A Compound Current Limiter and Circuit Breaker
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electronics Article A Compound Current Limiter and Circuit Breaker Amir Heidary 1, Hamid Radmanesh 2, Ali Bakhshi 1, Kumars Rouzbehi 3 and Edris Pouresmaeil 4,* 1 Electrical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, 15914 Tehran, Iran; [email protected] (A.H.); [email protected] (A.B.) 2 Electrical Engineering Department, Shahid Sattari Aeronautical University of Science and Technology, 15914 Tehran, Iran; [email protected] 3 Department of System Engineering and Automatic Control, University of Seville, 41004 Seville, Spain; [email protected] 4 Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland * Correspondence: edris.pouresmaeil@aalto.fi Received: 18 April 2019; Accepted: 7 May 2019; Published: 16 May 2019 Abstract: The protection of sensitive loads against voltage drop is a concern for the power system. A fast fault current limiter and circuit breaker can be a solution for rapid voltage recovery of sensitive loads. This paper proposes a compound type of current limiter and circuit breaker (CLCB) which can limit fault current and fast break to adjust voltage sags at the protected buses. In addition, it can act as a circuit breaker to open the faulty line. The proposed CLCB is based on a series L-C resonance, which contains a resonant transformer and a series capacitor bank. Moreover, the CLCB includes two anti-parallel power electronic switches (a diode and an IGBT) connected in series with bus couplers. In order to perform an analysis of CLCB performance, the proposed structure was simulated using MATLAB. In addition, an experimental prototype was built, tested, and the experimental results were reported. Comparisons show that experimental results were in fair agreement with the simulation results and confirm CLCB’s ability to act as a fault current limiter and a circuit breaker. Keywords: circuit breaker; fault current limiter 1. Introduction Faults in electrical power systems are inevitable. They can lead to high transients and thermal stresses on power system equipment such as overhead lines, cables, transformers, and switchgears. Therefore, the fault current protection schemes are important. The simplest solution to limit the short-circuit current would be the application of a source with high impedance. The main drawback of this solution is that it also influences the system during normal operation conditions, and it results in a considerable voltage drop for high current loads [1,2]. Therefore, electric networks require efficient and reliable equipment to limit the short-circuit current. Another solution to this problem is the use of technologies such as fault current limiters (FCLs). The FCL is one of the protection devices, which is used to limit the fault current. The FCL should limit the fault current passing through it within the first half-cycle and the best FCL should limit the fault current before the first peak [3]. However, high price, power losses, continuous current after fault current flow limitation, and harmonic distortion are some of the main problems of typical FCLs. Since the 1970s, several types of FCLs have been investigated such as fuses with fault-current limitation, series current limiting reactors [4], series transformers [5], superconducting fault current limiters (SCFCL) [6–8], solid-state FCLs (SSFCL) [9–13], and fault current limiting circuit breakers (FCLCB). In the recent years, researchers have focused on the SSFCLs and FCLCBs, such as: Purely resistive FCL [14], hybrid-resistive FCL [15], saturable core FCL [16], IGBTs controlled series reactor FCL [17], solid-state FCLCB (SSFCL-CB) [18], and bridge type Electronics 2019, 8, 551; doi:10.3390/electronics8050551 www.mdpi.com/journal/electronics Electronics 2019, 8, 551 2 of 12 Electronics 2019, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 13 FCL [19]. These new protection devices usually use inductors to decrease the fault current. 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The of fast-closing solid-state switch circuit application breakers and in application solid-state ofcircuit solid-state breaker circuit and itsbreaker, optimization to improve process grid voltagehas been quality studied during in [25]. the Application fault is reported of current-limiting in [27]. In [28], circuit the comparison breakers to of controltwo control the arc-flash methods energy of power has swing been presented reduction in [2 a power6]. Classification system with of solid-state unidirectional circuit power breakers flow andcontroller application (UPFC) of is discussed.solid-state Analysiscircuit breaker, and control to improve of fault current grid voltage by firing quality angle controlduring of the solid-state fault is reportedfault current in [27]. limiter In [28], is an the important comparison issue of whichtwo control depends methods on the of strategy power swing of power reduction electronic in a switchpower systemcontrol with [29]. unidirectional power flow controller (UPFC) is discussed. Analysis and control of fault currentThis by paper firing presents angle control a new of type solid-state of current fault limiter current circuit limiter breaker is an (CLCB) important with issue series which compensation. depends onThis the protection strategy of device power is electronic invisible switch during control the normal [29]. operation mode. During the fault period, it disconnectsThis paper the presents loads from a thenew source. type of The current operational limiter eff ectivenesscircuit breaker of this (CLCB) device iswith verified series by compensation.MATLAB simulations This protection and confirmed device is byinvisible the developed during the experimental normal operation tests. mode. The results During show the fault the period,fast-closing it disconnects switch based the loads CLCB from has the more source. advantages The operational than the effectiveness former FCLs of with this lowdevice cost is andverified can byimprove MATLAB the systemsimulations protection and confirmed against fault by bythe fast developed current limitingexperimental and breaking. tests. The results show the fast-closingExpected switch advantages based CLCB of the has proposed more advantages CLCB over otherthan FCLsthe former are as FCLs the following: with low cost and can improve the system protection against fault by fast current limiting and breaking. Ability to remain invisible to the grid under normal operation mode, introducing negligible • Expected advantages of the proposed CLCB over other FCLs are as the following: • impedanceAbility to remain in the network;invisible to the grid under normal operation mode, introducing negligible Short recovery time and ability to limit the fault current before initiation of the first peak; • impedance in the network; • ByShort connecting recovery thetime proposed and ability CLCB to limit to the the grid, fault the current mechanical before circuit initiation breaker of the can first be peak; replaced; • • UsingBy connecting the proposed the proposed CLCB in CLCB the network to the grid, decreases the mechanical the grid short-circuit circuit breaker levels; can be replaced; • • FastUsing recovery the proposed after fault CLCB removal. in the network decreases the grid short-circuit levels; • • Fast recovery after fault removal. This paper has been organized as follows: This paper has been organized as follows: In Section2, the system topology including proposed CLCB is discussed. In Section3, the analytical In Section 2, the system topology including proposed CLCB is discussed. In Section 3, the analytical analysis of the CLCB operation during normal and fault operation modes, voltage sag at sensitive analysis of the CLCB operation during normal and fault operation modes, voltage sag at sensitive bus, and power losses are studied. Then, in Section4, the control system is studied. In the next bus, and power losses are studied. Then, in Section 4, the control