Feasibility analysis of the application and positioning of DC HTS FCL in a DC microgrid through modeling and simulation using Simulink and SimPowerSystem

DC fault current limitation in DC distribution network is one of the critical issues which need to be taken care of before they can be practically implemented. High temperature superconductors could be efficiently installed to cope with the problem of DC fault currents. In this paper, a generalized DC high temperature superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is modeled by integrating Simulink and SimPowerSystem blocks. This model is designed for limiting DC fault currents in low voltage DC distribution networks. A DC microgrid having a low voltage DC distribution network, an integrated photovoltaic plant and domestic customer load is modeled. Transient analysis of the DC microgrid is performed by generating fault and measuring DC fault currents at critical points. The designed DC SFCL is placed at different strategic locations in DC microgrid and fault current limitation performance of DC SFCL in DC microgrid has been analyzed. Moreover, the affects of rapid impedance changing in the distribution network due to the fault followed by DC SFCL activation is investigated. Finally, the best suitable position and affects of DC SFCL in a DC microgrid along with suggestions for implementation have been proposed.