COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

AND ENGINEERING
A
Seminar on

 Objectives
Introduction
Requirement of FCL
Properties of SFCL
Operating principle of
FCL
Desired Characteristic of
an ideal FCL
Types of FCL
Applications of FCL
Conclusions

To study the various types of

fault current limiters for Power
system Protection and its
applications.

 SFCL is a new power

device to automatically
limit a fault current to a
safe level with the
superconducting property.
These
fault-current
limiters, unlike reactors or
high-impedance
transformers, will limit fault
currents without adding
impedance to the circuit
during normal operation.

Increasing of fault
levels beyond
existing circuit
breaker capacities

Fault current
limiters
(FCL)

 The equipment installed at

power grids and at
generating station is very
expensive and its cost, if
estimated, would be in
million of dollars.
In order to save this
expensive equipment from
fault currents during faults
and short circuits, fault
current limiters are
required.

 Self activating
Low maintenance
High impedance in fault
operation
Low impedance in normal
operation
Limits fault current before first
peak

 Normal operation
Load current flows through
superconducting unit.
SFCL introduces nearly zero impedance
and zero voltage drops.
Fault Condition
Superconductor inherently senses fault
current, quenches, inserts high
resistance in ~ 1 ms.
Current transfers to shunt and limits
fault current.
Recovery
Superconducting unit recovers
superconducting state quickly
(seconds)

An Ideal Fault Current Limiter

would Increase the impedance on the line
well before the first peak.
No power loss in normal operation.
Diminish the fault current by at least
a factor of 2 for its duration.
Return the impedance to its original

Resistive FCL

Inductive
shielded core
FCL

Superconductors connected in series with

the line to be protected and is immersed in
a coolant to keep superconducting
property.
In case of the fault the inrush of current
take the superconductor into the transition
region, thereby the increasing the
resistance limits the fault current.

Resistive FCL with protective shunt

Inductive shielded core current limiter is

a transformer device with:
Copper primary winding
Superconducting shorted secondary
winding
Primary winding is in series with the line
to be protected.

Inductive shielded FCL in a

Three main application

areas are:
Fault current limiter in the
main position on bus :
Protects the entire bus.
A larger transformer can be
used.
I^2 Rt damage to the
transformer is limited.

Fault- current limiter in the

feeder position:

It protects an individual
circuit on the bus.
A FCL can also be used to
protect individual loads on
the bus.

Fault current limiter in

bus tie position:
The buses are tied, yet a
faulted bus receives the
full fault current of only
one transformer.
This limiter requires only a
small load current rating.

Unlike traditional grid technology,

superconducting fault current
limiters are smart.
They increase their resistance abruptly in
response to overcurrents from faults in
the system, thus limiting the overcurrents
and protecting the grid from damage.

Fault Current Limiters Inherently Smart

Fault Current Limiters are new

devices, using the unique electrica
properties of HTSto almost
instantaneously protect power
grids against short circuits and
thereby prevent costly outages.
They are a key member of a family
of ultra-fast HTS devices and
machines used for conditioning
electrical power.