Magneto-thermal finite element modeling of 2nd generation HTS for FCL design purposes

Coated conductors are very promising for the design of novel and efficient Fault Current Limiter (FCL). However, before considering using them in a power grid, their thermal and electromagnetic behaviors in the presence of over-critical currents need to be investigated in details. In this context, we performed finite element magneto-thermal modeling of coated conductors under over-critical current on several geometries. Accordingly, we have investigated the substrate electrical connectivity and thermal properties on the HTS-FCL behavior. All simulations were performed using in COMSOL Multiphysicsr, a commercial finite element package, which has a built-in coupling between the thermal and electrical equations, allowing us to compute both quantities simultaneously during the solving process. Our simulations allowed us to formulate thresholds for the current density usable in coated HTS as well as limitation capability of a device made of these new conductors.