Resistive superconducting fault current limiter

• US 7,345,858 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Industrial Systems Co., Ltd (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Industrial Systems Co., Ltd (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Bang-Wook, Park, Kwon-Bae
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUER, SCOTT ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US10/948,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 361/19
• US Class Current: 361/19
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/001 for superconducting apparatus, e.g. coils, lines, machines
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 60/355 Power cryotrons
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/60 Superconducting electric elements or equipment; Power systems integrating superconducting elements or equipment

Abstract

Disclosed is a resistive superconducting fault current limiter capable of enhancing a current of a superconducting device thereof, capable of preventing heat generated at a linear coil, capable of removing a magnetic field generated through the linear coil when a normal current is applied to a circuit of a power system, and capable of using not only a BISCCO based superconducting device but also a YBCO based superconducting device with using a magnet generating device separated from the circuit of the power system so that a current of the power system can not flow to the linear coil of the resistive superconducting fault current limiter when a normal current flows to the power system. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter comprises: a superconducting fault current limiting module composed of at least one superconducting fault current limiting device; a magnetic field applying unit installed to surround a periphery of the superconducting fault current limiting module as a circular shape, for applying a magnetic field to the superconducting fault current limiting device; and a current transformer for inducing a current converted from the current flowing on the circuit of the power system by a non-contact and thereby supplying the induced current to the magnetic field applying unit.

Claims

1. A resistive superconducting fault current limiter, comprising:

a superconducting fault current limiting module;

a magnetic field applier which surrounds a periphery of the superconducting fault current limiting module, and applies a magnetic field to the superconducting fault current limiting module to quench the superconducting fault current limiting module when a fault current is generated in a power system circuit; and

a current transformer, comprising a secondary coil electrically connected in parallel with the magnetic field applier, which outputs a driving voltage, induced by a fault current generated in the power system circuit, to the magnetic field applier, whereby the magnetic field applier generates the magnetic field without connecting to the power system circuit and only when the fault current is generated in the power system circuit.

2. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 1, wherein the superconducting fault current limiting module comprises at least two thin film shaped superconducting fault current limiting devices connected to each other in serial or in parallel.

3. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 1, wherein the superconducting fault current limiting devices are maintained in a superconducting state by a refrigerant inside a cryostat of the superconducting fault current limiter to thereby pass a normal current which flows through the power system circuit, and to quench when a fault current flows through the power system circuit.

4. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 3, wherein the refrigerant is liquid nitrogen.

5. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field applier is a solenoid having an air gap.

6. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field applier surrounds an entire length of the superconducting fault current limiting module in order to uniformly apply a magnetic field to an entire region of the superconducting fault current limiting module in a perpendicular direction, and comprises a circular coil winding which surrounds a periphery of the superconducting fault current limiting module.

7. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 1, wherein the current transformer is a protection current transformer which outputs an attenuated driving current to the magnetic field applier when a fault current flows through the power system circuit.

8. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 1, further comprising a thin film type current lead which connects the superconducting fault current limiting devices together.

9. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 8, wherein the superconducting fault current limiting module, the magnetic field applier, and the current lead are installed in a cryostat cooled by a refrigerant to be maintained in a superconducting state.

10. The resistive superconducting fault current limiter of claim 9, wherein the refrigerant is liquid nitrogen.