Liquid Metal Fault Current Limiter for DC Power Systems

This paper discusses the liquid metal fault current limiter (LMFCL) concerning the fault limitation and protection issue for direct current (DC) power systems. The working principle and arc properties of the self-pinch LMFCL are firstly introduced. Then, two topologies of limiter based on liquid metal units (LMUs) are proposed, and the feasibilities have been validated by tests. Furthermore, aiming to address the dilemma of the previous one, novel structures of LMFCLs are presented, and the fault responding speed is promoted significantly. It is concluded that LMFCLs are suitable for DC protection.