Transient analysis of HTS inductive fault current limiter

High temperature superconductors (HTS) have been considered for current limiting devices based on the fast transition from the superconducting state to the resistive one when the current overcomes the critical current. Recent developments have shown the feasibility of the inductive fault current limiters using HTS in the form of hollow cylinders or stacked rings. In the present work, an inductive fault current limiter consisting of a primary copper winding, a HTS cylinder or ring as the secondary winding and an iron core is analysed. A mathematical model, taking into account the real current-voltage characteristics of HTS as well as the nonlinearity of B(H) (magnetic flux density as a function of field) curve of the iron core, is proposed and solved. Some typical results are presented and compared with experimental ones.