CANSU YILDIRIM & HENNING FRIEDRICH, SEPTEMBER, 2019

Short-Circuit Fault Current Limiters

IS-limiter and FC-Protector
Table of contents

Importance of
Components
Introduction short-circuit current Working Principle
and Operation
limitation

Applications FCL portfolio Market and Additional

and Advantages overview References Information
Introduction
Importance of a short-circuit study

What causes short-circuit faults ?

Short-circuit faults due to Ik," RMS = initial symmetrical short-circuit current

• Insulation deterioration ip = peak short-circuit current
Ib, RMS = symmetrical short-circuit breaking current
• Human errors
• Over voltage
• Faults due to birds, lizards, reptiles etc. "
2 2  Ik ip

How to make sure that the complete

system is safe ?
• Perform a short-circuit study
Time
• Simulate short-circuit at different buses
• Select equipments rated higher than maximum
short-circuit in a network / sub-system
Current Curve of a short-circuit current
Fault current limiter
Breaking of short-circuit current with FCL

Example of application
i
• FCL immediately separates two 250 kA
systems in case of a short-circuit i = i 1 + i2
fault without FCL
G
• Limitation before reaching the T1 T2
first peak
u
125 kA
• Short-circuit fault isolation I1 = 50 kA I2 = 50 kA
50kA x χ x 2 i = i 1 + i2
with FCL
• Remaining fault level not critical i1
Bus A 50 kA/125 kA Bus B 50 kA/125 kA

i2

I = I1 + I2
t
Fast tripping for a safe Current curve at the short-circuit location
equipment operation

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2019
Working Principle
Project specific techniques

Tripping based on instantaneous + di/dt measurment Tripping based on instantaneous current measurment only

1 Short-circuit current
i without FCL i
1 2 Short-circuit current 1
FCL tripped
3 Over current
FCL not tripped
4 Peak value of service
current

3 2
(didt )2 2 (didt )3
ilimit ilimit
3
4 4

t t
Components and Operation
Function and operation

Normal operation
− Current flow through main
current path
− Monitoring of current regarding
the setting values through
control unit

Fault detected
− Setting value(s) reached and
pyrotechnical charge triggered
− Opening of main current path
− Melting of fuse
− Interruption of short-circuit
Control Unit Control Unit
current
Normal operation Fault detected
An airbag for your system!
Components and Operation
Function and operation

Insert replacement

Tripped inserts:
− No special training to change
tripped inserts

− Automatic connection with

the control unit when
replacing the inserts

− Tripped inserts can be

refurbished by ABB

Control Unit

A customer friendly design!

Fault current limiter
Schedule for tripping

T0: Reaching time for tripping criteria (î and di/dt) i

iC
T1: Response time of the electronic approx. 15 µs

iB
T2: Time for opening the bursting bridge and for
commutating the current to the fuse element iA
approx. 85 µs

T3: Melting time of the fuse element

approx. 500 µs
T4: Arc duration

Breaking of current by the fuse

T0
.
T1T2 T3 T4
t

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2019
 Applications & Advantages
Standard source paralleling applications without selectivity

FCL in series with bus-coupler FCL in series with transformer FCL in series with generator

T1 T2 T1 T2
T1 T2

I1 = 30 kA I2 = 20 kA I3 = 20 kA
I1 = 40 kA I2 = 30 kA I2 = 30 kA
I1 = 40 kA

Bus B
50 kA/125 kA 50 kA/125 kA
Bus A Bus B Bus A Bus B
Bus A 50 kA/125 kA 50 kA/125 kA

If = I1+ I2 If = I1+ I2
If = I1+ I2

Fault level at Bus A (without FCL): I𝑘" = 70 kA Fault level at Bus A (without FCL): I𝑘" = 70 kA Fault level at Bus A (without FCL): I𝑘" = 70 kA
Fault level at Bus A (with FCL): I𝑘" = 40 kA Fault level at Bus A (with FCL): I𝑘" = 50 kA
Fault level at Bus A (with FCL): I𝑘" = 40 kA
Applications & Advantages
FCL used for replacing or bypassing a reactor

Replacing a reactor Bypassing a reactor

G
T1 T2 T1 T2

I1 = 30 kA I2 = 20 kA I3 = 10 kA I1 = 30 kA I2 = 20 kA
IIRR==15
10kA
kA
IRIR==10
10 kA
kA

Bus A 40 kA/100 kA Bus B 40 kA/125 kA Bus A 40 kA/100 kA Bus B 40 kA/125 kA

I = I1 + I2 + I3 I = I1 + I2 + I3
IT_FCL = 10 kA IT_FCL = 10 kA
Actualfault
Actual faultlevel
levelat
atBus
BusAAafter
(withadding
reactor):
generator (with reactor): Actual fault level at Bus A (with reactor):
"I " = 40 kA / i = 100 kA (i = 2.7 * I "") Ik" = 40 kA / ip=100kA (ip= 2.7 * Ik" )
I=
k k 45 kA / ip= p 112,5 kA ( pp= 2.7 * k )
k

ActualActual
fault level
faultatlevel
BusatABus(with A (with
FCL): FCL): Actual fault level at Bus A (with FCL):
Ik= 30IkkA
" "
/ ipkA
= 30 / ikA
= 75 (ip=kA2.7
p= 75 (ip*=Ik2.5
"
) * Ik" ) Ik" = 30 kA / ip= 75 kA (ip= 2.7 * Ik" )
Applications & Advantages
FCL in application where selective tripping is useful
FCL with directional selectivity FCL with summation selectivity

Fault CTI L
s CTGEN IS-limiter
Location
T1 Tripping T1 T2 T3

No tripping
IT1 IT2 IT3
I1 = 15 kA

10 kV/16 kA 10 kV/25 kA
Bus A 18 kA 18 kA Bus B ISL1 ISL2

Bus A Bus B Bus C

G IISL1 IISL2
I2 = 3 kA

Isum1=−IISL1+IT1 ISum2=IISL1+IT2+IISL2 ISum3= −IISL2+IT3

CTI L
s
CTGEN

Actual fault level at Bus A (without FCL): Actual fault level at Bus A (with FCL):
Ik" = 18 kA / ip= 45 kA (ip= 2.7 * Ik" ) Ik" = 18 kA / ip= 45 kA (ip= 2.7 * Ik" )
Fault current limiter applications
Application overview

IS-limiter ™ FC-Protector ®

– Indoor systems – Indoor and Outdoor systems

– Standard Applications – Standard Applications

• Coupling of two systems • Coupling of two systems
• Transformer connection • Transformer connection
• Generator connection • Generator connection
• Reactor replacement or bypass • Reactor replacement or bypass

– Complex applications
• Directional selectivity
• Summation selectivity

Great variety of solutions for any possible requirement

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Fault current limiter
Fault current limiter family

IS-limiter ™/FC-Protector® components IS-limiter ™ truck mounted FC-Protector/IS-limiter ™ fixed mounted

Low and medium voltage components
Integration in OEM panels
Flexible solution for retrofit
Installation in outdoor applications
Integration into ABB’s Safegear and
UniGear ZS1 line-ups
Type tested solution
Connection through busbar and cable
Low footprint stand-alone solution
One-panel cable in/out connection to GIS
or OEM panels
Stand-alone Is-limiterTM panel
Integration into ZS8.4

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Fault current limiter
Portfolio

FC-Protector IS-limiter
Application Indoor & Outdoor Indoor

Application type Standard Standard & Complex

7.2 kV … 17.5 kV 0.75 kV … 40.5 kV
Ratings … 3150 A … 5000 A
… 63 kARMS … 210 kARMS
Medium voltage IS-limiter
Tripping criteria Magnitude Magnitude & rate of rise component

Selectivity On request Yes

Availability in switchgear Yes ( AIS) Yes (AIS)

FC-Protector (outdoor)
component

September 24,
2019
Slide 16 ¹ FCLs can be paralleled for higher rated currents
Fault current limiter
Typical Applications

Industry Utilities Datacenters Power Generation

– Oil & Gas – Fault level management – Instantaneous fault – Renewables

– Cement – Independent power isolation – Integration of solar and
– Aluminum / Steel Mills producer integration – Equipment protection wind

– Paper mills – Industry co-generation – Power supply reliability – Conventional power

connecting to grid improvement generation
– Car industry
– Hydro power
– Ships and vessels
– On- /Offshore platforms

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Market & References
References Marine Food and beverage
Others 2% 2%
4%
Chemical
Oil and gas
7%
Oil and gas
Electric distribution 32%
Pulp and paper
7%
Metals
Metals
Cement 8%

Utilities Pulp and paper

8%
Mining Power generation
Cement and glass 13%
8% Mining
Food and beverage
9%

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2019
Fault current limiter
Why do we need FCLs?

Short-circuit problems Reducing losses Reduce downtime

Improve Reliability Connect systems Downsize

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Our resources for you
Additional information

Product web page

https://new.abb.com/medium-voltage/apparatus/fault-current-limiters

Product information
Presentation, flyer, technical catalogue, manual

For inquiries via e-mail, please contact Fault Current Limiter Support DE
DE-FCL@abb.com

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2019