A Superconducting Fault Current Limiter for Shipboard Power Systems

Superconducting materials are ideal candidates for fault current limiters (FCL) due to their low insertion loss and inherent ability to transition to high impedance in a very short time. Creare proposes to develop an FCL based on the use of High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) that can be applied directly to future U.S. Navy platforms. During Phase I, we developed an HTS FCL design and analytically showed that it provides the required electrical properties to achieve the power system performance needed; and we created an innovative thermal control system that provides adequate cooling to tolerate multiple fault events. We also established a preliminary cost benefit analysis, and we developed a preliminary logistics plan to ensure that the FCL will be successful in a shipboard environment. During Phase II, we will refine the design, fabricate, and evaluate a subscale prototype. In the first year we will complete our design and conduct component characterization tests to validate our approach. During the second and third years, we will fabricate and test a brassboard prototype, first with laboratory testing at Creare, then with power system testing at a special-purpose, high-power-capacity test center.