6.4 MVA resitive fault current limiter based on Bi-2212 superconductor

ABB has recently successfully developed and tested a single phase 6.4 MVA superconducting fault current limiter (SCFCL) demonstrator, which is based on a novel conductor design and innovative Bi-2212 ceramic fabrication technology. At present, it represents the highest rated power reported for HTS based SCFCL. The employed SCFCL component is a composite consisting of layers of bulk Bi-2212 ceramic, resistive metallic electrical bypass and fibre reinforced plastic (FRP). The Bi-2212 conductor is fabricated in sheets with an area of 30 x 40 cm(2) by using a modified partial melt process and is subsequently structured into long length meanders. The as-processed Bi-2212 is non-textured and exhibits a uniform j(c) in the range of 3000-5000 A/cm(.)(2). The employment of a robust bypass facilitates a uniform quench in the SCFCL component during a fault event. Depending on the level of prospective fault current, a fault current is typically reduced to around 10 times nominal current in the first current peak and further to 2-5 times after 50 ms into the fault. Test and simulation results of the 6.4 MVA demonstrator, together with the application prospects of such Bi-2212 based SCFCL are presented and discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.