The performance of a power system high Tc superconducting fault current limiter with saturable core under symmetrical fault conditions

The development of high temperature superconductors (HTSC) technology has reached the stage where their application in large scale powers systems is now possible. Recently a prototype fault current limiter (FCL) with a high T_c superconducting (HTS) saturable magnetic core has been produced at the University of New South Wales. This paper analyses the behavior of this type of FCL under symmetrical fault conditions based on the derived characteristics, by utilizing a computer simulation. The results indicate that this type of FCL can limit fault current effectively in transient and steady state situations. It can also limit the voltage drop on the bus bars to acceptable levels during normal operation and fault situations.