A novel hybrid arc suppression device for single line-to-ground faults

Abstract

Traditional passive arc suppression devices (ASDs) do not provide complete compensation for single line-to-ground (SLG) fault currents. Meanwhile, active ASDs are expensive. This study proposes a novel hybrid ASD to balance compensation and cost. The hybrid ASD consists of a passive part and an active part. To reduce the fault voltage to near zero, the passive part uses a single-phase isolating transformer and two sets of phase-selection switches. The active part, which compensates for the residual voltage caused by the transformer's leakage impedance, is connected to the secondary side of the transformer and the ground using a small-capacity inverter. A model predictive control (MPC) method is employed as the controller. We conducted simulations and experiments for various SLG fault cases, which demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of the hybrid ASD in arc suppression. The hybrid ASD that we propose is independent of the neutral point and has several advantages, including low cost, strong arc suppression capabilities, and high robustness.