With increasing demand of the power load and the development of the new energy resources, voltage-sourced converter-based high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) transmission system has been widely utilized. However, its development is seriously limited due to short circuit. To address this, high-temperature superconducting direct current fault current limiter (DC-SFCL) is designed. In this paper, a novel topology of DC-SFCL is firstly presented along with its principle and mathematical model. Secondly, the thermoelectric model of its superconducting current-limiting unit (SCLU) is established. In addition, simulation of VSC-HVDC system containing this novel DC-SFCL topology is analyzed using Simulink software. Finally, experimental measurements are designed and conducted to verify the correctness of the theoretical model.