Patent ID: 9331475
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: H01F,H02H

Claim Text:
1. A fault current limiter for protecting an electric circuit, the fault current limiter comprising first magnetic elements including a soft magnetic material, second magnetic elements including a hard magnetic material, and at least one electrical conductor which encircles both the first and second magnetic elements to define a coil, wherein the first and second magnetic elements are arranged to define a substantially parallel array of magnetic elements in which they are arranged to form alternating primary layers of first and second magnetic elements, wherein each primary layer is coated with an electrically insulating material to provide electrical insulation between neighboring primary layers, wherein the soft magnetic material in a non-saturated state has a higher magnetic permeability than the hard magnetic material, and wherein the soft magnetic material in a saturated state has a lower magnetic permeability than the hard magnetic material, the fault current limiter being configured to operate under normal operating conditions in which the majority of the magnetic flux flows through the soft magnetic material of the first magnetic elements and a minimal amount of the magnetic flux flows through the hard magnetic material of the second magnetic elements, and to operate under fault conditions in which the soft magnetic material of the first magnetic elements is saturated and the magnetic flux flows through the hard magnetic material of the second magnetic elements to thereby prevent the flow of fault current in the electric circuit.