IMPROVED FAULT CURRENT LIMITER WITH SATURATED CORE

摘要

A three-phase current limiter (30) for an alternating current system includes an AC magnetic circuit having at least one AC coil (35R1, 35S1, 35T1) for each phase of a 3-phase AC supply wound on a saturable ferromagnetic core and configured to subject respective AC coils for each phase to a common magnetic flux, and a DC magnetic circuit (34a, 34b) for biasing the AC magnetic circuit into saturation at normal conditions. In use the AC coils are connected in series with a load and during alternate half cycles of the AC supply at least one of the AC coils produces a magnetic field that opposes a magnetic field of the DC magnetic circuit. The AC coils (35R, 35S, 35T) for each phase are configured so that at least one of the AC coils exhibits unbalanced magnetic impedance relative to remaining ones of the AC coils for each phase.