Proposal and Validation of a Pyro Conductor Switch-Based FCL for DC Distribution System Protection
With the increasing deployment of DC power systems, particularly in DC distribution systems, there is a growing demand for rapid and effective fault current limiting solutions. Conventional fault current limiters (FCLs) often suffer from limitations in terms of response time, size, and operational c...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3441 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850118234510983168 |
|---|---|
| author | Il Kwon Yu-Jin Kwak Jeong-Cheol Lee Bang-Wook Lee |
| author_facet | Il Kwon Yu-Jin Kwak Jeong-Cheol Lee Bang-Wook Lee |
| author_sort | Il Kwon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With the increasing deployment of DC power systems, particularly in DC distribution systems, there is a growing demand for rapid and effective fault current limiting solutions. Conventional fault current limiters (FCLs) often suffer from limitations in terms of response time, size, and operational complexity. As a solution to these challenges, this paper proposes a hybrid FCL based on a pyro conductor switch (PCS), which combines passive limiting elements with an active switching mechanism. The proposed PCS FCL consists of a pyro fuse, an IGBT switch, a limiting inductor, and a damping resistor. Upon fault detection, the IGBT switch is first turned off to initiate current transfer into the limiting branch. Subsequently, the pyro fuse operates by explosively severing the embedded conductor using a pyrotechnic charge, thereby providing galvanic isolation and reinforcing current commutation into a high-impedance path. This operational characteristic enables effective fault current suppression without requiring complex control or real-time sensing. A detailed analysis using PSCAD/EMTDC simulations was conducted to evaluate the current limiting characteristics under fault conditions, and a prototype was subsequently developed to validate its performance. The simulation results were verified through experimental testing, indicating the limiter’s ability to reduce peak fault current. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the degree of current limitation can be effectively designed through the selection of appropriate current limiting parameters. This demonstrates that the proposed PCS-based FCL provides a practical and scalable solution for improving protection in DC power distribution systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-919305334e514aa9b27f50ff8db2e8ad |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-919305334e514aa9b27f50ff8db2e8ad2025-08-20T02:35:54ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011813344110.3390/en18133441Proposal and Validation of a Pyro Conductor Switch-Based FCL for DC Distribution System ProtectionIl Kwon0Yu-Jin Kwak1Jeong-Cheol Lee2Bang-Wook Lee3Department of Electronic Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of KoreaWith the increasing deployment of DC power systems, particularly in DC distribution systems, there is a growing demand for rapid and effective fault current limiting solutions. Conventional fault current limiters (FCLs) often suffer from limitations in terms of response time, size, and operational complexity. As a solution to these challenges, this paper proposes a hybrid FCL based on a pyro conductor switch (PCS), which combines passive limiting elements with an active switching mechanism. The proposed PCS FCL consists of a pyro fuse, an IGBT switch, a limiting inductor, and a damping resistor. Upon fault detection, the IGBT switch is first turned off to initiate current transfer into the limiting branch. Subsequently, the pyro fuse operates by explosively severing the embedded conductor using a pyrotechnic charge, thereby providing galvanic isolation and reinforcing current commutation into a high-impedance path. This operational characteristic enables effective fault current suppression without requiring complex control or real-time sensing. A detailed analysis using PSCAD/EMTDC simulations was conducted to evaluate the current limiting characteristics under fault conditions, and a prototype was subsequently developed to validate its performance. The simulation results were verified through experimental testing, indicating the limiter’s ability to reduce peak fault current. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the degree of current limitation can be effectively designed through the selection of appropriate current limiting parameters. This demonstrates that the proposed PCS-based FCL provides a practical and scalable solution for improving protection in DC power distribution systems.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3441DC distribution systemfault current limiterFCL prototypePCS (pyro conductor switch) |
| spellingShingle | Il Kwon Yu-Jin Kwak Jeong-Cheol Lee Bang-Wook Lee Proposal and Validation of a Pyro Conductor Switch-Based FCL for DC Distribution System Protection Energies DC distribution system fault current limiter FCL prototype PCS (pyro conductor switch) |
| title | Proposal and Validation of a Pyro Conductor Switch-Based FCL for DC Distribution System Protection |
| title_full | Proposal and Validation of a Pyro Conductor Switch-Based FCL for DC Distribution System Protection |
| title_fullStr | Proposal and Validation of a Pyro Conductor Switch-Based FCL for DC Distribution System Protection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Proposal and Validation of a Pyro Conductor Switch-Based FCL for DC Distribution System Protection |
| title_short | Proposal and Validation of a Pyro Conductor Switch-Based FCL for DC Distribution System Protection |
| title_sort | proposal and validation of a pyro conductor switch based fcl for dc distribution system protection |
| topic | DC distribution system fault current limiter FCL prototype PCS (pyro conductor switch) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3441 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ilkwon proposalandvalidationofapyroconductorswitchbasedfclfordcdistributionsystemprotection AT yujinkwak proposalandvalidationofapyroconductorswitchbasedfclfordcdistributionsystemprotection AT jeongcheollee proposalandvalidationofapyroconductorswitchbasedfclfordcdistributionsystemprotection AT bangwooklee proposalandvalidationofapyroconductorswitchbasedfclfordcdistributionsystemprotection |