Switching behavior of YBCO thin film conductors in resistive fault current limiters

Abstract

The quenching process of YBCO thin film conductors designed for resistive fault current limiters has been analyzed by electrical and optical measurements. The influence of the switching voltage as well as the critical current and normal resistance of the thin film conductors on the quench propagation has been studied in detail. The experimental results show that homogeneous quenching can be achieved. The YBCO parameters can not be varied independently of the shunt layer thickness.