Test of a 1 kA superconducting fault current limiter for DC applications

Author

Kraemer, Hans-Peter ; Schmidt, Wolfgang ; Utz, Bernd ; Wacker, Bernd ; Neumueller, Heinz-Werner ; Ahlf, Gerd ; Hartig, Rainer

Author_Institution

Corp. Technol., Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany

Volume

15

Issue

2

fYear

2005

fDate

6/1/2005 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1986

Lastpage

1989

Abstract

A low voltage fault current limiter (FCL) having a nominal current of 1 kA has been set up using switching elements based on YBCO thin films fabricated by reactive thermal co-evaporation. The films showed critical current densities exceeding 1 MA/cm² @ 77 K. After patterning and contacting the films, the elements have been assembled in a closed cryostat for operation in a liquid nitrogen bath. The FCL model was successfully tested using prospective fault currents from 25 kA to 150 kA. The electric data show a peak current of 2.7 kA within 1 ms and a limitation to approximately nominal current within 5 ms. Due to this fast response of the YBCO switching elements, FCL coupled grids can be instantaneously decoupled during a fault, leaving the faultless part of the grid practically unimpaired.

Keywords

fault current limiters; high-temperature superconductors; short-circuit currents; superconducting device testing; superconducting thin films; 1 kA; 25 to 150 kA; YBCO thin films; closed cryostat; critical current densities; liquid nitrogen bath; reactive thermal coevaporation; short circuit current; standalone power systems; superconducting fault current limiter; superconductivity; switching elements; Assembly; Critical current density; Fault current limiters; Low voltage; Nitrogen; Superconducting films; Superconducting thin films; Superconducting transmission lines; Testing; Yttrium barium copper oxide; Fault current limiter; YBCO thin films; short circuit current; stand-alone power systems; superconductivity;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Applied Superconductivity, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1051-8223

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TASC.2005.849433

Filename

1440047