Study on Coordination of Different Types of DC Superconducting Current Limiter and DC Circuit Breaker for Electric Propulsion Aircraft

Turbo-Electric Distributed Propulsion Aircraft (TeDP) is an advanced aircraft concept for the future that utilizes a DC power distribution system to address the challenges of power transmission and distribution. One of the major obstacles hindering the development of this technology is the issue of isolation and interruption in cases of DC faults. The method of limiting current using superconducting fault current limiters (SFCL) and interrupting with a DC circuit breaker (DCCB) has received significant attention. The primary aim of this paper is to examine the coordination between various types of SFCL and DCCB. On one hand, this study conducts simulations and analysis on the response of saturated, resistive, and hybrid SFCLs to fault currents. The results demonstrate that all three SFCL types exhibit a current limiting effect of 40% and can effectively work in conjunction with DCCBs to successfully eliminate faults. However, when compared to the other two types, R-SFCL demonstrates greater flexibility and is capable of significantly reducing voltage and current stress on the DCCB.