Bus-voltage sag suppressing and fault current limiting characteristics of the SFCL due to its application location in a power distribution system

Abstract

The application of the superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) in a power distribution system is expected to contribute the voltage-sag suppression of the bus line as well as the fault-current reduction of the fault line. However, the application effects of the SFCL on the voltage sag of the bus line including the fault current are dependent on its application location in a power distribution system. In this paper, we investigated the fault current limiting and the voltage sag suppressing characteristics of the SFCL due to its application location such as the outgoing point of the feeder, the bus line, the neutral line and the 2nd side of the main transformer in a power distribution system, and analyzed the trace variations of the bus-voltage and fault-feeder current. The simulated power distribution system, which was composed of the universal power source, two transformers with the parallel connection and the impedance load banks connected with the 2nd side of the transformer through the power transmission lines, was constructed and the short-circuit tests for the constructed system were carried out. Through the analysis on the short-circuit tests for the simulated power distribution system with the SFCLs applied into its representative locations, the effects from the SFCL's application on the power distribution system were discussed from the viewpoints of both the suppression of the bus-voltage sag and the reduction of the fault current.