Resistive Superconducting Fault Current Limiter Coil Design Using Multistrand MgB2 Wire

Resistive superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLs) offer the advantages of low weight and compact structure. Magnesium diboride (MgB2) in simple round wire form has been previously tested and shown to be suitable as a low-cost resistive SFCL. The primary objective of this work was to design a resistive SFCL for an 11-kV substation using multiple MgB2 wire strands. This paper will look into the options for the coil design. Two types of low-inductance solenoidal coils, namely, the series-connected coil and the parallel-connected coil, were theoretically examined and compared. This paper also reports the experimental results of two multistrand MgB2 prototype coils used as a resistive SFCL. This paper demonstrates the potential of SFCL coils using multistrand MgB2 wire for distribution network levels.