The invention discloses an active current limiting method applicable to a direct current fault of an MMC direct current transformer. Additional bias <delta>u of a direct current component and gain Kuof an alternating current component of a bridge arm voltage are generated based on induction voltage drop <delta>U<dc2> output by a virtual impedance module; when the system is in steady state operation, the output current is constant, wherein <delta>U<dc2> is equal to 0, <delta>u is equal to 0, and Ku is equal to 1; when direct current fault occurs, the output current is increased suddenly, and <delta>U<dc2> is greater than 0; when <delta>U<dc2> exceeds the upper bond of a dead region, <delta>u is increased suddenly from 0 and then is limited to be kept stable until the <delta>u<max> is equalto U<dc2> / 2, so that the direct current bias in the bridge arm voltage is eliminated; meanwhile, by virtue of change of <delta>u, Ku is changed from 1 to 2 / n, so that the alternating current component amplitude value is in the bridge arm voltage is lowered, and the reference value of the bridge arm voltage is adjusted; and by virtue of the effect of a modulation module, the number of sub modulesinput in each phase of MMC in the fault side is reduced from n<sum>=n to n'<sum> belonging to {0, 1}, so that the number of sub modules participated in discharge at the same moment is reduced, the capacitor discharging speed is lowered, and current limiting is achieved.