Superconducting fault current limiters (SCFCLs) represent a promising solution to the problem of increasing shortcircuit currents in the grid. The SCFCL is based on the fast transition from the superconducting state to the normal state, causing a sudden increase in the impedance of the network. In this paper, we simulate the behavior of resistive-type SCFCL modules. The SCFCL modules are based on MCP-BSCCO 2212 coils. The superconductor acts as a nonlinear resistance that varies with the current and the temperature. The behavior of the simulated curves is consistent with the experimental results. Short-circuit currents as high as 37 kA peak were limited to about 10% of their peak values in the first half cycle.
The main objective of this work is to simulate the behavior of superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLs) in the electric power grid. We investigate the transient behavior of SFCL devices when subjected to a fault current in a simple network. The simulated devices are a resistive SFCL and an air coil SFCL, both equipped with 2G HTS conductors. Simulations are performed in EMTP-ATP by means of a thermal-electrical analogy model. The limiting performance, voltages at buses, resistance, and the temperature rise of both devices are obtained. The results suggest that both SFCLs are able to protect the proposed network. Index Terms-ATP-EMTP, bus-tie, power grid, superconducting fault current limiter, transient simulations, YBCO 2G tapes.
Power systems are becoming more interconnected and complex. The distributed generation expands and spreads across the grids, reducing the distance between the load and the generation. In addition, several substations are aging after decades of operation and their equipment struggle to sustain the ever increasing fault levels. In this context, the fault current limiter (FCL) arrived as a solution to mitigate this problem. Considering the FCL devices, the resistive superconducting FCL (R-SFCL) is the most mature technology with potential to be produced in mass scale, due to its ability to quickly change its impedance during a fault current and its high current density capacity. In this paper, a novel R-SFCL topology is presented, which has an unique design that allows a compact size and the possibility of modulated assembly. These characteristics enable setups for various voltage and current levels. One advantage of this topology is the compromise between volume and high heat exchange that can reduce the recovery time under load. One bench prototype was modeled using the thermal–electrical analogy implemented in ATPDraw, tested in two different labs. Tests were performed at faults levels of 12 kA
peak
, 5 kA
rms
and 2.7 kA
rms
for 137 V. Measured and simulated results were compared, resulting in a relative error of less than 12%. Two contributions can be highlighted: the new design of the R-SFCL and the inclusion in the convection heat exchange model curves for the heating (during the quench) and cooling (after fault), which allows to predict the recovery under load.
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