Brief Review of the Field Test and Application of a Superconducting Fault Current Limiter
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pISSN 1229-3008 eISSN 2287-6251 Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics Vol.19, No.4, (2017), pp.1~11 https://doi.org/10.9714/psac.2017.19.4.001 Brief review of the field test and application of a superconducting fault current limiter Ok-Bae Hyun* SuperGenics, Changwon 51543, Korea (Received 5 December 2017; revised or reviewed 14 December 2017; accepted 15 December 2017) Abstract This article reviews the recent activities of field testing and application of superconducting fault current limiters (SFCL) based on high-temperature superconductors (HTS). The review particularly focuses on the trends in the field tests in terms of the technical aspects and commercial activities of the SFCLs. Stimulated by the discovery of HTS, numerous research and development activities have been conducted worldwide for SFCLs operating from distribution voltages to transmission voltages. Different types of SFCLs have been developed and field-tested. Consequently, more than 20 field tests and applications have been performed on real grids worldwide while supplying electric power to the customers. These field tests have not only provided the track records of the operation experiences including the problems and maintenance during operation, but also proved their current limiting capabilities against real faults, rendering this new technology highly viable. Through these activities, the following trends in the status of field testing and application are observed. Resistive-type SFCLs with HTS-coated conductors were dominantly used in the most recent field tests. This implies that the resistive type is technically more mature than the other types. Bus-bar coupling and transformer feeders were the major application locations. It is of importance that most of the field applications were conducted as R&D projects. A relevant change from the R&D stage to the application stage is shown as recently deployed SFCLs are expected to be under long-term operation and commercial service. Here, we review the installation of these SFCLs by substation. This review also discusses the recent activities for their commercial applications. Keywords: superconducting fault current limiter, SFCL, field test, resistive type, bus-bar coupling, fault current ``` 1. INTRODUCTION tests provided instances of long-term operation as well as successful limitation of the real fault currents upon faults in A superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is a the grids. The tests also went through various trouble power machine that limits the fault currents in a power grid. shooting and maintenance, yielding valuable lessons in SFCLs are considered as one of the most promising handling the new machine. Even with the track record of candidates for power application based on high SFCL operation in the last 20 years, they are still not temperature superconductors (HTS). Extensive research considered as fully commercialized till date because the and development on HTS SFCL has been conducted field applications were performed in the research and worldwide [1-8]. Researchers have explored various SFCL development (R&D) environment. However, the recent models and produced more than 20 units operating at activities in the private sector could be an indicator of their medium as well as transmission voltages. Most of them commercial application in the electric utility field. were installed in real grids and field-tested while supplying In this review, we will focus on the field tests of SFCLs, electrical power to customers. For these systems, a field test rather than either researches or technological treatments of involves performing the proposed operation and an SFCL. Consequently, of major interest is the status of commercial service in a real grid for a significant period of more than 20 field test projects and applications of the time. A field test is necessary to validate the feasibility of SFCLs worldwide. Based on those tests, we will briefly an SFCL. It includes installation and operation, trouble discuss the trends in the SFCL types and the technical shooting, and maintenance, and fault current limitation issues inherent to the SFCL technology associated with upon fault in the real grid. general applications. This review is based on public The first successful field test of an SFCL based on HTS documents such as papers, articles, project reports, and was pioneered by ABB in 1996, who developed a 6.6-kV documents available online. SFCL [9, 10]. The SFCL was installed in the auxiliary line of a hydroelectric power plant, and field-tested for one year. Since then more than 20 SFCLs of various models have 2. SUPERCONDUCTING FAULT CURRENT been built and installed at various locations in distribution LIMITER TECHNOLOGY and transmission grids. They were field-tested to prove their feasibility and current limiting capabilities. The field 2.1. SFCL types * Corresponding author: [email protected] Various types of SFCLs have undergone the R&D stage. Brief review of the field test and application of a superconducting fault current limiter hydroelectric power plant in Switzerland [9]. Since then more than 20 field tests have been performed. In this section, we will review the tests by country and chronologically. 3.1. Switzerland • Löntsch, NOK power plant The first of field test of an SFCL based on an HTS was pioneered by ABB in cooperation with the Swiss utility NOK and with financial support from the Swiss Utility Study Fund (PSEL) [9-11]. ABB successfully developed a 6.6-kV magnetic shield type SFCL (1.2 MVA), which utilized stacked Bi2212 bulk tubes. The machine was installed to protect the auxiliary line of an NOK hydroelectric-power plant in Löntsch, Switzerland, for which a one-year endurance test was performed from November 1996. The test was expected to provide insight on the cooling system and possible fatigue aging of the HTS. After six months of testing, no major problems were encountered, and no fault occurred during the test. 3.2. United States of America Four field tests were performed in the USA: two were sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE), one by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and one by a manufacturer. Fig. 1. Basic circuits of the SFCL types: (a) Magnetic shield type (shielded core type), (b) bridge type (electronic • General Atomics and Southern California Edison inductive, DC reactor, or rectifier type), (c) saturated The first pre-commercial SFCL in the USA was iron-core type, and (d) resistive type. The grey and blue developed by General Atomics (GA) and the Los Alamos areas denote the SFCL system and superconducting parts, Nation al Laboratory (LANL) with support from the DOE. respectively. The diagrams represent single phase It was a bridge type with a rated voltage and current of 15 structures, although multiple variations exist for each type. kV and 1200 A, respectively [12-14]. The SFCL unit was equipped with three of the largest Bi-2223 coils of the Among them, four types of SFCL structures have been world at that time. This machine was installed in June 1999 successfully developed to be field-tested and applied: (1) at the Center substation of the Southern California Edison magnetic shield type, (2) bridge type, (3) saturated (SCE) grid. During high-voltage testing, each of the three iron-core type, and (4) resistive type. Figure 1 shows the single-phase units experienced a voltage breakdown, one basic circuits of the four types of SFCLs. Multiple externally and two internally [14]. After redesigning the variations of these four types are under research and structure, a high-voltage test as well as load and development. short-circuit tests were performed for the single-phase unit Details of the working principles of these types of SFCLs operating at the LANL 13.7-kV substation. are widely reported in articles. Each of these SFCLs has its own merits and de-merits. We will discuss the technical • Avanti circuit and Shandin substation, SCE issues associated with the application of the different SFCL The second pre-commercial SFCL of the saturated types later in another section of this article. iron-core type was developed by Zenergy Power. The Early successes in the SFCL developments were voltage and current ratings were 15 kV and 1200 A, obtained with the magnetic shield type and bridge type. respectively. The SFCL used one HTS coil for three phases. More successful developments and field tests were It generated a strong magnetic field to saturate the six iron achieved with the saturated iron-core type. However, most cores, each of which carried one AC line coil. The SFCL of the recent trials of SFCL field test have been performed enabled the first successful field test in the USA at Avanti with the resistive-type SFCL. This is indicative of the circuit, Shandin substation of the SCE grid in March 2009 technological advantages of the resistive type over the [15]-[20]. This SFCL experienced multiple fault events in other types in terms of the structure and effectiveness. the grid during operation, and as designed, successfully limited the fault currents. 3. FIELD TESTS AND APPLICATIONS OF SFCL • Knapps Corners substation, Central Hudson Gas & Electric The first field test of an SFCL based on an HTS was The third SFCL field test was performed by Applied conducted in 1996 at the auxiliary power grid of a Materials (AMAT). AMAT developed a resistive type Ok-Bae Hyun SFCL (ratings 13.8 kV and 1000 A), and installed it in its installed at the Hercules substation in the inner city of Silicon Valley corporate grid for a one-year service starting Essen [37-41]. The SFCL was connected in series with the from July 2013 [21]. HTS cable, having the same current and voltage ratings of Next, AMAT built and installed a resistive type SFCL in 10 kV and 2300 A, respectively. Nexans Superconductors the Knapps Corners substation of Central Hudson Gas & was assigned with the task of manufacturing, installing, and Electric grid, Poughkeepsie, NY.