Dynamic Breakdown Characteristics of Pancake Coil Model for Resistive-Type Superconducting Fault Current Limiters

Abstract

Toward the reliable and rational insulation design of resistive-type superconducting fault current limiters (RSFCL), we have been investigating not only the intrinsic breakdown (BD) characteristics of liquid nitrogen (LN2) without bubbles but also the dynamic BD characteristics of LN2 under the transient bubble disturbance at the quench of RSFCL coils. We have so far used a fundamental model such as sphere-plane electrode system with quasi-uniform electric field. However, when RSFCL will be introduced in a future electric power network, a stack of pancake coils with non-uniform electric field will be adopted for the practical development of RSFCL. In this paper, we designed and fabricated a pancake coil model for RSFCL, and investigated the intrinsic and dynamic BD characteristics of the pancake coil models in LN2. Experimental results are discussed in terms of the volume effect of intrinsic and dynamic BD strength under non-uniform electric field.