Modeling the Heating in a High Temperature Superconducting Current Carrying Element in Fault Current Limiters

Abstract

Mathematical model was developed for modeling the increase temperature in high temperature superconducting (HTS) current carrying element in superconducting fault current limiters (SFCL). The variation in the heating up of HTS element along its length is a result primarily of the variation in its resistance that has to do with the manufacturing process employed to make it.The model was developed and mathematical modeling of the process was carried out in the Comsol MultiPhysics software package. Element that was tested was a 12 mm wide stack of three stainless steel tapes and three HTS soldered to each other. In order to get more precise parameters for the models the cross-sectional thermal conductivity was measured for the stacks of HTS of two different types. The estimates obtained using the model were very close to experimental data. The impact was also studied of the spread of the electrical resistance of HTS on how fast the current carrying element made from it heated up.