistanceexponentially. The current level at which the quench
occurs is determined by the operatingtemperature, and the
amount and type of superconductor. The rapid increase in
resistance produces a voltage across the superconductor and cau
ses the current to transfer to a shunt,
5
which is a combined inductor and resistor. The shunt limits the
voltage increase across thesuperconductor during a quench. In
essence, the superconductor acts like a switch withmillisecond
response that initiates the transition of the load current to the
shunt impedance.Ideally, the incipient fault current is limited in
less than one cycle.
Figure 2.2 Current in a superconductor at a constant temperature
and magnetic field
Early resistive SFCL designs experienced issues with “hot

spots”, or non
-uniformheating of the superconductor during the quench. This
is a potential failure mode that occurswhen excessive heat
damages the HTS material. Recent advances in procedures
formanufacturing HTS materials coupled with some creative
equipment designs have reduced thehot-spot issue.The grid
characteristic of the resistive SFCL after a quench is determined
by the shuntelement. Thus, because the shunt is typically quite
reactive, a resistive SFCL typicallyintroduces significant
inductance into the power system during a fault. During the
transition period when current is being transferred from the supe
rconductor to the shunt, the voltageacross the combined element
shown in Fig 2.2. is typically higher than it is after the
currenthas transitioned into the shunt. The dynamics of this
process depend on the two elements andtheir mutual
inductance.The quench process in resistive SFCLs results in heat
that must be carried away fromthe superconducting element by
the cryogenic cooling system. Typically, there is a momentary

6
temperature rise in the superconducting element that causes a
loss of superconductivity untilthe cryogenic system can restore
the operating temperature. This period of time, known as
therecovery time, is a critical parameter for utility systems
(which may see multiple fault eventsoccurring close together in
time) and is a key distinguishing characteristic among various
SFCLdesign. Some resistive SFCLs include a fast switching
component in series with thesuperconducting element. This
switch quickly isolates the superconductor after most of
thecurrent has transitioned to the shunt element, allowing the
superconducting element to beginthe recovery cycle while the
limiting action is sustained by the shunt. The fast-acting
switchreduces the peak temperature within the superconductive
material and allows for fasterrecovery times than for purely
resistive SFCLs. This type of SCFL is sometimes referred to asa
hybrid SFCL
.
2.2 Inductive Fault Current Limiter
The inductive-SFCL consists essentially of a ferromagnetic core
with a primary coppercoil and a HTS tube inserted between the
primary coil and the iron core. During normaloperation, the
induced current in the superconductor effectively shields the
magnetic flux ofthe primary winding from the iron core and a
low inductance is presented by the SFCL to thecircuit. However,
when the current density in the superconductor rises above a
critical valuethe superconductor becomes resistive. In this case
the induced superconductor current fails to produce a sufficient
balancing flux and the primary flux enters the iron thereby
giving rise to alarge inductive reactance to limit the fault
current.Inductive Fault Current Limiters are classified into two
categories
–

1.
Shielded Core TypeSuperconducting Fault CurrentLimiter
2.
Saturable Core TypeSuperconducting Fault CurrentLimiter
Figure 2.3 Inductive Superconducting Fault Current Limiter

7
2.2.1

Shielded Core Type Inductive Fault Current Limiter

One of the first SFCL designs developed for grid deployment
was the shielded-core design,a variation of the resistive type of
limiter that allows the HTS cryogenic environment to
remainmechanically isolated from the rest of the circuit. An
electrical connection is made between theline and the HTS
element through mutual coupling of AC coils via a magnetic
field. Basically,the device resembles a transformer with the
secondary side shunted by an HTS element. Duringa fault,
increased current on the secondary causes the HTS element to
quench, resulting in avoltage increase across L1 that opposes the
fault current.

Figure 2.4 Shielded Core Type Inductive Fault Current

Limiter
Although the superconductor in the shielded-core design has to
re-cool after a limiting action just like the resistive type, non-
uniform heating of the superconductor (hot spots)
is easier toavoid through optimization of the turns ratio. A major
drawback of the shielded-coretechnology is that it is
approximately four times the size and weight of purely resistive
SFCLs.Although prototypes of shielded-core designs have
worked well, their size and weight havelimited grid
deployment.Breakage of the HTS Coil is seen when tested in
successive operationof faults. But it works well for faults of high
currents. A new is tested in the Nexans Lab forthe elimination of
this and they developed a new design in which there is a
separate HTS coiloutside the primary conducting coil. Formerly
they were using the primary coil under the HTScoil.
8
.
2.2.2

Saturable Core Type Inductive Fault Current Limiter

Unlike resistive and shielded-core SFCLs, which rely on the
quenching of superconductors toachieve increased impedance,
saturable-core SFCLs utilize the dynamic behavior of
themagnetic properties of iron to change the inductive reactance
on the AC line. The concept(shown in Figure 2.5) utilizes two
iron cores and two AC windings for each phase. The
ACwindings are made of conventional conductors that are
wrapped around the core to form aninductance in series with
the AC line. The iron core also has a constant-current
superconductivewinding that provides a magnetic bias.
Figure 2.5 Saturable Core Type Inductive Fault Current
Limiter
Under nominal grid conditions (when the AC current does not
exceed the maximumrating for the local system), the HTS coil
fully saturates the iron so that it has a relative permeability
of one. To the AC coils, the iron acts like air, so the AC
impedance (inductivereactance) is similar to that of an air-core
reactor. Under fault conditions, the negative and positive
current peaks force the core out of saturation, resulting
in increased line impedanceduring part of each half cycle. The
result is a considerable reduction in peak fault current.During a
limiting action, the dynamic action of the core moving
instantaneously in and out ofsaturation produces harmonics in
the current waveform. However, under normal conditions,the
voltage and current waveforms are basically unaffected by the
saturable-core SFCL.Essentially, the saturable-core SFCL is a
variable-inductance iron-core reactor that has theimpedance of
an air-core reactor under normal grid conditions and a very high
impedanceduring fault events. Unlike resistive SFCLs, which
may require time between limiting actionsto cool the
superconducting components, the saturable-core approach can
manage several

9
actions in succession because the superconductor does not
quench. In fact, the saturable-coreFCL need not use a
superconducting coil; however, the use of an HTS DC field
windingreduces operating losses and makes the winding more
compact. A major drawback of saturable-core SFCL technology
is the volume and weight associated with the heavy iron core;
however,manufacturers hope to improve this issue in future
prototypes. Zenergy has recently tested a prototype saturable-
core SFCL based on an entirely new design concept that is four t
imessmaller than its predecessor. GridON, an Israeli-based
startup company, is in the process ofdeveloping a saturable-core
concept intent on reducing size and weight to
moreaccommodating levels for commercial use.
Material Used:
Bi-2212/ Bi-2223 tapes are used in the earlier stage of
superconducting faultcurrent limiters. It is made by melting the
Bi-2212 in the high temperature furnace. Afterheating when it
became red hot, it is casted into thin films according to their
design thicknessdesired. After making the tap shape it is formed
into circular shape by making it around a core.It was highly
efficient and flexible process. Y-123 (YBa
2
Cu
3
O
7
) is called 2
nd
generation HighTemperature Superconductors.
Cooling Mechanism:
Cryocoolers are used to cool the temperature of the HTS
coil. Liquid Nitrogen is used as a cooling cryogen. Thus
it makes it somewhere uneconomical for use insome poor
countries.
Figure 2.6 Comparison between Normal and fault condition
10
Chapter 3Comparison of Various Fault Current Limiting
TechnologiesIntroduction:
A generalized comparison of the various FCL technologies
described inthis chapter is presented in Table 3.0. It provides a
general sense of operational
capability, performance, and size. Much of the information provi
ded here is derived from a morecomprehensive comparison from
an EPRI survey conducted in 2005. The bases of thisgeneralized
comparison are the three FCL operating regimes outlined below:
• Normal operation

• Operation during the fault

-limiting action (fault condition)
• Recovery period following a fault

Figure 3.0 Generalized Current Waveforms with and

without FCL
11
Several characteristics of FCLs can be quantified for the three
operating modes listedon the previous page. Because the size
and weight of an installed FCL are a major concern toutilities,
an indication of device footprint is also included below:
(i)

Losses
:
It is
the electrical losses (W) caused by alternating currents in
superconductingmaterials or power consumed by switching
devices in solid-state devices.
(ii)

Steady-State Impedance
:
It is the impedance under normal operating conditions asseen by
the network. Ideally, an FCL has no impact in a network under
normal operatingconditions.
(iii)

Triggering
:
It describes the method of initiation of a fault response. Active
FCLsutilize sensors and control schemes to trigger the action.
Passive FCLs respond to faultsthrough changes in material
properties associated with increased current or magnetic
field.For example, superconducting-to-normal transitions and
permeability changes.
(iv)

Recovery
:
It is the amount of time required by an FCL to recover from a
limitingaction before it can be re-energized. Recovery is a
particular concern in SFCLs where timeis required to re-cool the
HTS.
(v)
Size/Weight
:
It encapsulates the physical size and weight of a device.
(vi)

Distortion
:
It refers to irregularities in the shape of the AC current
waveform that isintroduced by switching electronics and the
nonlinear magnetic characteristics of iron.Distortion is an issue
with the follow current during a limiting action as the
performance ofdownstream protection devices may be affected.

12
Table 3.0 Comparison: General Characteristics of FCL
Technologies
Technolog
y
Losses Triggering Recovery Size/Weight DistortionResistiveSFC
L
Hysteretic(amountdepends onHTSmaterials)Passive
orActiveMuch fasterthanthe purelyresistive becauseless energy
isdeposited intheHTS.Potential to be small,
butadditionalcomponentsmay increasesize.Only duringfirst
cycle.
SaturableCore SFCL
DC powerrequired tosaturate theiron core andJoule
heatinginconventionalconductorsPassiveImmediate..Large
andheavy due toiron core
andconventionalwindings.Some;caused by
nonlinearmagneticcharacteristic
ShieldedCore SFCL
Hysteretic(amountdepends onHTSmaterials)PassiveFaster
than purelyresistive, butcoolingrequired.Large andheavy due
toiron core andwindings.Only duringfirst cycle
Solid StateFCL
Similar toresistive typeSFCLsActiveImmediate..Similar
to purelyresistive.Switchingelectronicsintroduceharmonics
Fuses
Negligible Passive Never;requiresreplacement.The smallestof
thetechnologiessummarized. None
13
Chapter 4SFCL projectsIntroduction:
Efforts are being made in the world to develop SFCLs for grid
deployment producing.In Europe, two SFCL devices are
expected to be demonstrated in pilot projects that will testthe
commercial viability of such devices for commercial
deployment. Similarly, there
are projects underway in Asia to demonstrate SFCL technology
using variations of the devicetypes. SFCL development projects
in world are described in this chapter. While there
are manyongoing projects to develop SFCL concepts and
prototypes, this chapter focuses on projectsthat are on track for
in-grid demonstration.
4.1 Zenergy Saturable-Core SFCL Project
Zenergy Power Inc., a specialist manufacturer and developer of
high-efficiencyindustrial and renewable energy devices
that employ superconductor technologies, has installeda three-
phase saturable-core reactor with an HTS DC coil at Souther
n California Edison’s
(SCE) Shandin substation in San Bernardino, California, which
is part of the Avanti Circuit(otherwise known as
the “Circuit of the Future”)
. The Avanti Circuit provides a test bed forfuture grid
technologies in a live distribution circuit. It serves actual utility
customers and has been selected by SCE as a testing site for
various FCL technologies. The project, which is co-sponsored
by the California Energy Commission (with support from the
U.S. DOE), hasresulted in the successful installation and testing
of a 15 kV-class saturable-core SFCL.
Figure 4.1 15-kV-Class Zenergy Power Saturable-
Core SFCL Installed at SCE’s
Shandin Substation

14
The approach of the project team (Zenergy Power and Southern
California Edison) wasto develop a working system and then
later to improve it. In general, this approach provideschances for
success. In the first stage of the effort, Zenergy designed an FCL
based on a conceptfirst proposed in 1982. Then, Zenergy
constructed a full-scale model and tested it off-line.Based on test
results, Zenergy modified the model to improve its performance
and theninstalled it in the Avanti Circuit. The device was
installed in early 2009 and was still inoperation during the time
of this report.In the past, many developers have attempted to
combine all steps at the starting gateonly to encounter more
hurdles than could be successfully cleared within a given budget
andschedule. Currently, Zenergy is undertaking the next step to
make their design commerciallyviable by reducing the
size/weight and improving performance.
4.1.1 Device Specifications:
The Zenergy SFCL installed at Avanti is a three-phase 15 kV-
class prototype with a 1.2kA line current
rating. The manufacturer’s specifications indicate that the device
can limitabout 30% of a 23 kA symmetric prospective
fault current and allow about 15 kA of let-throughcurrent,
depending on the requirements of the protection scheme. One of
the benefits of thesaturable core technology is that recovery is
immediate, so the device can potentially performseveral limiting
actions in succession, if necessary. Another feature of the
saturable-core designis that its current-limiting capability is
adjustable via variation of the DC bias. One noticeablefeature of
the Zenergy FCL is its visual presence in the substation. The
unit is approximately 9feet tall, has a 9-by-12-foot rectangular
footprint, and weighs approximately 20 tons. As onemight
expect, the size and weight are attributed to the presence of the
three-phase iron core.Zenergy has recently announced
successful tests of a new design concept that will reduce
thefootprint by a factor of four and increase performance.
4.1.2 Cooling the HTS DC Biasing Coil
The DC biasing coil of the Zenergy device is cooled using two
cryocoolers that re-condense the liquid nitrogen. The two
cryocoolers allow for the coil to be cooled down to 68K.The
heat leak losses are 120 W. The DC coil operates below ambient
pressure (380 torr) and anominal temperature of less than 77K.
Cooling can be achieved by one of the cryocoolers; thesecond is
present as a redundancy measure. Both cryocoolers are equipped
with a battery

15
backup in case the substation equipment
bus goes down. The new concept by Zenergy willallow for
conduction cooling using only cryocoolers. Therefore, the use of
LN
2
will not beneeded in new versions of
Zenergy Power’s saturable
-core SFCLs.
4.2 SuperLimiter
TM
Hybrid Resistive SFCL Project
SuperLimiter
TM
is a hybrid resistive SFCL that utilizes modular
superconductorelements, which can be assembled to
specific current limiting specifications. The hybrid
designutilizes a fast operating switch to remove the
superconductor from the circuit during quench,leaving an air-
core reactor in line with the fault current. The superconducting
module allowsfor fast reduction of the fault current (< 1 cycle),
while the switch and air-core reactor providelong duration
limiting. This method reduces the amount of heating in the
superconductormodule, which speeds up the re-cooling process,
thereby reducing the time required to returnto normal operation
after a limiting action.
Figure 4.2 139 kV-Class SuperLimiter
TM
Hybrid Resistive SFCL Design Concept
16
4.3 22.9 kV Hybrid SFCL Development in Korea
A team sponsored by the Korean government is developing a
hybrid resistive SFCL targetedfor use at sub-transmission (22.9
kV) levels
. The project falls under Korea’s
Development ofApplied Superconductivity for Advanced
Power System (DAPAS) program, which managesthe research
and development of superconducting power equipment for
future grid deployment.The following project team has been
selected to manufacture and install the SFCL system:
•
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)
. Korea’s sole power utility with majority
 share owned by the government. KEPCO serves approximately
13 million customers andgenerates approximately 60 GW.
•
Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI)
. The central research institute owned by KEPCO to perform
utility-related research.
•
LS Industrial Systems (LS IS)
. A Korea-based electric power and automation
company.Products include switchgear, transformers, variable-
frequency drives, and many other powersystem components.
Figure 4.3 Schematic of Hybrid SFCL Concept
Formally identified as a line-commutation type of hybrid SFCL,
the conceptualoperation of the device utilizes HTS only to
activate a fast-operating switch. As the HTS
17
becomes resistive, current flows through the driving coil, and
the field produced by the coilcurrent activates the fast switch
that causes the current to be diverted into a reactor. The
reactor provides the limitation action throughout the remainder o
f the fault event. The method, intheory, quickly removes the
increasing voltage from the HTS during a limiting action
andallows a line reactor to maintain the higher impedance over
the rest of the limiting duration.This concept is advantageous
because it reduces the amount of superconductor and reduces the
Figure 4.4 22.9 kV/630 A Hybrid SFCL Concept Prototype
cryogenic volume, an arrangement that allows the device to be
more compact forsubstation deployment. In operation, the fast
switch is basically a plunger with a switch oneither end that
commutates the line current. The driving coil exerts force on the
repulsion platethat engages the plunger to activate the limiting
reactor.
4.4 35 kV Saturable-Core FCL Installed in China
The project funded by the Chinese government has resulted in
the installation of a three- phase saturable-
core FCL demonstration in southern China. The 35 kV/90 MVA
FCL was
18
installed and commissioned in December 2007 at the Puji
substation, a facility operating withinthe Southern China power
grid. Key participants in the development project include:
•
Inno Power Superconductor Cable Co., Ltd
. The first manufacturer of HTS power cablesin China. Focuses
on development and manufacturing of innovative power-system
devices,including SFCLs.
•
Tianjin Machinery & Electric Industry Holding Group Co. (TME)
. Owner of hundredsof enterprises and several research
institutes, TME produces a multitude of engineering-
andconstruction-related products for the global market. Products
include electric machinery forthe generation of electric power.
•
Yunnan Electric Power Grid, Co. (YEPG)
. Primary provider of transmission anddistribution of electric
power in the province of Yunnan, China.The prototype is
composed of six rectangular cores arranged in a fan-shaped
pattern. Thecentral core, or point where the six corescome
together, is surrounded by a DCHTS coil, all contained in a
singlecryostat. The outer side of each corecontains an AC
winding made fromcopper. The fan-shaped pattern anddesign of
each core allow for optimaldistribution of magnetic flux.
Figure 4.5 35 kV/90 MVA Saturable FCL Design
While the design of the Chinese SFCL is similar to the Zenergy
device installed in the SouthernCalifornia Edison power system,
its operation has a notable difference. Once a fault is
detected,the DC bias is removed, and the device assumes a
higher state of impedance as the core isdriven out of saturation.
A magnetization control circuit manages the fault detection
andswitching action of the FCL by sensing the current level on
the AC winding. Once a fault isdetected, the circuit opens a fast-
operating switch, which removes the DC bias from the
DCwinding. A surge and energy drain are then engaged to
remove the flux quickly from the coreand protect the control
circuitry from voltage surges caused by the sudden opening of
theswitch.In comparison, the Zenergy device maintains constant
DC bias throughout operation,limiting the incipient fault current
at the peaks. The method of removing the DC bias allowsthe
impedance to increase dramatically, but it requires an energy-
release circuit to quicklydispense the energy in the DC coil.
19
The saturable-core design has relatively short recovery times
compared to resistiveSFCLs because the HTS does not require
re-cooling. Hence, the only delay time is that requiredto reclose
the switch and re-saturate the core. The saturable-core concept
has its disadvantagesin that the iron cores are large and heavy.
At 27 tons and dimensions of 4.2 m high by 4 m indiameter, the
35 kV saturable-core reactor at Puji is a noticeable presence in
the substation ascan be seen in Figure
Figure 4.6 35-kV/90-MVA Saturable-Core SFCL
Demonstration in China
Cryogenic cooling of the Puji SFCL features an open-loop LN
2
cooling system tocryogenically cool the DC HTS coil into its
superconducting state. The designers chose anopen-loop system
over a closed-loop system to alleviate some of the costs
associated with therefrigeration equipment required for closed-
loop cooling (such as cold head or compressor).The open-loop
system was also chosen for its relative simplicity, a decision that
was driven bythe desire to make the cooling system more
reliable.
20
4.5 Nexans SFCL installed in Japan
A 12 kV/16 MVA Nexans SFCL was installed into the auxiliary
power supply system of alarge power plant located in Boxberg,
Germany, in September 2009. The device specificationsare
different from the prototype installation in the UK, because the
German installation requiresa rated current capability of 800 A
and an inrush current of 1800 A for 15 seconds (4,100
A peak for 50 ms). To accommodate the larger current requirem
ent, the device uses a largervolume of superconducting material,
thus requiring each of the three-phase elements to behoused in
individual cryostats to allow for proper cooling and electrical
insulation. The projectis being carried out with cooperation from
Vattenfall Europe Generation AG in Cottbus,Germany.
Figure 4.7 Nexans Superconducting Fault Current Limiter
Because LN
2
was readily available at the installation site, an open-loop
refrigeration systemwas chosen to maintain the temperature of
the HTS elements at 65K. In contrast to theinstallation in the
UK, the Boxberg project tasked Nexans to provide a complete
turnkey SFCLsystem. Therefore, Nexans provided not only the
SFCL but also the refrigeration system andother ancillary
components. The Boxberg project is the first installation in a
power stationworldwide and purely commercial, as Vattenfall
specified its needs and purchased the turnkeySFCL system from
Nexans.
21
Here are the 5 major projects going in the world discussed above
for limiting short circuitcurrents. Many other projects are
also going on some projects are listed below:

22 kV, 2 MVA SFCL Transformer Development in Japan

138 kV SFCL Project at Southern California

12 kV/2 MVA Resistive SFCL project for installation in

Lancashire, UK

9 kV, 15 MVA SFCL project in Italy

So these are the future projects for the SFCL technology. Many
countries are working such asAmerica, China, Japan, Korea
to make it more economical, compact in size and light in
weight.Many Companies such as Nexans, GridON,
SuperLimiter
TM
etc. are working on the major projects all across the world.As
the demand of electricity is increasing day by day all across the
world,the probability of short circuit in the wires are increasing
due to more wires placing in the samegrid. The need of SFCL is
day by day increasing. If there is a short circuit in the line
which burnt even the circuit breaker than it will be very
harmful for the whole system to recover.
New projects will also be followed as the development, testing,
and grid deployment of SFCLtechnologies become more
prevalent.

22
Chapter 5Advantages of SFCL for Indian Power Sector
Power outages due to sudden power surges, a common
challenge plaguing the powersector in India today that can be
caused by lightning and downed power lines
–
might soon bea thing of the past. By implementing this
technology, a more reliable transmission anddistribution of
power may soon be a reality in India.This promising technology
is a superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) which
isdesigned to help protect the electrical grid from fault currents -
or the sudden power surges thatcan damage expensive
equipment and disrupt power transmission. SFCLs have
beensuccessfully demonstrated at a number of sites, and most
recently, a unit was successfullyinstalled at a major utility in
New York State, USA.In a country like India, with its growing
economy and increasing demand for power,
both public and private utilities may significantly benefit from th
is technology. For example,
Applied’s SFCL can help these companies improve grid
reliability, protect power sys
temequipment from severe mechanical, magnetic and thermal
stresses, and other undesiredconsequences of fault
currents.Currently, one of the biggest challenge utilities face is
in upgrading their systems for higher power capability or
adding capacity to mitigate increased fault current levels. With
increase inenergy demand, and as more sources for power
generation (e.g. such as wind and solar power)are being added to
an already overburdened system, the fault current levels are
likely toincrease. Therefore, the need to mitigate fault currents is
more critical than ever.SFCLs may help the utilities overcome
these problems. The technology employs thecharacteristic of
impedance on demand whereby impedance is introduced when
the systemneeds to reduce fault levels. This feature may enable
SFCLs to avoid increase in active andreactive power loss,
voltage drop or voltage instability that may be found in
traditional currentlimiting reactors.SFCL is a scalable solution
that promotes grid reliability, in addition to lowering
operationalcosts and other overhead. By way of example only, if
a fault current limiter were to reducefault currents by 50 percent,
the overall mechanical and thermal stresses and associated
safetyhazards to personnel and equipment would be reduced by
a factor of 75 percent. The scalabilityof this technology is
designed to ensure that it is applicable at the lowest levels of
distribution(6.6kV) to the highest levels of transmission voltages
(> 400kV).

23
Managing the power sector in India is critical. Today,
constraints in the flow of electricitythrough the existing
transmission system drive inefficiencies and costs for upgrades.
Therefore,there is a pressing need to limit transmission
constraints or disruptions to the maximum extent possible.India
has made huge strides over the past decade in improving the
power generation capacity.To reach the full potential of making
stable, reliable electricity available to everyone, the focushas to
shift towards improving transmission network. SFCL
technology may help thetransmission and distribution sectors to
achieve this goal.

24
Conclusion
In this report, SFCL technologies are studied. There are various
projects going on this SFCLtechnology all across the world.
There are various advantages of the SFCL in the power
system.Various challenges are there in the installation of these
SFCLs like cooling problems made itsomewhere uneconomical
but research and development is under process for this
problem.Heavy weight and large spaces is another problem
which is also to be eliminated. Despite allof these challenges,
this technology keeps the grid, transmission line and distribution
systemmore safe than before. It also gives the flexibility to
upgrade the grid and transmission lines.Thus it helps the circuit
breakers and relays less current to break and saves other
equipment in power system from burning when fault occurs.

25
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