Investigation of high-Tc bulk material for its use in resistive superconducting fault current limiters

Abstract

Superconducting fault current limiters (SCFCL) offer an attractive means to limit short-circuit currents in power systems. Comparisons of available HTS material led us to the decision to investigate melt cast processed (MCP) BSCCO and melt textured polycrystalline YBCO for use in resistive SCFCLs. As a great length of a superconductor per unit element is preferred, the BSCCO samples are shaped as bifilar coils prepared from tubes and the YBCO samples are manufactured in a meander shaped geometry. Test results concerning contact resistances, E-J curves, AC losses as well as the quench behaviour of the samples are presented. The experiments reveal the requirement of a high material homogeneity as the main challenge.