Operating Properties of Resistive Superconducting fault Current Limiters with Various Pattern Shapes

Abstract

Quench behavior of resistive superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLS) with various pattern shapes was investigated. The pattern shapes employed were meander, bi-spiral, and spital shapes of identical line width, gap and margin. SFCLS were fabricated from YBCO thin films grown on two-inch diameter Al<TEX>$_2$</TEX>O<TEX>$_3$</TEX> substrates under the same conditions. The total length of current limiting paths was the shortest at the spital shape due to its larger useless space. Inductance component of SFCLs with the spiral shape was around two times as high as those of other two shapes. This is not desirable since impedance characteristics of existing power systems can be changed. Resistance rise of current limiting elements was low at a spiral shape before the whole quench completion, which may act as a disadvantage for simultaneous quench in serial connection between current limiting elements, but the temperature tended to have similar values at higher voltages. On the other hand, hi-spital shape was severe at insulation level between current limiting lines. When these aspects were considered, we concluded that a meander shape was appropriate to design for a resistive SFCL based on thin films except the concentration of electric field at edge areas of strip lines.