A Modified Bridge-Type Fault Current Limiter for Fault Ride-Through Capacity Enhancement of Fixed Speed Wind Generator

Fault ride-through (FRT) is a common requirement to abide by grid code all over the world. In this paper, to enhance the FRT capability of fixed speed wind generator system, a modified configuration of bridge-type fault current limiter (BFCL) is proposed. To check the effectiveness of the proposed BFCL, its performance is compared with that of the series dynamic braking resistor (SDBR). A harmonic performance improvement by the proposed method is also analyzed. A three-phase-to-ground (3LG) fault was applied to one of the double circuit transmission lines connected to the wind generator system. Simulation was carried out by using MATLAB/Simulink software. Simulation results show that the proposed BFCL is a very effective device to achieve the FRT and suppress fault current that eliminates the need for circuit breaker replacement. Also, the BFCL improves the harmonic performance and helps follow harmonic grid code. Moreover, it was found that the BFCL works better than the SDBR and has some distinct advantages over the SDBR.