Novel medium voltage fault current limiter based on polymer PTC resistors

For limitation and interruption of short circuit currents in medium voltage (MV) applications, fuses and circuit breakers are widely used today. Fuses exhibit excellent current limitation, but work only for a single shot. Circuit breakers are multi-operation devices, but allow several periods of the short circuit current to pass. Based on new PTC materials (positive temperature coefficient of resistance), we propose a new current limiting device for MV applications, which offers the chance to combine the advantages of fuses with the advantages of circuit breakers: a fast current limitation with a repetitive operation. The active material consists of conducting particles in a polymeric matrix. Its challenging property is a change on resistivity by eight to ten orders of magnitude upon temperature increase. This allows the limitation of available short circuit currents in a stable insulating state for a long period of time. The device consists of a series connection of PTC resistors with varistor elements connected in parallel, which serve for a perfect voltage distribution. Using this principle, repetitive current limitation of prospective currents of 4 to 14 kA within about 1 ms could be demonstrated at circuit voltages up to 12 kV.