Physics Procedia 36 ( 2012 ) 835 840

1875-3892 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Guest Editors.
doi: 10.1016/j.phpro.2012.06.136
Superconductivity Centennial Conference
Detailed review and application of the 3-Phase self-
limiting transformer with magnetic flux applied
Janos Kosa
a
a*
a
Kecskemet College, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Izsaki ut 10, Kecskemet 6000, Hungary

Abstract
The paper describes in detail the 3-phase self-limiting transformer with magnetic flux applied and contains measured
results. The solution includes two independent iron cores. I applied two pieces of iron cores with 3 limbs on each.
One of the iron cores contains the 3 primary coils on the limbs respectively and the other iron core also contains 3
secondary coils. As I use two iron cores the loss, the size, the weight and the cost are higher compared to the
conventional transformers but this solution has several advantages. For example, the fault power is less, switching is
fast. In the case, when there is no load on the secondary side and primary voltage increases, the arrangement is able to
break coupling between the primary and secondary sides. The work has been carried out by me as a novel possibility
of application of the principle of magnetic flux constancy in the closed loop.

2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Horst Rogalla and
Peter Kes.
Keywords: Perfect closed YBCO wire loop; self-limiting superconducting transformer; three-phase transformer.
1. Introduction
The possibility of this application is based on the principle of magnetic flux constancy in the closed
loop. The solution includes two independent iron cores. The solution is the flux transformer with one
loop [1, 2, 3, 4]. I have created a new type three-phase self-limiting transformer (400 VA). I prepared the
primary and secondary windings of the three-phase transformer for this experiment with copper wires.
Naturally, my final target is a full HTS transformer. Earlier I used YBCO superconductor rings from bulk
for other experiments. These superconducting bulks were produced at IPHT in Jena, Germany. The
applied YBCO rings were drilled in just some minutes with a new technology I had elaborated [5], [6].

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: kosa.janos@gamf.kefo.hu.
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Guest Editors.
836 Janos Kosa / Physics Procedia 36 ( 2012 ) 835 840
2. Experimental Arrangement
Fig. 1 shows the cutaway view of the experimental device and its photo.


Fig. 1. (a) Cutaway view of the three-phase self-limiting transformer; (b) Photo of the device
For the experiment I put extra secondary coils on all the phases on the primary sides. Thus I could
measure the secondary voltage on both sides. We can see the scheme in Fig. 2 in one phase.


Fig. 2. The scheme of the one phase (e. g. L
1
phase)

Table 1 shows the parameters of the three-phase self-limiting transformer.
Table 1. Parameters of the transformer
Parameters Data
S
rated

400 VA / one iron core
U
primary

3 x 400 V
U
secondary
3 x 24 V + 3 x 24 V
R
load
2 x (3 x 4.5 )

L3-phase
L2-phase
primary
iron core
secondary
iron core
Primary coils
YBCO loop
SF 12050 wire

secondary coils
L1-phase
Pimary iron core Secondary iron core
YBCO
primary coil
N
P
= 697
R
load
R
load
secondary coil 1
(N
S1
=73)
secondary coil 2
(N
S2
=73)
R
load
= 4.5
u
sec2
(t) u
sec1
(t)
i
sec1
i
sec2

3 x 7 YBCO loops
Janos Kosa / Physics Procedia 36 ( 2012 ) 835 840 837
3. Measuring Results
I measured the voltage and current with load and without load.
3.1. With load in L
1
phase on both secondary coils (R
load
= 4.5 , this is maximum load) (Fig. 3)


Fig. 3. Load in both secondary sides and the measurement of the voltage and current of the loads
3.2. Load (R
load
= 3 x 4.5 ) on the secondary side (2) and single-phase short circuit in L
1
phase (Fig. 4)


Fig. 4. Current of the secondary coil (2) when the fault is in the secondary side

The advantage of the equipment is that in the case of single-phase short circuit the current will
decrease in all the three phases. This can be an appropriate solution for high power machines. In the case
of high-power electric motor if there is a single-phase breaking or a single phase short circuit, we can
decrease the current in the three phases with this solution.
40 V
20 V
- 20 V
- 40 V
6 A
8 A
u
sec2
(t) L
1
u
sec1
(t) L
1
i
sec1
(t) L
1
i
sec2
(t) L
1

i
sec2
(t) L
2
i
sec2
(t) L
3

i
sec2
(t) L
1

10 A
20 A
30 A
- 10 A
- 20 A
- 30 A
fault

t [ms]
t [ms]
838 Janos Kosa / Physics Procedia 36 ( 2012 ) 835 840
3.3. The non-load voltage of the self-limiting transformer
We can see the non-load secondary voltage in Fig. 5, if there is single-phase short circuit in phase L
1
.



Fig. 5. Fault in non-load state

Fig. 6 shows the recovery voltage after fault.



Fig. 6. Secondary recovery voltage (U
S
L
1
) after fault

I used SF 12050 superconducting wire. It was produced by SuperPower, Inc., New York, USA. I used
an industrial blade to slit the tape. We have to cut the wire on plane, even plastic. It is very important as in
this case there should be no extra mechanical stress. The YBCO layer is about 1 micrometer.

40 V
20 V
-20 V
-40 V
u
sec2
(t) L
1

u
sec2
(t) L
2
u
sec2
(t) L
3

fault

t
fault
> 3,5 s
The fault does not damage
the superconducting wire.
t [ms]
t
fault
> 3,5 s
fault

t
recovery

t

[s]
Janos Kosa / Physics Procedia 36 ( 2012 ) 835 840 839
4. Theoretical Examination in the Case of the Single-Phase Self-Limiting Transformer
I describe the current of the superconductor in details. I used the scheme that we can see in Fig. 7.


Fig. 7. The scheme for the solution

Nomenclature

N
1
; N
2
number of primary and secondary turns
i
SUP
(t) current of the superconducting loop
m
R
1
;
m
R
2
reluctance (magnetic resistance)

of the primary and secondary iron cores

G


flux of the primary iron core without superconducting loop

SUP1
;
SUP2
flux of the superconducting loop in the primary and secondary iron cores

air
flux in air inside the closed superconducting loop

) t ( ) t ( ) t ( ) t ( ) t (
air 2 SUP 1 SUP 2 G
(1)

)
R
1
R
1
R
1
(t))( (i
R
(t) i
R
(t) i
R
(t) i
R
(t) i N
R
(t) i N
air
m
2
m
1
SUP
air
SUP
m
2
SUP
m
1
SUP
m
2
2 2
m
1
1 1
(2)

m
air
m
2
m
1
m
2
2 2
m
air
1
m
2
m
1
1 1
m
air
m
2
m
1
2
2 2
m
air
m
2
m
1
m
1
1 1
SUP
R
R
R
R
1
(t) i N
R
R
R
R
1
(t) i N
)
R
1
R
1
R
1
( R
(t) i N
)
R
1
R
1
R
1
( R
(t) i N
(t) i

(3)

m
air
m
1
m
2
m
1
m
air
m
1
m
air
m
2
2 2
m
air
m
2
m
2
m
1
m
air
m
1 air
m
2
1 1
m
air
m
2
m
1
m
2
2 2 2
m
air
m
1
m
2
m
1
1 1
SUP
R R
R R R R R R
(t) i N
R R
R R R R R R
(t) i N
R
R
R
R
1
(t) i I N
R
R
R
R
1
(t) i N
(t) i

(4)
L
12
L
21

L
13
L
31

L
23
L
32

primer

SUP1
(t)
SUP2
(t)

G
(t)
YBCO
I
SUP
(t)

m
R
1
(reluctance)
m
R
2
(reluctance )

2
(t)
i
1
(t)
u
1

u
2

i
2
(t)

N
1
N
2
Primary iron core
Secondary iron core
840 Janos Kosa / Physics Procedia 36 ( 2012 ) 835 840
m
2
m
1
m
air
m
1
m
air
m
2
m
air
m
1 2 2
m
2
m
1
m
air
m
1
m
air
m
2
m
air
m
2 1 1
SUP
R R R R R R
R R (t) i N
R R R R R R
R R (t) i N
(t) i

(5)

If
m
air
R , than

m
1
m
2
m
1 2 2
m
1
m
2
m
2 1 1
SUP
R R
R (t) i N
R R
R (t) i N
(t) i

(6)

5. Conclusion
The limiting current has considerably lower value than the fault current of a conventional 3-phase
transformer at the same power. The short circuit current is less than the operational current within some
periods.
With this solution we can create two selective secondary coils.
The described method can be an appropriate solution for high power machines. For example, in the
case of high-power electric motor if there is a single-phase breaking or a single phase short circuit, the
current decreases in the three phases.
The applied superconducting wire (SF 12050) is suitable for self-limiting transformer in this method.
When the fault time is long, more than 3.5 s, the device can operate without damage.
Acknowledgements
The German colleagues IPHT at Jena for YBCO bulk that I started experiments with.
The SuperPower, Inc. in New York for YBCO wire and facts and figures of the wire that I carried my
work with.

References
[1] J. Kosa, I. Vajda. Transformation of the DC and AC Magnetic Field with Novel Application of the YBCO HTS ring. IEEE
Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, vol. 19, No. 3, 2009, pp. 2186-2189.
[2] Janos Kosa, Istvan Vajda. Novel 3-phase Self-limiting Transformer with Magnetic Flux Applied by Perfect Closed YBCO
Wire Loops. IEEE Transaction on Applied Superconductivity, vol. 21, 2011, pp. 1388-1392.
[3] J. Kosa, I. Vajda, A. Gyore. Application possibilities with continuous YBCO loops made of HTS wire. Journal of Physics:
Conference Series 234, 032030 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/234/3/032030, 2010.
[4] Janos Kosa. Qualification of YBCO Rings and 100% YBCO Wire Loops with the Transformation of the DC Magnetic Field.
Materials Science Forum 670 (Applied Electromagnetic Engineering), doi: 10.4028, 2011, pp. 11-20.
[5] J. Kosa, I. Vajda, L. Farkas. Qualification of the Machining and Fitting Precision of YBCO Bulks and Rings Joined Together
via the Examination of the Trapped Flux. IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, vol. 19, No. 3, 2009, pp. 2182-2185.
[6] J. Kosa, I. Vajda. Environmentally friendly of ceramic based YBCO bulk superconductor. Journal of Materials Processing
Technology,181, (1-3), 2007, pp. 48-51.