SUPERCONDUCTOR FAULT

CURRENT LIMITER (SFCL)

 What is fault
current?
Fault current is any abnormal electric current
that flows through a circuit during the electrical
fault conditions like L-G, L-L-G, L-L-L- G, L-L, L-L-L
faults.
Fault current may be several times larger in
magnitude than the current that normally flows
 Need for fault current
limiter
Increasing demand of
power and addition of more
generators, transformers
and large networks causes
higher stress on power
system.
Higher stresses results in
higher probability of faults.
THE MAXIMUM FAULT CURRENT IN
A SYSTEM VARIETY OF REASONS

•Electric power demand increases (load

growth) and
subsequent increase in generation.
•Parallel conducting paths are added to
accommodate load growth.
•Interconnections within the grid increase.
•Sources of distributed generation are
added to an already complex
system.
 Traditional ways to limit fault
current

Following methods are used to limit

fault current-:
 Circuit breakers with ultra-high
fault current rating
 High impedance transformers
 Current limiting fuses
 Air core reactors
SUPERCONDUCTOR FAULT CURRENT
LIMITER (SFCL)
•SFCL is a new power device to
automatically limit a fault current to a
safe level with the superconducting
property.
•When superconductor is cooled down to
critical temperature (about -186℃) or
less, the resistance becomes zero.
However, superconductor looses
•superconductivity and resistance occurs
rapidly (quench), when excessive
current flows and exceeds certain value
(critical current). SFCL device uses this
property.
 SUPERCONDUCTOR CHARACTERISTICS
•Zero DC resistance
•High current density (high power)
•High electro‐magnetic shielding (low EMF)
These characteristics require:
•Cooling below a critical temperature
•Current levels below a critical current
•Magnetic field below a certain magnitude
Characteristics of ideal fault current limiter
Have zero impedance throughout
normal operation
Provides sufficiently large
impedance under fault conditions
Provides rapid detection and
initiation of limiting action
Provides immediate recovery of normal
operation after clearing
 Fully automatic
 highly reliable
 Light weight
 Low cost
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORMAL
AND FAULT CURRENT LIMITER

Fig.. Fault control with a fault-current limiter

SUPERCONDUCTOR FAULT CURRENT
LIMITER CONCEPTS

1. THE INDUCTIVE SFCL

2. THE RESISTIVE SFCL
3. THE SHIELDED-CORE SFCL

4. THE SATURABLE-CORE SFCL

1. THE INDUCTIVE SFCL

Fig.. Inductive fault-current limiter

The inductive limiter can be

modeled as a transformer. The
impedance of this limiter in the
steady state is nearly zero, since
the zero impedance of the
secondary winding is reflected to
 2. THE RESISTIVE SFCL

Fig. Resistive fault-current limiter

Resistive SFCLs utilize the

superconducting material as the main
current carrying conductor under
normal grid operation.
 2. THE RESISTIVE SFCL

• Superconductor connected in series with the line

to be protected.
• To keep it superconducting, it is usually immersed in
a coolant that is chilled by a refrigerator.
• In case of a fault the inrush of current and magnetic
field take the super conductor into the transition
region, thereby the increasing resistance limits the
fault current.
• The behavior of resistive fault current limiter is
largely determined by the length of the
superconductor and the type of material used for it.
 Operation of R-SFCL

When a fault occurs, the current increases and causes the superconduc
quench thereby increasing its resistance exponentially.
The resistive FCL is based on the nonlinear characteristic of a SC element. A
electric field only develops above the critical current.
 3. THE SHIELDED-CORE SFCL

Fig. Shielded-Core fault-current limiter

shielded-core designs have worked well, their size

and weight have limited grid
 3. THE SHIELDED-CORE SFCL
 This is a variation of the resistive type SFCL. Here the super conducting
cool environment/cryogenic environment are mechanically isolated from
other part of the circuit. And electrically coupled.
 Device looks like a transformer with secondary side shunted by high
temperature super conductor element
 At the time of fault, a high inrush of fault current occurs. This causes a
high current flowing through secondary side. Now by action of high
temperature superconductor, quenching occurs and thus voltage drop
increases. This voltage drop will make a high voltage on the primary
side/line. This will oppose the flow of fault current, thus current limiting
takes place. Like in resistive type, we have to re cool the high
temperature super conducting element after quenching occurs.
 It is 4 time the size and weight of resistive type for the same rating.
4. THE SATURABLE-CORE SFCL

Fig. Saturable-Core fault-current limiter

This concept utilizes two iron cores and two AC
windings for each phase. The AC windings are
made of conventional conductors that are
wrapped around the core to form an inductance
in series with the AC line
 Working
 Under nominal grid conditions (no fault), 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 (inductive reactance) 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 impedance
during 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 of saturation produces
harmonics in the current waveform. Under normal conditions, the
voltage and current waveforms are basically unaffected by the
saturable-core SFCL.
DESIGN PARAMETERS OF SFCLS
•System voltage
•Continuous current rating
•Maximum 3phase short circuit current or source
impedance
•Fault clearing time; backup clearing time, reclose
sequence (if any)
•1st cycle peak fault current desired to be limited
•Per unit level of rated current for FCL transition
SUPERCONDUCTOR FAULT CURRENT
LIMITER APPLICATIONS

1.Fault Current Limiter In The Main Position

2.Fault Current Limiter In The Feeder Position

3.Fault-Current Limiter In The Bus-Tie Position

1. FAULT CURRENT LIMITER IN THE
MAIN POSITION

Fig. Fault-current limiter in the main position

The fault current limiter protects an individual

circuit on the bus. Underrated equipment can be
selectively protected as needed in this manner
an fcl can also be used to protect the individual
loads on the bus.
2. Fault Current Limiter In The Feeder
Position

fig. Fault Current Limiter In The Feeder Position

FCL can also be used to protect individual loads on the

bus.The selective application of small and less
expensive limiters can be used to protect old or
overstressed equipment that is difficult to replace, such as
underground cables or transformers in faults.
3.Fault-Current Limiter In The Bus-Tie
Position

Fig. Fault-current limiter in the bus-tie position

 Separate buses can be tied together without a

large increase in the fault duty on either bus.
 During a fault, a large voltage drop across the
 limiter maintains voltage level on the unfaulted
bus.
ADVANTAGES OF SUPERCONDUCTOR
FAULT CURRENT LIMITER
•Because the resistance of superconductive material is
so low, there is no current wastage when they are used
to conduct electricity.
•When used in the process of magnetic levitation, no
kinetic energy is wasted due to friction from contact
with the ground.
 DISADVANTAGES OF
SUPERCONDUCTOR FAULT
CURRENT LIMITER
•To show their properties, and be of any use, they
must be at critical temperature, which can be costly.
•They emit strong magnetic fields which can affect
humans by causing blindness, sterility, brain cancer
and other things.
 CONCLUSION

With increase in generation, comes an increase in short-

circuit current in a transmission line during faults.
Utilities usually predict how much fault current exists in
the line and can forecast its increase over a period of
time.
The result is a lower cost system that is smaller and has
much lower losses.