Experimental Results of a 15 kV, 140 A Superconducting Fault Current Limiter

This paper presents the design and experimental results of a coreless superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL). The limiter has a rating of 15 kV and 140 A and was tested with a 2.5 GVA short-circuit generator. During the occurrence of a short circuit, the elements of the system are less exposed to electrodynamic and thermal overloads. The application of an SFCL leads to an increase of the capability of the power network for connecting distributed generation energy sources. Compact design of the coreless superconducting fault current limiter consists of three magnetically coupled windings cooled in liquid nitrogen. A high magnetic coupling between the superconducting windings gives a very low voltage on the limiter at a nominal current. The presented solution reduces size and weight of the device. The paper summarizes the design of the coreless limiter and presents in detail the results of tests performed at a high-power test facility.