Study of the Fast-Closing Switch Used for Fault Current Limiters in Power System

This paper presents a new type of fault current limiter (FCL) based on fast closing switch, which is composed of a capacitor bank and a reactor in series. The main control component is a fast closing switch connected in parallel with the capacitors, which is driven by the electromagnetic repulsion force. It can response the order within 1 ms. When fault occurs, the switch closes and the capacitors are bypassed, and the fault current is limited by the reactor. Simulation analysis and experiment show that the electromagnetic repulsion force actuator can meet the demand of fast closing switch, it is feasible to develop the FCL with low cost and high reliability.

A novel fault current limiter topology design based on liquid metal current limiter

The liquid metal current limiter(LMCL)is regarded as a viable solution for reducing the fault current in a power grid.But demonstrating the liquid metal arc plasma self-pinching process of the resistive wall,and reducing the erosion of the LMCL are challenging,not only theoretically,but also practically.In this work,a novel LMCL is designed with a resistive wall that can be connected to the current-limiting circuit inside the cavity.Specifically,a novel fault current limiter(FCL)topology is put forward where the novel LMCL is combined with a fast switch and current-limiting reactor.Further,the liquid metal self-pinch effect is modeled mathematically in three dimensions,and the gas-liquid two-phase dynamic diagrams under different short-circuit currents are obtained by simulation.The simulation results indicate that with the increase of current,the time for the liquid metal-free surface to begin depressing is reduced,and the position of the depression also changes.Different kinds of bubbles formed by the depressions gradually extend,squeeze,and break.With the increase of current,the liquid metal takes less time to break,but breaks still occur at the edge of the channel,forming arc plasma.Finally,relevant experiments are conducted for the novel FCL topology.The arcing process and current transfer process are analyzed in particular.Comparisons of the peak arc voltage,arcing time,current limiting efficiency,and electrode erosion are presented.The results demonstrate that the arc voltage of the novel FCL topology is reduced by more than 4.5times and the arcing time is reduced by more than 12%.The erosions of the liquid metal and electrodes are reduced.Moreover,the current limiting efficiency of the novel FCL topology is improved by 1%–5%.This work lays a foundation for the topology and optimal design of the LMCL.

Research on a Fast-Closing Switch Based Fault Current Limiter with Series Compensation

A new type of fault current limiter (FCL) with series compensation based fast-closing switch is proposed. It is composed of a capacitor bank and a reactor in series. The main control component is a fast-closing switch connected in parallel with the capacitors, which is driven by the electromagnetic repulsion force. When fault occurs, the switch closes and bypasses the capacitors, and the fault is limited by the reactor then. Simulated analysis and experiments show that it is feasible to develop the FCL with low cost and high reliability. The effectiveness of transient stability for power system is evaluated by digital simulation.

Mitigation of Distributed Generation Impact on Protective Devices in a Distribution Network by Superconducting Fault Current Limiter

Protection of radial distribution networks is widely based on coordinated inverse time overcurrent relays (OCRs) ensuring both effectiveness and selectivity. However, the integration of distributed generation (DG) into an existing distribution network not only inevitably increases fault current levels to levels that may exceed the OCR ratings, but it may also disturb the original overcurrent relay coordination adversely effecting protection selectivity. To analyze the potentially adverse impact of DG on distribution system protective devices with respect to circuit breaker ratings and OCR coordination fault current studies are carried out for common reference test system under the influence of additional DG. The possible advantages of Superconducting Fault Current Limiter (SFCL) as a means to limit the adverse effect of DG on distribution system protection and their effectiveness will be demonstrated. Furthermore, minimum SFCL impedances required to avoid miss-operation of the primary and back-up OCRs are determined. The theoretical analysis will be validated using the IEEE 13-bus distribution test system is used. Both theoretical and simulation results indicate that the proposed application of SFCL is a viable option to effectively mitigate the DG impact on protective devices, thus enhancing the reliability of distribution network interfaced with DG.

Placement optimization of Multi-Type fault current limiters based on genetic algorithm

The fault current limiter(FCL)is an effective measure for improving system stability and suppressing short-circuit fault current.Because of space and economic costs,the optimum placement of FCLs is vital in industrial applications.In this study,two objectives with the same dimensional measurement unit,namely,the total capital investment cost of FCLs and circuit breaker loss related to short-circuit currents,are considered.The circuit breaker loss model is developed based on the attenuation rule of the circuit breaker service life.The circuit breaker loss is used to quantify the current-limiting effect to avoid the problem of weight selection in a multi-objective problem.The IEEE 10-generator 39-bus system in New England is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed genetic algorithm(GA)method.Comparative and sensitivity analyses are performed.The results of the optimized plan are validated through simulations,indicating the significant potential of the GA for such optimization.

Research on Parameter Collaborative Configuration of DC Circuit Breaker and DC Fault Current Limiter

Fault current suppression is the key technology to ensure the safe operation of the DC power distribution system. In order to realize the parameter collabora-tive configuration of the DC circuit breaker and the DC current limiter and improve the fault current suppression capability, the fault current suppression mechanism of the DC power distribution system is revealed based on the circuit model. Then, based on the mathematical model of the DC breaker, the characteristic parameters of DC breaking are extracted, and then the influence of different characteristic parameters on the breaking characteristics of fault current is studied. Finally, the mathematical model of the collaborative process between DC circuit breaker and DC current limiter is established. The charac-teristic parameters of fault current collaborative suppression are extracted. The coupling effects of different characteristic parameters on the fault current col-laborative suppression are studied. The principle of collaborative configuration of DC circuit breaker and DC current limiter is proposed, and the collaborative suppression ability of DC circuit breaker and DC current limiter to fault current is fully exploited to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the DC power distribution system.

Enhancement of Transient Stability of the Nigeria 330 kV Transmission Network Using Fault Current Limiter

The dynamic responses of generators when subjected to disturbances in an interconnected power system have become a major challenge to power utility companies due to increasing stress on the power network. Since the occurrence of a disturbance or fault cannot be completely avoided, hence, when it occurs, control measures need to be put in place to limit the fault current, which invariably limit the level of the disturbances. This paper explores the use of Superconductor Fault Current Limiter (SFCL) to improve the transient stability of the Nigeria 330 kV Transmission Network. During a large disturbance, the rotor angle of the generator is enhanced by connecting a Fault Current Limiter (FCL) which reduces the fault current and hence, increases transient stability of the power network. In this study, the most affected generator was taken into consideration in locating the SFCL. The result obtained reveals that the Swing Curve of the generator without FCL increases monotonically which indicates instability, while the Swing Curve of the System with FCL reaches steady state.

Current Limiting Characteristic Analysis of Magnetic-controlled Switcher Type Fault Current Limiter

A novel magnetic-controlled switcher type fault current limiter (FCL) based on the topology of the saturated iron core high temperature superconducting FCL is proposed. The magnetic field distribution of the FCL iron core is analyzed by FEA software ANSYS. The current limiting characteristic is investigated by both 3-D field-circuit coupled simulation and Matlab. The experiments on the 220 V/50 A test model show that the FCL can limit the fault current swiftly and effectively,and the FCL has the advantages of simple and reliable structure, flexible control strategy. The simulation and experimental results prove that the theoretical expectation and current limiting performance is satisfactory for practical use.

A Fault Current Limiting Hybrid DC Circuit Breaker

Due to the low impedance characteristic of the high voltage direct current(HVDC)grid,the fault current rises extremely fast after a DC-side fault occurs,and this phenomenon seriously endangers the safety of the HVDC grid.In order to suppress the rising speed of the fault current and reduce the current interruption requirements of the main breaker(MB),a fault current limiting hybrid DC circuit breaker(FCL-HCB)has been proposed in this paper,and it has the capability of bidirectional fault current limiting and fault current interruption.After the occurrence of the overcurrent in the HVDC grid,the current limiting circuit(CLC)of FCL-HCB is put into operation immediately,and whether the protected line is cut off or resumed to normal operation is decided according to the fault detection result.Compared with the traditional hybrid DC circuit breaker(HCB),the required number of semiconductor switches and the peak value of fault current after fault occurs are greatly reduced by adopting the proposed device.Extensive simulations also verify the effectiveness of the proposed FCL-HCB.

Appropriate Placement of Fault Current Limiting Reactors in Different HV Substation Arrangements

Short circuit currents of power systems are growing with an increasing rate, due to the fast development of generation and transmission systems. Current Limiting Reactor is one of the effective short circuit current limiting devices. This technique is known to be more practical than other available approaches. In this paper, proper application of CLR to HV substations is proposed, based on a comprehensive short circuit analysis of 4 well-known substation bus bar arrangements. Eventually, appropriate place and number of CLRs is recommended for each bus bar arrangement.

Control-based Fault Current Limiter for Minimizing Impact of Distributed Generation Units on Protection Systems

Distributed generation units(DGUs)bring some problems to the existing protection system,such as those associated with protection blinding and sympathetic tripping.It is known that fault current limiters(FCLs)help minimize the negative impact of DGUs on the protection system.In this paper,a control-based FCL is proposed,i.e.,the FCL is integrated into the DGU control law.To this end,a predictive control strategy with fault current limitation is suggested.In this way,a DGU is controlled,not only for power exchange with the power grid but also to limit its fault current contribution.The proposal is posed as a constrained optimization problem allowing taking into account the current limit explicitly in the design process as a closed-loop solution.A linear approximation is proposed to cope with the inherent nonlinear constraints.The proposal does not require incorporating extra equipment or mechanisms in the control loop,making the design process simple.To evaluate the proposed control-based FCL,both protection blinding and sympathetic tripping scenarios are considered.The control confines the DGU currents within the constraints quickly,avoiding large transient peaks.Therefore,the impact on the protection system is reduced without the necessity that the DGU goes out of service.

Interruption Characteristics of High-speed Switches in 500 kV Fault Current Limiter with High Coupled Split Reactance

A 500 kV high-voltage AC fault current limiter(FCL)based on a high coupled split reactor(HCSR)is pro-posed by the National key R&D project team.Low impedance under normal conditions and high impedance under short-circuit conditions are accomplished by the cooperation of HCSR and high-speed switches.High-speed switches play an important role in current limiting processes,thus interruption characteristics of the high-speed switch in the 500 kV FCL are studied in this paper.The simulation model of the FCL and the external equivalent power grid are established.The short-circuit current and recovery voltage characteristics of the high-speed switch in FCL are simulated.The results show that maximum DC component of the short-circuit current of the high-speed switch reaches 91%,the maximum peak value is 118 kA,and the longest arcing time is 14.8 ms.There is a discontinuity in the curve of the short-circuit current peak and arcing time as a function of the short-circuit occurrence time;the peak recovery voltage of a single break of the high-speed switch has a maximum value of 87.5 kV under a three-phase ungrounded short-circuit condition,and the rate of rise of recovery voltage is o.22 kV/s.The recovery voltage peak shows a period change with the short-circuit occurrence time,and the period is 10 ms.The effects of the shunt capacitor value and short-circuit ground resistance on the recovery voltage of high-speed switching are also studied.The research can be used for reference by R&D personnel and testersof500kVFCLs.Index Terms-Fault current limiter(FCL),high coupled split reactor(HCSR),high-speed switch,interruption characteristics,short circuit current.

基于钳位型断路器的柔直系统控保协同技术

柔性直流系统以其在输电领域的巨大优势而获得广泛应用.但在直流系统中,短路故障的强冲击性与电力电子器件的脆弱性之间的矛盾异常尖锐,现有保护策略难以同时满足高速动性与高可靠性的要求.本文从控保协同思想出发,基于一种电压钳位原理的直流断路器,提出一种新的故障处理模式,初步探究在柔直系统中控制与保护深度融合的可能性.当发生短路故障时,投入断路器和换流器相配合的限流功能,一方面限制电力电子器件的过流,解决其脆弱性问题;另一方面为保护提供边界,辅助实现故障的快速定位.在甄别出故障线路后,利用断路器的故障切除功能将故障隔离.此方案同时实现了故障限流、保护边界和故障切除3项功能,可有效缓减由于模块化多电平换流器(modular multilevel converter,MMC)器件脆弱性所带来的一系列保护问题.在PSCAD/EMTDC中搭建四端双极柔性直流电网模型,仿真结果表明,本控保协同方案能在5 ms内准确识别并隔离故障线路,而且具有较强的耐受过渡电阻能力.

基于MMC闭锁与负直流电压无闭锁的综合直流故障限流策略

基于模块化多电平换流器(MMC)的柔性直流电网存在抗直流故障扰动能力弱的问题。为此,在无闭锁和闭锁限流的基础上,提出了一种适用于柔性直流电网的无闭锁与闭锁的综合直流故障限流策略。故障发生后,各换流站首先根据直流侧出口电流进行基于负直流电压控制的无闭锁限流,若某换流站由于无闭锁降压限流失效而发生过流,则主动将该换流站闭锁。故障消失或隔离后,无闭锁换流站第一时间恢复正常工作模式,而无须等待重启过程较长的闭锁换流站,以尽量减小系统功率损失。基于MATLAB/Simulink的仿真结果表明,所提综合直流故障限流策略可快速阻断故障电流,并兼顾限流过程的安全性和快速性,最大限度保证系统功率传输,提高了直流电网的抗故障扰动能力。

基于限流电抗器电压的直流配电网单端量保护

直流配电网故障特性复杂,故障电流上升速度快且峰值大,快速、灵敏的故障识别与线路保护是保障直流配电网安全运行的关键技术之一。为此,针对增设限流电抗器的直流配电网,提出一种利用限流电抗器电压实现高灵敏故障识别的直流配电网单端量保护方案。首先,通过分析含限流电抗器的直流配电网故障特性,明确区内、区外故障时限流电抗器电压的特征差异。其次,研究限流电抗器对故障特性及直流保护的影响机制,提出虚拟补偿策略以增强故障识别的灵敏性。在此基础上,根据线路电压变化率设计保护启动判据,提出基于虚拟补偿的故障识别判据和故障选极判据,并给出完整的保护方案流程。最后,基于PSCAD/EMTDC仿真平台进行大量的仿真测试,结果表明所提保护方案能够实现对直流故障的快速准确判断,无需通信支持,且对过渡电阻、噪声及负荷波动具有较强的耐受能力。

低压直流微电网新型主动限流器及控制策略

低压直流微电网中直流母线发生短路故障后,现有的被动式保护措施难以有效保护电力电子装置,并且当计及直流线路电感与变流器直流母线侧电容时,常规主动限流器会出现限流电感电流振荡的特性。详细分析了该电流振荡特性产生的机理,探究了系统参数变化对限流电感电流振荡峰值的影响。并提出了一种新型主动限流器拓扑结构及控制策略,该拓扑结构通过增加能量耗散支路,在限流器直流母线侧电容电压产生负压时导通,以此耗散能量,解决了电感电流振荡的问题。通过仿真与实验,验证了所提新型主动限流器对电感电流振荡特性抑制的有效性,且在不同工况下具有良好的鲁棒性。