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Title: Passive fault current limiting device

Abstract

A passive current limiting device and isolator is particularly adapted for use at high power levels for limiting excessive currents in a circuit in a fault condition such as an electrical short. The current limiting device comprises a magnetic core wound with two magnetically opposed, parallel connected coils of copper, a high temperature superconductor or other electrically conducting material, and a fault element connected in series with one of the coils. Under normal operating conditions, the magnetic flux density produced by the two coils cancel each other. Under a fault condition, the fault element is triggered to cause an imbalance in the magnetic flux density between the two coils which results in an increase in the impedance in the coils. While the fault element may be a separate current limiter, switch, fuse, bimetal strip or the like, it preferably is a superconductor current limiter conducting one-half of the current load compared to the same limiter wired to carry the total current of the circuit. The major voltage during a fault condition is in the coils wound on the common core in a preferred embodiment.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Wheeling, IL
  2. Darien, IL
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
872248
Patent Number(s):
5892644
Assignee:
University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01F - MAGNETS
H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02H - EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS
DOE Contract Number:  
W-31109-ENG-38
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
passive; fault; current; limiting; device; isolator; particularly; adapted; power; levels; excessive; currents; circuit; condition; electrical; comprises; magnetic; core; wound; magnetically; opposed; parallel; connected; coils; copper; temperature; superconductor; electrically; conducting; material; element; series; normal; operating; conditions; flux; density; produced; cancel; triggered; imbalance; results; increase; impedance; separate; limiter; switch; fuse; bimetal; strip; preferably; one-half; load; compared; wired; carry; total; major; voltage; common; preferred; embodiment; power levels; conducting material; temperature superconductor; particularly adapted; operating conditions; power level; device comprises; magnetic flux; preferred embodiment; electrically conducting; fault current; magnetic core; current limiting; operating condition; current limiter; normal operating; metal strip; total current; limiting device; parallel connected; fault condition; flux density; current load; superconductor current; rate current; current limit; /361/

Citation Formats

Evans, Daniel J, and Cha, Yung S. Passive fault current limiting device. United States: N. p., 1999. Web.
Evans, Daniel J, & Cha, Yung S. Passive fault current limiting device. United States.
Evans, Daniel J, and Cha, Yung S. Fri . "Passive fault current limiting device". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872248.
@article{osti_872248,
title = {Passive fault current limiting device},
author = {Evans, Daniel J and Cha, Yung S},
abstractNote = {A passive current limiting device and isolator is particularly adapted for use at high power levels for limiting excessive currents in a circuit in a fault condition such as an electrical short. The current limiting device comprises a magnetic core wound with two magnetically opposed, parallel connected coils of copper, a high temperature superconductor or other electrically conducting material, and a fault element connected in series with one of the coils. Under normal operating conditions, the magnetic flux density produced by the two coils cancel each other. Under a fault condition, the fault element is triggered to cause an imbalance in the magnetic flux density between the two coils which results in an increase in the impedance in the coils. While the fault element may be a separate current limiter, switch, fuse, bimetal strip or the like, it preferably is a superconductor current limiter conducting one-half of the current load compared to the same limiter wired to carry the total current of the circuit. The major voltage during a fault condition is in the coils wound on the common core in a preferred embodiment.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {1}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Tests of 100 kW High-T/sub c/ superconducting fault current limiter
journal, June 1995


Short circuit test performance of inductive high T/sub c/ superconducting fault current limiters
journal, June 1995


Recovery time of superconducting non-inductive reactor type fault current limiter
journal, July 1996