Switch-on and switch-off tests of inductive high-Tc superconductor based fault current limiter in the short circuit regime

The prototype of a fault current limiter (FCL) based on Bi1.8Pb0.3Sr1.9Ca2Cu3Ox high temperature superconductor (HTSC) was tested on switch-on/switch-off processes in the short circuit regime. The switch-off processes may result in voltage and current jumps, accompanied by energy dissipation large enough to destroy the FCL. Experimental results, together with numerical simulations for switch-off processes are presented and discussed.