IEEE Task Force on Fault Current Limiter Testing
Introduction and Background
Building upon an initiative by the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability within the US Department of Energy (DOE), which commissioned a report on the Assessment of Fault Current Limiter Testing Requirements [4], a new IEEE Task Force (TF), which will specifically address testing of FCLs, has stared early 2009 under the umbrella of the IEEE PES Switchgear Committee. The TF will develop a guide which will properly address testing requirements with respect to the utility needs as well as the needs exposed by the specific characteristics of the wide variety of technologies, such as superconductivity, cryogenics, solid-state devices, or liquid metal to name few, which are employed in these novel devices. The TF is in the process of becoming a working group and will be co-sponsored by the IEEE Power Electronics Standards Coordinating Committee (SCC-22) and the IEEE Power and Energy Substations Committee.
The increasing level of maturity of several novel types of fault current limiters (FCLs) have recently gained a lot of attention by utilities since several pilot projects have either successfully demonstrated their functionality in the grid at medium voltage or are currently under way to reach the transmission level voltages [1].Two subsequent technical brochures by CIGRE provide a fault current limiter technology overview [2] and a guide for investigating the impact of fault current limiters on the protection system [3]. This advent of development of novel fault current limiters indicates a potential paradigm shift in fault management in electric power systems, comparable to the paradigm shift in insulation coordination resulting from the introduction of metal oxide varistor. Therefore, a third CIGRE working group WG-A3.23 currently investigates additional topics such as applications, economics, and specifications of fault current limiters. However, the CIGRE WG-A3.23 will not to elaborate on testing of FCLs.
Approach
Figure 1: Scope of the Task Force with respect to the comprehensive FCL systematic (adopted from [3])
The approach will follow is to first review fault current limiter technologies with respect to their specific testing requirements. For example, liquid nitrogen cooled superconducting resistive-type fault current limiters may require quite different testing procedures than solid state based limiters to ensure the integrity of the cryogenic insulation system when the limiter absorbs a massive amount of energy during fault current limitation. Similarly, fault current limiter technologies which employ certain coil designs may require specific test procedures to test for lightning impulse withstand capabilities. The Task Force, of course, not only addresses superconducting FCLs but all types of FCLs which are based on condition based increase of impedance such as semiconductor devices and hybrid solutions. The scope of the TF is illustrated in Figure 1.
Subsequently, testing procedures for existing equipment such as circuit breakers, transformers, current limiting reactors, and fuses will be reviewed regarding their possible applicability for novel fault current limiters. Based on this groundwork, the Task Force will develop the guidelines for testing within three years. The Task Force will also identify requirements for testing labs to accommodate the recommended tests. In this paper, we propose to first summarize the current practices with respect to testing the various prototype devices already deployed.
Meetings and Web Links
Joining the TF
Please send an email to the chairman, Michael “Mischa“ Steurer
Upcoming Meetings
- April 25 - 29, 2010 during the Spring 2010 Switchgear Committee Mtg.
Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel, Myrtle Beach, SC
Past Meeting Minutes
- January 15, 2009 (Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
- May 6, 2009 (Asheville, North Carolina, USA)
- September 29, 2009 (Denver, Colorado, USA) - DRAFT
Other Interesting Links
Contacts
| Michael “Mischa“ Steurer, Chairman Florida State University - CAPS 2000 Levy Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA Building A, Suite 170 Phone: +1-850-644-1629 Fax: +1-850-645-7456 Email: steurer@caps.fsu.edu |
Frank Lambert, Secretary Georgia Tech – NEETRAC 62 Lake Mirror Road, Forest Park, GA 30297, USA Building 3 Phone: +1-404-675-1855 Fax: +1-404-675-1820 Email: flambert@neetrac.gatech.edu |
References
- Noe, M. and Steurer, M., “High-temperature superconductor fault current limiters: concepts, applications, and development status”, Superconducting Science Technology, 20 (2007) R15–R29
- CIGRE Technical Brochure 239
- CIGRE Technical Brochure 339
- “An Assessment of Fault Current Limiter Testing Requirements”, DOE report 2009