Feasibility analysis for optimal placement of SFCL in a loop network: A case study

Resistive Superconducting Fault Current Limiters are rapidly growing in popularity as a reliable and fast acting device to mitigate excessive short circuit currents resulting from added generation or interconnection of networks. Short-circuit current is strongly related to the cost of apparatus and the efficient use of power transmissions. Therefore the introduction of SFCL provides an effective way of suppressing high fault currents in large interconnected networks. However the determination of optimal location of SFCL in a large network is very important. This paper provides an approach to determine the optimal location of SFCL in a large interconnected practical power grid using resistive model of SFCL modeled in the Simulink environment of MATLAB. The Simulation results thus obtained by installing the SFCL at various locations were studied and the optimum location of the SFCL and the number of SFCLs required to limit the fault current in the whole network were determined.