Research & development of superconducting fault current limiter in Japan

R&D of fundamental technologies for superconducting AC Power equipment (Super-ACE project) started as a national project, for a five-year plan since fiscal 2000 by MITI and NEDO. This project is to research and develop the basic technology of super-conductive cable, fault current limiter and transformer. This paper summarizes the research and development of following 2 types FCL. The R&D of the SN transition resistive type superconducting thin film fault current limiter aims to establish large-current/high-voltage technology by arranging films in multi-parallel/series, and increasing the current-carrying capacity through widening the area of the thin film of the current limiting element. The R&D of the reactor for a rectifier-type fault current limiter using coils of superconducting wire of the Ag sheath Bi2223 tape, aiming to apply it to high-voltage systems.