Experimental studies of the improvement of power system stability by superconducting fault current limiters

With increasing demands for electric power, the electric power system is becoming more and more complicated and the stable, highly reliable delivery of electric power is encountering two major problems, namely, large fault currents and power system instability. In particular, the fault currents occurring in power systems are tending to increase. To solve this problem, superconducting fault current limiters (SCFCLs) have been developed, and it is hoped that they will also solve the problem of power system stability. This paper describes the results of experiments on the improvement of power system stability and the suppression of fault currents with SCFCLs, performed with power transmission simulators. An experiment using an R-type SCFCL in a power system was performed. An R-type SCFCL was simulated by using a resistor and atl electromagnetic contactor with thyristors. It was found that the inclusion of an SCFCL in the electric power system gives improved suppression of fault currents and improved power system transient stability. (C) 2000 Scripta Technica, Elects Eng Jpn, 133(4): 4152, 2000.