Impact of Resistive Superconducting Fault Current Limiter and Distributed Generation on Fault Location in Distribution Networks

Resistive Superconducting Fault-Current limiters (r-SFCL) appear as a new attractive technology to address faults in power grids. Based on a new generation of superconductors, referred to as High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS), they could offer economical benefits compared to more conventional technologies. To understand their impact on the electrical networks, two models of r-SFCL, differing by their complexity, were built to conduct short-circuit analysis. Different fault locations in distribution networks were studied in the standard IEEE 13 node and 34-node test feeders. Both models were validated against experimental data and then cross-checked in the IEEE 13-bus distribution system to determine their relative accuracy when used in practical power grids. Subsequently, using the simplest electrical model of r-SFCL, the 34-bus test system incorporating Distributed Generation (DG) was used to analyze short circuits. It was found that the presence of r-SFCL increases the error of the fault location algorithm. However, it was also demonstrated that a single r-SFCL enables the incorporation of several additional DG in a distribution network by reducing the fault current level by at least 45% depending on its design characteristics and the number of added DG. Finally, an improved algorithm is presented. This algorithm takes into account the r-SFCL resistance in order to reduce the fault location error.