Patent · US Expired

High temperature superconductor element for a fault current limiter

US5761017A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
11References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 15, 1995
Grant dateJun 2, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 15, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E40/60
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A high temperature superconductor fault current limiter and a method of using same. The fault current limiter comprises a high temperature superconductor material structure at least partially encapsulated in an epoxy having thermal conductivity properties that enable the superconductor to heat rapidly during a fault condition while preventing thermal runaway. The epoxy encapsulation decreases the critical current density of the superconductor material structure and increases the rate at which resistance increases with increasing current once the critical current density is exceeded. Preferably, the epoxy has thermal expansion properties approximately equal to the thermal expansion properties of the superconductor material structure.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.