A novel reclosing algorithm considering the recovery time of a superconducting fault current limiter in a distribution system with distributed generation

Distributed generation (DG) technologies, such as wind turbines, fuel cells, and photovoltaic systems, are connected to a distribution system. A superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is also connected to a distribution system for fault current limitation. The connection of an SFCL causes protective coordination problems, especially for reclosing. In this work, a new reclosing algorithm is proposed considering the recovery time of an SFCL in a distribution system with DG. The main idea is that it uses a carrier signal to distinguish whether the fault is transient or permanent after the tripping of the line by a recloser. The distribution system, DG, and SFCL are modeled using an electromagnetic transient program (EMTP), and the simulations regarding the fault resistance, the recovery time of the SFCL, and the fault clearing time are performed. The simulation results show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.