AbstractA fault current limiter (FCL) is extensively expected to suppress fault current, particularly required for a trunk power system's heavily connected high‐voltage transmission lines, such as the 500‐kV‐class power system which constitutes the nucleus of the electric power system. By installing such FCL in the power system, system interconnection is possible without the need to raise the capacity of the circuit breakers, and facilities can be configured for efficiency, among other benefits. For these reasons, fault current limiters based on various principles of operation have been developed both in Japan and abroad.In this paper, we have proposed a new type of FCL system, consisting of solid‐state diodes, DC coil, and bypass AC coil, and described specifications of the distribution power system and 66‐kV model at the island power system and the superconducting cable power system. Also we have made a practical study of the 66‐kV class, the testing items and the future subjects of the rectifier‐type FCL system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 160(3): 12–18, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20331