Short-circuit test of a novel solenoid type high-Tc superconducting fault current limiter

In the present study, a novel solenoid type bifilar coil is proposed for high-Tc superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) which is composed of two windings in a bobbin and their winding directions are opposite with each other to have non-inductive characteristics. The two windings are connected in parallel at the current terminals for large current capacity. Besides, the current terminals are at the ends of the coil so that the electrical insulation design may be easier than that of other non-inductive coils. The novel solenoid type bifilar coil for SFCL is fabricated with BSCCO 2223 and tested in LN2 bath at 77 K to investigate the current and voltage sharing as well as the current limiting effects. According to the test results, the current is limited effectively at first peak after the fault and the current sharing performance in each winding is verified under the normal and fault conditions. In order to compare with other bifilar coils, the AC losses are measured.