A Fault Current Limiter Based on Voltage-Controlled Tunable Inductors

This article presents a novel tunable inductor-based fault current limiter (TIFCL) whose inductance can be tuned quickly by using an external control voltage. When a short-circuit fault occurs, the inductance of the TIFCL can be boosted to the maximum value quickly to suppress the fault current by altering the external control voltage applied on the tunable inductor. After the short-circuit fault is cleared, the inductance of the TIFCL can be recovered quickly to reduce the impact on the power system during normal operation. The configuration and working principle of the TIFCL were elaborated to reveal its current limiting capability. A laboratory prototype of the TIFCL was designed and constructed. MATLAB simulation and experimental testing were carried out for the TIFCL prototype. Both the simulation and experimental results prove that the TIFCL can respond fast to short-circuit fault and suppress the fault current by nearly 40% to facilitate the clearance of the fault.