2015 3rd International Conference on Electric Power Equipment - Switching Technology (ICEPE-ST) Oct.
25-28, 2015 Busan, Korea
A DC Circuit Breaker Based on Superconducting
Current-limiting Technology
Bin Xiang, Kun Yang, Yaxiong Tan, Licai Zhang, Zhiyuan Liu, Yingsan Geng, Jianhua Wang, S.Yanabu
State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi’an Jiaotong University
Xi’an 710049, China
Abstract— There are various kinds of HVDC circuit breakers
(CBs) so far, however, their current interrupting capability is
limited. Therefore, A DC circuit breaker (DCCB) based on
superconducting current-limiting technology and self-excited
oscillation technology is proposed to enhance the current
interrupting capability. The proposed DCCB has two modules in
series, which are superconducting current-limiting module and
dc interrupting module, respectively. The current-limiting
module includes superconductor and parallel resistor which
limits extremely high short-circuit current to a low value. Then
the DC interrupting module using self-excited method interrupts
the limited current. The objective of this paper is to determine
the characteristics of the current limit module of the proposed
DCCB. Experimental research work shows that superconductor
has great current limiting property and current, voltage
distribution capability that can be used in parallel and series. The
duration of current does not influence current distribution
property of current-limiting module.
Keywords—superconductor; current-limiting; HVDC circuit
breaker; self-excited oscillation
I. INTRODUCTION
In order to make dc grids a reality, there are various kinds
of HVDC circuit breakers (CBs) developed around the world.
However, HVDC circuit breakers with sufficient interruption
capability and interruption speed as a key technology to enable
DC transmission do not yet exist [5]. Using superconductor fault
current limiters (SFCLs) in DC systems can extremely increase
current interrupting capability of DCCB. SFCLs reduce short-
circuit current levels significantly without adding additional
impedance during normal operation of systems. A resistive
SFCLs in the power systems can limit the high fault current
very quickly to provide enough interrupting time for DCCB [3-4].
DCCB means DC circuit breaker in DC power system. The
proposed DCCB means two modules in series, which are
superconducting current-limiting module and dc interrupting
module, respectively. The current-limiting module includes
superconductor tapes and parallel resistor which can limit
extremely high short-circuit current. Then the DC interrupting
module using self-excited method interrupts the limited current.
II. STRUCTURE OF THE PROPOSED DCCB AND TEST
SAMPLE
The proposed DCCB includes a current limit module and
an interrupting module. The current limit module and the
Project Supported by National Program on Key Basic Research Project
(973 Program) (2015CB251005), National Natural Science Foundation of
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interrupting module are in series. The current limit module
includes superconductor and parallel resistor. The interrupting
module includes a gas circuit breaker, a commutation
capacitance and a commutation inductance. The current limit
module limits the fault current to a low level and then
interrupting module will interrupt the limited current.
Compared with BSCCO (both bulk and tape), YBCO has
fundamentally different quench properties, primarily due to
the higher critical current density and the higher n-value [6].
This property results in a much steeper increase in electric
field with current. Thus YBCO tape is less sensitive of the
quench time with the rate of rise of the current during a fault
[7]
. Therefore, YBCO based resistive type SFCLs quench
typically around three to four times of the rated current and
very much independent of the initial rate-of-rise (di/dt) of the
fault current [7]. In some DC power systems, the fault current’s
rate-of-rise is very high, so the time interval for the fault
current in the range of three or four times of rated current is
very short. When the fault current becomes three or higher
multiples of the rated current, YBCO tape starts to limit the
fault current very soon because of microsecond level response.
Thus YBCO tape is chosen in current limit module.
Table ǿ. shows the specifications of the test sample.
Stainless used steel (SUS) based superconductor is
manufactured by American Superconductor company. Critical
current, dimension and resistance at room temperature of
superconductor are listed in Table I.
III. INVESTIGATION OF CURRENT LIMIT
MODULE
A. Experimental setup
Fig. 2 shows a testing circuit of superconductor quenched
resistor. C1 was 100 mF. L1 was 0.1 mH. L2 could be
changed from 0.1mH to 5 mH. The circuit could provide a half
sine wave to test samples. The current-flowing time (the
duration of the current through circuit) of half sine wave could
be changed through changing adjustable inductor L2. A 10 cm
superconductor was used. A hall sensor was used to measure
the current in the circuit. A 10:1 voltage divider type RP5600
was used to measure the voltage of superconductor.
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 Fig. 2. Testing circuit diagram of quenched resistor of superconductor
Fig. 1. Structure of proposed DCCB
TABLE ǿ. SPECIFICATIONS OF THE SUPERCONDUCTOR
Critical current Stabilizer material Stainless
used steel(SUS)
[@ 77k, self-field ]
Critical current (A) 102
Dimension Width:4.4mm
Thickness:0.15mm
Resistance per length(@ room 0.33ȍ/m
temperature)

Fig. 3 shows the test waveforms of superconductor when

perspective current (There is no superconductor in the circuit.)
is about 1100 A. Current flowing time is about 81 ms (the
largest current flowing time we can get in our laboratory). In
the same situation, using a 10 cm superconductor in the circuit Fig. 3. Voltage and current waveforms of superconductor
to limit the perspective current. Fig. 3 proves that the current
with superconductor is significant lower than the current
without superconductor when current is higher than 102A.
Because superconductor quenches when current flowing
through it is higher than its critical current.

B. Series characteristic tests of superconductor

The length of single superconducting tape is limited
because of the manufacturing capacity. However, plenty of
superconductors need to be used in series when they are
applied in high voltage level. Thus it is necessary to test the
voltage sharing distribution characteristic of series
superconductor.
Fig. 4. Series characteristic test circuit
Fig. 4 shows the series characteristic test circuit. Three 10
cm superconductors were in series. A hall sensor was used to
measure current. Three same 10:1 voltage dividers were used
to measure the voltage of each superconductor. The voltage is
V1, V2 and V3, respectively.
Fig. 5 shows the superconductor voltage sharing
distribution property. V1 was almost equal to V2 divide 2
(V2/2) and also equal to V3 divide 3 (V3/3). The peak voltage
was about 3.5 V for each one. The difference was less than 0.1
V. Voltage and current waveforms were tested under different
current flowing time. The current flowing time was 35, 55 and
81 ms, respectively. Same waveforms and results were gotten.
Thus superconductor has perfect voltage distribution
characteristic that can be used in series even in different
current flowing time.
Fig. 5. Series characteristic test waveforms of superconductor

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 C. Parallel characteristic tests of superconductor
Superconductor needs to be superconducting state in
normal condition in DC power system. Thus the critical
current of superconductor should be higher than the rated
current. Superconductor needs to be used in parallel to
increase the critical current in the case of high rated current.
Therefore it is necessary to investigate parallel characteristic
of superconductor.
Fig. 6 shows the parallel current characteristic test circuit
of superconductor. Three 10 cm superconductors were
measured. Three same hall sensors were utilized to measure
the current passing through each superconductor. A 10:1
voltage divider was utilized to measure the voltage of
superconductor. Using the variable inductor L2 to change the
current flowing time for half sine wave.
Fig. 7 shows the current sharing characteristic of three
superconductors when current flowing time is 35, 55, 81 ms,
respectively. The current in each superconductor was
practically same both before superconductor quenched and
after quenched. The difference was always smaller than 3 A
for each current flowing time. It proved that superconductor
had great current sharing characteristics even in different
current flowing time. The quenched superconductor has
positively resistance characteristic that is suitable in parallel in
different current flowing time.
Fig. 6. Parallel characteristic test circuit
Fig. 7. Parallel characteristic of superconductor
D. Current distribution characteristic of current-limiting
module
As mentioned above, current limit module includes
superconductor and parallel resistor. Superconductor
maintains in superconducting state when current flowing in it
is smaller than its critical current. So current passes through
superconductor in the normal condition. When short-circuit
happens, superconductor quenches fast and becomes a large
resistor. Fault current changes to parallel resistor. The
resistance of quenched superconductor and parallel resistance
decides the current distribution ratio. Using parallel resistor is
an effective way to reduce the thermal stress and current shock
to the superconductor. It will also reduce the required length
and over-voltage of the superconductor. In a word, it is a main
merit for using parallel resistor in the current limit module.
Fig. 8 shows the test circuit for determination the current
sharing characteristic between the superconductor and the
parallel resistor. Two same hall sensors were utilized to
measure the current of the superconductor branch and the
parallel resistor branch. A voltage divider was utilized to
measure the voltage. A variable inductor L2 was utilized to
change the current flowing time for half sine wave. The length
of superconductor was 20 cm. The parallel resistance was
4.48mȍ.
Fig. 9 shows the current sharing characteristic between the
superconductor and the parallel resistor with different current
flowing time. Total current means the current in
superconductor adds the current in parallel resistor. Because
the resistance of the quenched superconductor was smaller
than parallel resistor when the total current was smaller than
400 A, most current flowed through superconductor. Much
more current passed to the parallel resistor branch when the
total current was higher than 400 A. Superconductor quenched
and started to become a large resistor when current passed
through superconductor was higher than 200A. When total
current increased, the current in the superconductor branch
only increased a little bit from around 200 A to 300 A.
However, the current in the parallel resistor branch increased
linearly. Fig. 9 proved that current distribution characteristic
of current limit module fitted very well for different current
flowing time. Therefore, current flowing time did not
influence current distribution property.
Fig. 8. Current distribution characteristic test circuit
259

Fig. 9. Current distribution characteristic between the superconductor and the
parallel resistor with different current flowing time
IV. CONCLUSIONS
This paper investigates current limit module characteristic
of the proposed DCCB. The conclusions are as follows.
1) The quenched superconductor has positively resistance
and synchronous characteristic that can be used in series and
parallel. The voltage difference was smaller than 0.1V when
superconductor was utilized in series. The current difference
was lower than 3A when superconductor was utilized in
parallel.
2) The current sharing characteristics between
superconductor and parallel resistor fitted very well in
different current flowing time. The current flowing time does
not influence the current sharing characteristics of current
limit module. .
The proposed DCCB uses superconducting current-
limiting technology. Therefore, extremely high short circuit
current can be limited to a quite low level. It is possible to use
a self-excited oscillation technology to interrupt the limited
low current. The current limit module of the proposed DCCB
can limit the high short-circuit current very quickly and it
provides enough time for DCCB to interrupt.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank Anna Wang (American
Superconductor (AMSC) Co. Ltd.) for the supply of test
materials and relevant data. Moreover, the authors would like
to thank Yi Wu and Xiaofei Yao in Xi’an Jiaotong University
who help the experiments for us.
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