An improved fault current limiter for hybrid DC circuit breakers in large-scale MMC-HVDC systems
Designing multi-terminal HVDC systems presents significant challenges, particularly in control, modeling, and protection. One of the most critical concerns is the protection of these systems from DC short circuits. DC circuit breakers (DCCBs) have traditionally been a key solution for handling fault...
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Mehran University of Engineering and Technology
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology |
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| Online Access: | https://murjet.muet.edu.pk/index.php/home/article/view/275 |
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| author | Rashid Hussain Chandio Madad Ali Shah Abdul Aziz Memon Faheem Akhter Chachar |
| author_facet | Rashid Hussain Chandio Madad Ali Shah Abdul Aziz Memon Faheem Akhter Chachar |
| author_sort | Rashid Hussain Chandio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Designing multi-terminal HVDC systems presents significant challenges, particularly in control, modeling, and protection. One of the most critical concerns is the protection of these systems from DC short circuits. DC circuit breakers (DCCBs) have traditionally been a key solution for handling fault conditions. However, as these systems scale up to meet increasing power demands, the associated cost and technical complexity of deploying DCCBs across large-scale systems make them less practical and economically viable. This has driven the exploration of alternative or supplementary strategies to address short circuits more cost-effectively. In this regard, fault current limiter (FCL) circuits combined with DC breakers have been proposed to reduce their demands. This paper presents an improved non-superconducting FCL circuit paired with a hybrid DC circuit breaker to enhance system performance. The proposed topology integrates power electronic (PE) bidirectional switches, current-limiting inductors, and a discharging resistor. Simulations have been conducted using PSCAD/EMTDC software. An equivalent circuit model based on the Zhoushan HVDC project is used for simulation analysis to study behavior under the influence of this breaker. In contrast to current approaches that utilize continuous current-limiting components, the proposed topology minimizes power loss during normal operation. The simulation results show robust current-limiting performance, quicker fault isolation, and reduced energy absorption by the breaker. With the proposed circuit, the fault clearing time is improved by 23%, and energy absorption performance is enhanced by 98%. Compared to the existing topology in the literature the proposed design demonstrates superior current limiting performance. The proposed FCL reduces the fault current to 2 kA whereas the literature reported topology limits it to 2.5 kA. Further, it achieves significantly lower energy absorption, measured at 0.12 MJ compared to 0.4 MJ in the literature. A comparative analysis with the existing methods from the literature demonstrates that the proposed FCL offers superior current-limiting capabilities, faster fault response, and lower power losses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ef66b3d95781498f8ee57d928a3bbc47 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0254-7821 2413-7219 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Mehran University of Engineering and Technology |
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| series | Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-ef66b3d95781498f8ee57d928a3bbc472025-08-20T03:34:13ZengMehran University of Engineering and TechnologyMehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology0254-78212413-72192025-07-0144310611910.22581/muet1982.0275277An improved fault current limiter for hybrid DC circuit breakers in large-scale MMC-HVDC systemsRashid Hussain Chandio0Madad Ali Shah1Abdul Aziz Memon2Faheem Akhter Chachar3Department of Electrical Engineering, Sukkur IBA University, Sindh, 65200, PakistanDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Sukkur IBA University, Sindh, 65200, PakistanDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Sukkur IBA University, Sindh, 65200, PakistanControl & Protection Department, Siemens Energy, Manchester, United KingdomDesigning multi-terminal HVDC systems presents significant challenges, particularly in control, modeling, and protection. One of the most critical concerns is the protection of these systems from DC short circuits. DC circuit breakers (DCCBs) have traditionally been a key solution for handling fault conditions. However, as these systems scale up to meet increasing power demands, the associated cost and technical complexity of deploying DCCBs across large-scale systems make them less practical and economically viable. This has driven the exploration of alternative or supplementary strategies to address short circuits more cost-effectively. In this regard, fault current limiter (FCL) circuits combined with DC breakers have been proposed to reduce their demands. This paper presents an improved non-superconducting FCL circuit paired with a hybrid DC circuit breaker to enhance system performance. The proposed topology integrates power electronic (PE) bidirectional switches, current-limiting inductors, and a discharging resistor. Simulations have been conducted using PSCAD/EMTDC software. An equivalent circuit model based on the Zhoushan HVDC project is used for simulation analysis to study behavior under the influence of this breaker. In contrast to current approaches that utilize continuous current-limiting components, the proposed topology minimizes power loss during normal operation. The simulation results show robust current-limiting performance, quicker fault isolation, and reduced energy absorption by the breaker. With the proposed circuit, the fault clearing time is improved by 23%, and energy absorption performance is enhanced by 98%. Compared to the existing topology in the literature the proposed design demonstrates superior current limiting performance. The proposed FCL reduces the fault current to 2 kA whereas the literature reported topology limits it to 2.5 kA. Further, it achieves significantly lower energy absorption, measured at 0.12 MJ compared to 0.4 MJ in the literature. A comparative analysis with the existing methods from the literature demonstrates that the proposed FCL offers superior current-limiting capabilities, faster fault response, and lower power losses.https://murjet.muet.edu.pk/index.php/home/article/view/275modular multilevel-converterhvdc system protectionhybrid dc circuit breakersfault current limiting circuits |
| spellingShingle | Rashid Hussain Chandio Madad Ali Shah Abdul Aziz Memon Faheem Akhter Chachar An improved fault current limiter for hybrid DC circuit breakers in large-scale MMC-HVDC systems Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology modular multilevel-converter hvdc system protection hybrid dc circuit breakers fault current limiting circuits |
| title | An improved fault current limiter for hybrid DC circuit breakers in large-scale MMC-HVDC systems |
| title_full | An improved fault current limiter for hybrid DC circuit breakers in large-scale MMC-HVDC systems |
| title_fullStr | An improved fault current limiter for hybrid DC circuit breakers in large-scale MMC-HVDC systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | An improved fault current limiter for hybrid DC circuit breakers in large-scale MMC-HVDC systems |
| title_short | An improved fault current limiter for hybrid DC circuit breakers in large-scale MMC-HVDC systems |
| title_sort | improved fault current limiter for hybrid dc circuit breakers in large scale mmc hvdc systems |
| topic | modular multilevel-converter hvdc system protection hybrid dc circuit breakers fault current limiting circuits |
| url | https://murjet.muet.edu.pk/index.php/home/article/view/275 |
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