Method to design saturated iron-core fault current limiters

• Published in: IET generation, transmission & distribution Vol. 13; no. 22; pp. 5180 - 5187
• Main Authors: Baferani, Mohamadreza Arab, Fahimi, Navid, Shayegani, Amir Abbas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 19.11.2019
• Subjects: apparent power 3500.0 VA; COMSOL Multiphysics; current‐dependent impedance; electrical characteristics; fault condition; fault current limiters; low impedance; magnetic characteristics; magnetic field distributions; normal state; numerical calculations; numerical method; optimisation; optimisations; power system faults; power system hardware model; Research Article; saturated iron‐core fault current limiters; saturated iron‐core FCL; SICFCL; numerical calculations; power system hardware model; fault current limiters; saturated iron-core fault current limiters; SICFCL; apparent power 3500.0 VA; electrical characteristics; power system faults; low impedance; optimisation; optimisations; COMSOL Multiphysics; saturated iron-core FCL; numerical method; normal state; magnetic characteristics; current-dependent impedance; fault condition; magnetic field distributions
• ISSN: 1751-8687; 1751-8695; 1751-8695
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-gtd.2019.0546

Fault current limiter (FCL) is a kind of device with current-dependent impedance that has low impedance in normal state of power system, and high impedance during fault condition. Among all classes of FCLs, the saturated iron-core FCL (SICFCL) is practically the most favourable one nowadays. In this study, a numerical method for design and cost optimisation of SICFCLs is presented. It uses a set of constraints to ensure the desirable operation of the SICFCL based on its electrical and magnetic characteristics. For numerical calculations and optimisations, GAMS software has been used. Suitability of the method is approved by design, simulation and test of a 3500 VA prototype. Magnetic field distributions are simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics and performance of the designed SICFCL is evaluated in a power system hardware model. Simulation and experimental results show the satisfying agreement with predicted results by the proposed numerical method.