XII ERIAC - Encontro Regional Ibero-americano do CIGRÉ

Foz do Iguaçu-Pr, Brasil - 20 a 24 de maio de 2007

FAULT CURRENT LIMITERS – APPLICATION, PRINCIPLES AND EXPERIENCE

H. Schmitt* J. Amon Filho* D. Braun * G. C. Damstra *

K.-H. Hartung * J. Jäger * J. Kida* L. Martini *
L. Minh* M. Steurer* X. Waymel* C. Neumann*

* CIGRÉ WG A3.16

SUMMARY

The present paper gives a survey on the activities of the CIGRE Working Group A3.16, which
specifically deals with interactions between different fault current limiting technologies and protection
systems in both MV and HV systems. A summary of the work of the preceding CIGRE Working Group
(WG A3.10) is also provided. The paper concludes with reports of recent field tests with fault current
limiters in distribution networks in Germany and Japan.

KEY-WORDS

Short circuit current, Limitation, Fault current limiter, Experience, Protection

1. INTRODUCTION
The management of power systems in countries in all parts of the world is changing nowadays and there
is a strong tendency towards separating generation from transmission.
The connection of independent power producers to transmission, sub-transmission and distribution
networks causes an unexpected increase of short-circuit currents not considered in previous long-term
planning forecasts. A consequence of this development is that in certain part of the networks the short-
circuit currents approach or even exceed the equipment assigned values. The problem of excessive short-
circuit currents has therefore become an important issue for the operators of power systems and there are
clear indications for a growing interest in devices which are capable of limiting fault currents.
CIGRE Working Group (WG A3.10) concluded its work by publishing the CIGRE Technical Brochure
No. 239 entitled "Fault Current Limiters in Electrical Medium and High Voltage Systems" [1]. A new
CIGRE Working Group A3.16, established in 2003 continues the work focusing in a first step on the
impact and interaction of different limiting technologies on protection concepts in MV or HV systems
respectively.
This paper presents an overview about some of the results from both working groups and points out
aspects of interaction between fault current limiters (FCL) and system protection. Finally the experience
gained from installations of FCL in Japan and Germany will be presented within the paper.

2. FAULT CURRENT LIMITATION AND TYPES OF FAULT CURRENT

LIMITERS

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Foz do Iguaçu-Pr, Brasil - 20 a 24 de maio de 2007

A growth in the generation of electrical energy and an increased interconnection of the networks lead to
higher fault currents. The use of fault current limiters allows equipment to remain in service even if the
prospective fault current exceeds its rated peak and short-time withstand current and in case of circuit-
breakers also if they exceed their rated short-circuit making and breaking current. Figure 1 shows the
waveshape of a typical unlimited fault current as well as the influence on this waveshape if FCL devices
with and without fault current interruption capability are applied to the system.
Furthermore some of the basic data, described in the Technical Brochure No. 239 by Cigre WG A3.10
[1], which characterise the limiting behaviour of a FCL or can be used to specify a FCL device are
presented in Figure 1 too.
I N o rm a l
II F a u lt c o n d itio n III R e c o v e ry
o p e ra tio n
C u rre n t w ith o u t F C L

F a u lt F a u lt
in c e p tio n c le a r in g

w ith
FCL

ra te d s y s te m
v o lta g e (U n )
1 : r a te d c u r r e n t
( In ), p e a k (în )
tr
2 : m in i m u m in itia tin g c u r re n t ( î m in ) re c o v e r y ti m e tr
3 : m a x i m u m li m ite d c u r re n t (îm a x ) ti m e b e tw e e n
c u r re n t
4 : p e a k (p ro s p e c tiv e ) s h o r t c irc u it c u r re n t ( îp )
in te r ru p tio n a n d
5 : p e a k v a lu e o f th e f o llo w c u r re n t ( îf o l) re tu rn o f th e F C L
ta : a c tio n ti m e : f ro m t = 0 u n til î m a x to its (in itia l) lo w
td : f a u lt d u ra tio n tim e i m p e d a n c e s ta te

Figure 1: Typical fault current waveshape and characteristic data

a) FCL without fault current interruption
b) FCL with fault current interruption

A distinction among the different types of FCLs is made between passive and active fault current limiting
measures (Figure 2).
Passive measures make use of an already initially high source impedance both at normal and at fault
conditions whereas active measures bring about a fast increase of the source impedance at fault conditions
only.
Active fault current limiters can be further characterised as follows:
• with current limitation only
• with current limitation and interruption
• self-triggered
• external triggered

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Passive Active
Increase of impedance at nominal Small impedance at nominal load and
and fault conditions fast increase of impedance at fault

• Splitting of grids • Transformers with increased short •circuit

Highimpedance
- vo ltage Novel approaches
current limiting • SCFCL
• Splitting of busbars fuses • PTC - resistors
• I s - Limiters • Liquid metal FCL
• Fault current limiting
• Introduction of higher • Solid - state FCL
voltage levels reactors • FCL using EM - forces
• Hybrid FCL

Topological Apparatus measures

measures

Figure 2: Overview of fault current limiting measures

It should be noted that instead of using fault current limiters the problems associated with increased fault
current levels can also be coped with measures like:
• Up rating of existing switchgear and other equipment
• Changes in network topology, e.g. splitting of grids or splitting of busbars
• Introduction of higher voltage levels
• Use of complex control strategies like sequential tripping

3. QUESTIONNAIRE
A questionnaire was sent out from WG A3.16 asking for typical structures of distribution systems, type of
protection used in the networks as well as for the need of limitation of short circuit currents in MV and
HV networks. Based on the respond of 53 answers from 14 different countries electromechanical relays
are mostly installed in the electrical systems. Electronic or digital protection will be installed more or less
in the future in case of new installations only. The main protection principles used are distance,
differential and over-current protection.
Compared to the survey carried out in 1996 the answers of the questionnaire show an increase of need for
short circuit current limitation especially in the HV level of 110 kV to 145 kV. Only 26 % of the answers
indicate no need in general for fault current limitation. A need without restrictions was indicated by 47 %
of the answers for MV and from 21 % for HV level. A need with restrictions or comments like costs,
reliability, references stated 10 % for MV and 6 % for HV level. Figure 3 presents the results in graphical
form.
10 % need MV with restrictions

47 % need MV without restrictions

21 % need HV without restrictions

6 % need HV with restrictions

26 % no need at all

Figure 3: Need for fault current limitation

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4. PROTECTION AND SYSTEM

4.1 General aspects
Protection devices in power systems are indispensable even if FCLs are applied. A power system will be
generally not energized without a proper protection design and protection settings matched to the system
configuration.
Protection behaviour can be divided into the steady state and the transient attitudes. On the other hand
there are different protection principles which are processing different physical values of the power
system as shown in the following Table 1.

Protection principles Processed physical values

Overcurrent 50/51N, 67/67N
Breaker failure 50BF
Distance 21
Low impedance differential 87 Low
High impedance differential 87 High
Over / under voltage 27/59
Frequency 81 / Overflux 24
Machine specific functions
Ieff or I50/60Hz per phase, i(t) time signal, I0, I2 (zero and neg.
sequent), Ueff or U50/60Hz (direction, sensitive fault detection),
logic signals (locally or from remote end)
I50/60Hz per phase, logic signals (locally or from remote end)
I50/60Hz and U50/60Hz per phase -> loop impedance, di/dt jump
detector, I1, I2 and I0 (pos., neg. and zero sequence) for
plausibility, logic signals (locally or from remote end)
∆I50/60Hz , ∆i(t) per phase, q(t), U50/60Hz (increased sensitivity),
static and dynamic stabilizing values Istab_static and Istab_dyn
∆i(t)
U50/60Hz per phase, U1, U2 or U0 (pos., neg. or zero sequence)
U50/60Hz per phase, f -> U/f protection
I50/60Hz, U50/60Hz, P, Q, f, δ, ….

Table 1: Protection principles

Depending on the current limiting technique used, as mentioned in section 3, today’s protection concepts
have to be adapted or revised to ensure proper network protection selectivity. A relationship between
fault-current limiters (FCL) and protection schemes should be established by taking into account both
protection and network specific issues, such as the impact of different FCL technologies, existing and
new protection concepts, selectivity and innovative network configurations.
138 kV 138 kV 345 kV

G1 GT1 GT2 G2

138 kV

T1A T2A G3

L5
24 kV

L2
L1 TAUX1

FCL

Figure 4: Typical high voltage network with different short-circuit levels.

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Further work of the WG A3.16 is to analyse the main difficulties in the application of FCLs in an
electrical network based on the typical high voltage network of Figure 4, in terms of location, degree of
reliability and the coordination of clearing time.

4.2 Modeling and simulation issues

The most comprehensive method for studying the transient behaviour of FCLs in power systems is
certainly using a fully transient, physics based simulation model of the FCL [2]. However, incorporating
all the possible high fidelity details of physics based simulation models into system studies may not
always be the most practical approach. A first attempt to describe this basic transient behaviour of a FCL
during a current limiting event in a generalized form has been reported in [1]. However, additional
parameters such as the phase angle of the follow current and harmonic current distortions caused by some
solid state FCLs [2] should also be included. Such behavioural models of FCL devices are likely to be
adequate for most protection system studies.

Relay
Hardw are
D/D D/A D/D
B1 B2 B3
T1 T2
SCFCL G
CT PT
AC S1
RTDS
LL RL Simulation

Figure 5: Real-time simulation test setup used for studying impact of FCL on protection equipment
However, obtaining detailed information on specific characteristics of any given protection relay can be
difficult. A well-established technique to overcome the need to accurately modeling the, often
proprietary, relay algorithms is to use real-time hardware-in-loop (RT-HIL) simulation. Figure 5
illustrates such a test setup. A simple power system model and, in this case, a fully transient FCL model
[3] is implemented in a digital real-time simulation environment. The protection device, in this example a
distance relay, receives voltage and current signals from one end of a transmission line T2 and sends trip
signals to the breakers on both ends.
Without a FCL present, the relay trips the breakers properly for faults within 80% of the length of the
line. However, if a FCL is introduced between the PT location and the line the relay’s impedance
algorithm miss-interprets the additional impedance of the SCFCL as pat of the line impedance. The
algorithm places the fault outside its protection zone and consequently does not trip the breakers. If,
however, the PT is placed between the FCL and the line the relay is able to properly determine the faulted
line impedance in forward direction and trips the breakers appropriately. On the other hand reverse faults
will be sensed to far away. This effect will produce a reverse underreaching and promoting a malfunction
of the teleprotection scheme consequently.

5. FIELD EXPERIENCE
Beside fuses and pyrotechnic FCLs, which operate in medium voltage systems since many years, novel
approaches are developed, tested and installed as prototypes in electrical networks. As an example for
novel approaches FCL installations in Germany and Japan are presented in section 5.

5.1 Field tests on a 10 kV SFCL demonstrator (CURL 10) in Germany

In March 2004 the 10 kV superconducting FCL demonstrator CURL 10 was installed in the 10 kV
Nephten substation of RWE in Germany. The current limiter is applied for bus coupling. The current

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passing the coupling bay may amount up to 600 A. The bus coupling results in a short circuit power 2 x
1250 = 250 MVA corresponding to the short circuit voltage of the transformers involved which is
equivalent to a short-circuit current of 2 x 7 kA = 14 kA in case of a fault near to the bus-bars. Due to the
FCL the current can be limited to about 8 kA (peak value).
The demonstrator went into service on April 1st, 2004. At the beginning of the period the service
performance of the cooler was insufficient. After an optimizing process of the Stirling cooler the current
limiter operates as expected. However, up to now no short circuit requiring a limiting process occurred.
The three phase equipment consists of 30 series connected tube modules of the superconducting material
BSCCO 2212 per phase. The main dimensions, the material properties and the fundamental layout are
given in Figure 6b. The 30 cm long tubes are formed as bifilar coils with a conductor length of 5.4 m
each. The superconducting tube is mechanically stabilised by an insulating tube made of fibre reinforced
epoxy material. On the superconductor a shunt of CuNi alloy material is soldered. The gaps between the
windings are covered with insulating material.

Figure 6: a) Complete equipment of the superconducting fault current limiter

b) Material properties and fundamental layout of a superconducting tube

The current limiter modules are mounted on insulating material plates. The complete unit outside the
cryostat vessel is shown on the right hand side of Figure 6a. The current limiter modules are fixed at the
cover of the cryostat at which the current bushings and the leads for the liquid nitrogen are also mounted.
The complete arrangement is installed in a cryostat filled with sub-cooled liquid nitrogen at T=66K
(Figure 6a, left hand side).
The dielectric design of the system corresponds to a rated power frequency voltage of 28 kV and
lightning withstand voltage of 75 kV between phase and to the earthed vessel [6]. In case of an internal
arc the vessel designed for an overpressure of 10 bar is fitted with a pressure relief device.
a)
5.2 Japan
An arc driven type FCL, which was developed by CRIEPI, had been tested in the 6.6 kV distribution
feeder in Tohoku Electric Power Co., as shown in Figure 7a [1]. The field test had continued for 2 years
and 4 months since Dec. 1998. Before the field test, voltage withstand tests, continuous current carrying
test for one month, operating test at low ambient temperature and operating duty test were carried out to
ensure the performance and function of the FCL. Fault current limiting level was settled so as to
harmonize the existing protection relays. The FCL starts to limit fault current at 2.7 kAp and can limit
12.5 kArms to the half.

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b)

a)

Measuring
system
FCL

Figure 7: a) Field test of 6.6 kV arc driven type FCL. b) Rectifier FCL type 6.6 kV

Figure 7b shows a rectifier type 6.6 kV FCL, which was developed and has been used to protect sensitive
loads from voltage drops or sags in power distribution system [4].The FCL is installed with a
cogeneration system to connect loads to distribution system, which are for IT buildings in rural area for
example. The same topology of 66 kV FCL was also developed as a prototype [5].

6. CONCLUSION
The management of power systems in countries in all parts of the world is changing nowadays and there
is a strong tendency towards separating generation from transmission.

The connection of independent power producers to transmission, sub-transmission and distribution

networks causes an unexpected increase of short-circuit currents not considered in previous long-term
planning forecasts.

A consequence of this development is that in certain part of the networks the short-circuit currents
approach or even exceed the equipment assigned values. The problem of excessive short-circuit currents
has therefore become an important issue for the operators of power systems and there are clear indications
for a growing interest in devices which are capable of limiting fault currents.

A fault current limiter can limit a fault current passing trough it within the first half cycle. The use of fault
current limiters allows equipment to remain in service even if the prospective fault current exceeds its
rated peak and short-time withstand current and in case of circuit breakers also its rated short-circuit
making and breaking current. Replacement of equipment can be avoided or at least shifted to a later date.
In case of newly planned networks fault current limiters allow the use of equipment with lower ratings
which renders possible considerable cost savings.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] CIGRE WG A3.10: “Fault Current Limiters in Electrical Medium and High Voltage Systems”,
CIGRE Technical Brochure, No. 239, 2003.
[2] ”Analysis of Protection Relaying Requirements for Solid State Current Limiter Applications”,
EPRI, Palo Alto, CA: 2001.1001969.
[3] J. Langston, M. Steurer, S. Woodruff, T. Baldwin, J. Tang
”A Generic Real-Time Computer Simulation Model for Superconducting Fault Current Limiters and
its Application in System Protection Studies”, 2004 Intl. Appl. Supercon. Conf., Jacksonville, FL,
USA, Oct. 3-8, 2004

[4] Nissinn Electric Web Site ; http://www.nissin.co.jp/product/03/0401.html.

[5] Ohkuma et, al.; “Development of a 66 kV Rectifier Type Fault Current Limiter”, Transactions of the
Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan, Vol. 123-B, No. 7, 2003.

[6] J. Bock, F. Breuer1, H. Walter, M. Noe, R. Kreutz, M. Kleimaier, K-H Weck, and S Elschner,
“Development and successful testing of CP BSCCO-2212 components for a 10 MVA resistive
superconducting fault current limiter”, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 17 (2004) p. 122– p. 126.

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