• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.143-148
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• 2013

When the fault occurs in power system, the fault-current exceeds breaking capacity of the circuit breaker. So, reliablity of the power system is decreased sharply. Superconducting fault-current limiter (SFCL) is operated without impedance in normal state. The fault-current is limited by its impedance during the fault condition. However, the SFCL has several weak points such as huge size, high-price, liquid-nitrogen operation for the real power system. In this paper, We suggested the high-speed interrupter to limit the fault-current in case of the single line-to-ground fault. In addition, we compared the high-speed interrupter with the SFCL to ensure the operation reliability. The proposed interrupter detected the fault-current through the CT, and the power was supplied by operation of the SCR control system. In this experiment, the power of high-speed interrupter was applied after the 4.8[msec] from fault instant. The on-off operation of the interrupter was started after half-cycle from the fault. The fault-current was flowed into the impedance element by the switching operation of the high-speed interrupter. So, the fault current was limited within one cycle, and then it didnt exceed the capacity of a circuit breaker. We confirmed that there was slight difference between the SFCL with high-speed interrupter in terms of limiting-time of the fault-current and switching speed of the SCR. The high-speed interrupter was considered to be more efficient than the SFCL in size, cost or reliability.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers B
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.362-368
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• 2006

This paper presents the results of a small capacitive current interruption test for the three types of interrupter which are called 'serial type', 'parallel/separated type' and 'puffer type' according to the arrangement of the thermal expansion chamber and the puffer cylinder. After the preconditioning test the small current interruption capability of the 'puffer type' decreased, on the contrary, that of the hybrid interrupters increased. A number of reignition have been occurred in the 'serial type' hybrid interrupter and the change of small current interruption capability after preconditioning test is mainly influenced by the structure of interrupter. Finally it has been proved that the 'parallel/separated type' hybrid interrupter has the best interruption performance through the verification tests.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.278-283
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• 2013

With the increasing power demands, size of the fault current in electrical grids is steadily increasing, and it exceeds the breaking capacity of circuit breakers. To effectively cope with these problems, a high-speed interrupter was suggested. The high-speed interrupter provides fault current with a bypass to a fault current limiter in case of accidents and consequently, fault current can be restricted. In this study, behavioral characteristics of high-speed interrupter were analyzed by accident types occurred in a distribution system. When accidents occurred, a and b contact of the high-speed interrupter were turned-off and then, turned-on. Accordingly, fault current flowed to the circuit connected to a current limiting element, and the fault current limiter restricted fault current to within a half-cycle. Nevertheless, the behavior of the high-speed interrupter was slowed down by a switching surge. As a result, fault current was confirmed to be restricted not to within the anticipated half-cycle, but to after a half-cycle. Moreover, the behavioral characteristics of the high-speed interrupter changed not only by accident types, but by behaviors of R, S, and T phases. This was due to the errors in stroke lengths of the high-speed interrupters, which resulted in a slight time discrepancy among three interrupters. In addition, the switching behaviors of the b and a contact were confirmed not to have coincided due to the switching surge; b contact behaved first and a contact followed. because of this, accuracy of stroke length and switching surges through the solenoid suction increases may be necessary to resolve.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.61 no.11
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• pp.1752-1757
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• 2012

With the development in industry, power demand has increased rapidly. As consumption of power has increased, Demand for new power line and electric capacity has risen. However, in the event of fault, problems occur in extending the range of fault coverage and increasing fault current. In these reasons, protection devise is recognized as the prevention of an accident and fault current. This paper dealt with minimizing fault propagation and limiting fault current by adjusting fault current limiter (FCL) with fast interrupter. At this point, we compared and analyzed characteristics between non-inductive resistance and fault current which is limited by superconducting units. In normal state of the power system, power was supplied to the load, but when fault occurred, the interrupter was operated as CT which detected the over-current. Its operation made the limitation of fault current through a FCL. We concluded that the limiter using superconducting units was more efficient with the increase of power voltage. Superconducting fault current limiter with the fast interrupter prevented the spread of a fault, and improved reliability of power system.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.822-829
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• 2002

This paper deals with the distribution characteristics of the current density and axial magnetic flux density for each slits made on the contact electrode in the vacuum interrupter with axial magnetic field type using 3-dimension finite element analysis. It has been known that the presence of an axial magnetic field parallel to the current flow in the arc plasma can increase the high current breaking capacity of vacuum interrupter by carrying out the arc plasma from constricted mode to diffusion mode. The axial magnetic field is created of itself by current flow in the segments of coil electrode behind the contact electrode. The analyzed results show that if the slits are made in the contact electrode, they can increase the current density and axial magnetic flux density in the contact electrode surface and at the gap distance, which is due to decrease the effect of eddy currents flowing in the contact electrode. The phase shift due to eddy currents, defined 3s time difference between the maximum value of current and axial magnetic field, is decreased still more by increasing the number of slits made in the contact electrode at the center point of gap distance. These results demonstrate that 3-dimension finite element analysis has a great deal of merits in the development and evaluation of new electrode at the design of vacuum interrupter.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.460-467
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• 2002

This paper deals with the distribution characteristics of the current density and axial magnetic flux density on the vacuum interrupter with axial magnetic field type using 3 dimension finite element analysis. An axial magnetic field parallel to the current flow in the arc column can improve the current breaking capacity of vacuum interrupter by affecting the arc mode. The axial magnetic flux density on the contact electrode surface is analyzed by inputting external current as a function of the transient time for sine half wave. And it also is analyzed within the gap distance of the contact electrode. The peak value of current but is decreased with the descending current on the contact electrode surface and within the gap distance of the contact electrode. The residual magnetic field is generated on the contact electrode surface and within the gap distance in the instant of zero current, which is due to the influence of eddy currents. The phase shift due to eddy currents, defined as time difference between the maximum value of current and axial magnetic field, is about 1ms in the center point of gap distance.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.10-14
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• 2014

Due to continuous increase of electric power consumption, couple of resolutions for improving accuracy in power system like line separation are being studied. The increase of the power demand can cause problems such as supply difficulties of the electricity and broadband outages, failure, etc. When a fault occurs in the power system, a fault current also increases. Fault current creates problems like reduction of lifespan and failure on the power system. In order to resolve these problems, the reduction of initial fault current using the characteristics of superconducting element was applied to fault current limiter. We applied the system to high speed fault current limiter. We found that the superconducting element effectively reduced initial fault current and the fault current was limited by changing operation of high speed interrupter.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.220-225
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• 2006

Arc Fault Current is an electric discharge which is occurred in two opposite electrode. In this paper, AFCI(arc fault circuit interrupter) is designed for the interruption of arc fault current which is occurred in the local electric network. This arc is one of the main causes of electric fire. Arc fault in electrical network has the characteristics of low current, high impedance and high frequency. Conventional arc fault circuit interrupter does not have the arc current interrupt function. Hence, Arc current controller is designed for the interruption of arc fault current which has the modified arc characteristics.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.23-26
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• 2010

A double line commutation (DLC) type SFCL with first peak limiting function has been proposed for ideal fault current limiting operation. Very fast switching (commutation) without any arc or high voltage problems for any kind of switching device is needed for the first peak current limiting. We've tried to find suitable conditions for a successful switching of a Vacuum Interrupter (VI) with HTS elements as a Peak Current limiting Resistance (PCR).

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.44-46
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• 2001

This paper describes the use of the PHOENICS CFD package for the simulation of the high-current period of the arcing process in a hybrid rotating arc/auto expansion by interrupter. The operating principle of this device depends on rapid arc rotation due to the magnetic field created by the fault current through a coil which is mounted on contacts and also relies on the principle of thermal expansion created by arc energy in extinguishing chamber and finally causes pressure rise in expansion volume. This paper is divided into three main sections. The first gives a brief overview of the interrupter. The second section gives a full description of the methods used in the calculation. The final section presents some sample results for the hybrid interrupter.