Superconducting fault current limiter monitoring
AssigneeVarian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
InventorPaul J. Murphy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A superconducting fault current limiter (SCFCL) includes a cryogenic tank defining an interior volume, a superconductor disposed in the interior volume, and a voltage detector configured to detect a voltage drop across the superconductor and provide a voltage signal representative of the voltage drop. This voltage detector enables real time monitoring of a condition of the superconductor during steady state operation of the SCFCL. If the voltage drop exceeds an acceptable voltage drop, corrective action such as maintenance, repair, and/or replacement may be taken.
Claims12
A superconducting fault current limiter (SCFCL) comprising:
- a cryogenic tank defining an interior volume;
- a superconductor disposed in the interior volume;
- and
- a voltage detector configured to detect a voltage drop across the superconductor and provide a voltage signal representative of the voltage drop,
- wherein the superconductor comprises a first superconductor module having a first plurality of superconducting elements electrically coupled in parallel, and a second superconductor module having a second plurality of superconducting elements coupled in parallel, and wherein the first superconductor module and second superconductor module are electrically coupled in series, and wherein the voltage detector is configured to detect a first voltage drop across the first superconductor module and provide a first voltage signal representative of the first voltage drop, and wherein the voltage detector is further configured to detect a second voltage drop across the second superconductor module and provide a second voltage signal representative of the second voltage drop.
A superconducting fault current limiter (SCFCL) comprising:
- a cryogenic tank defining an interior volume;
- a superconductor disposed in the interior volume;
- a voltage detector configured to detect a voltage drop across the superconductor and provide a voltage signal representative of the voltage drop;
- a power supply configured to inject a test current into the superconductor, the test current being in addition to a load current;
- and
- a controller configured to receive and analyze the voltage signal to determine a critical current density of the superconductor in response to an amplitude of the test current.
A superconducting fault current limiter (SCFCL) comprising:
- a cryogenic tank defining an interior volume;
- a superconductor disposed in the interior volume;
- a voltage detector configured to detect a voltage drop across the superconductor and provide a voltage signal representative of the voltage drop;
- a current sensor to monitor a current through the superconductor and provide a current signal representative of the current;
- and
- a controller configured to receive the voltage signal and the current signal, compute an impedance of the superconductor and determine degradation of the superconductor based on the computed impedance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.