Shunt Reactors

Shunt reactors find application in long EHV Transmission lines to overcome overvoltage problems introduced due to high capacitive charging current and control dynamic overvoltages under switching-in/switching-off conditions. During normal operation of an electrical power system, the transmission and distribution voltages must be maintained within a small range, typically, from 0.95 to 1.05 pu of rated value. Due to the load variations, shunt reactors and capacitors have been applied in power systems to compensate excess reactive power (inductive for heavy load conditions, and capacitive for light load conditions). Shunt reactors are commonly used to compensate the capacitive reactive power of transmission and distribution systems and thereby to keep the operating voltages within admissible levels. The need for large shunt reactors appeared when long power transmission lines for system voltage 220 kV & higher were built. The characteristic parameters of a line are the series inductance (due to the magnetic field around the conductors) & the shunt capacitance (due to the electrostatic field to earth). An equivalent diagram for a line is show in the figure below. Both the inductance & the capacitance are distributed along the length of the line. So are the series resistance and the admittance to earth. When the line is loaded, there is a voltage drop along the line due to the series inductance and the series resistance. When the line is energized but not loaded or only loaded with a small current, there is a voltage rise along the line (the Ferranti-effect) In this situation, the capacitance to earth draws a current through the line, which may be capacitive. When a capacitive current flows through the line inductance there will be a voltage rise along the line. To stabilize the line voltage the line inductance can be compensated by means of series capacitors and the line capacitance to earth by shunt reactors. Series capacitors are placed at different places along the line while shunt reactors are often installed in the stations at the ends of line. In this way, the voltage difference between the ends of the line is reduced both in amplitude and in phase angle. Shunt reactors may also be connected to the power system at junctures where several lines meet or to tertiary windings of transformers. Transmission cables have much higher capacitance to earth than overhead lines. Long submarine cables for system voltages of 100 KV and more need shunt reactors. The same goes for large urban networks to prevent excessive voltage rise when a high load suddenly falls out due to a failure. Shunt reactors contain the same components as power transformers, like windings, core, tank, bushings and insulating oil and are suitable for manufacturing in transformer factories. The main difference is the reactor core limbs, which have non-magnetic gaps inserted between packets of core steel. 3-phase reactors can also be made. These may have 3- or -5-limbed cores. In a 3-limbed core there is strong magnetic coupling between the three phases, while in a 5-limbed core the

phases are magnetically independent due to the enclosing magnetic frame formed by the two yokes and the two unwound side-limbs. The neutral of shunt reactor may be directly earthed, earthed through an Earthing-reactor or unearthed. When the reactor neutral is directly earthed, the winding are normally designed with graded insulation in the earthed end. The main terminal is at the middle of the limb height, & the winding consists of two parallel-connected halves, one below & one above the main terminal. The insulation distance to the yokes can then be made relatively small. Sometimes a small extra winding for local electricity supply is inserted between the main winding & yoke. When energized the gaps are exposed to large pulsation compressive forced with a frequency of twice the frequency of the system voltage. The peak value of these forces may easily amount to 106 N/m2 (100 ton /m2). For this reason the design of the core must be very solid, & the modulus of elasticity of the non-magnetic (& non-metallic) material used in gaps must be high (small compression) in order to avoid large vibration amplitudes with high sound level consequently. The material in the gaps must also be stable to avoid escalating vibration amplitudes in the end. Testing of reactors requires capacitive power in the test field equal to the nominal power of the reactor while a transformer can be tested with a reactive power equal to 10 20% of the transformer power rating by feeding the transformer with nominal current in short circuit condition. The loss in the various parts of the reactor (12R, iron loss & additional loss) cannot be separated by measurement. It is thus preferable, in order to avoid corrections to reference temperature, to perform the loss measurement when the average temperature of the winding is practically equal to the reference temperature. When specifying shunt reactors for enquiry, the following data should be given:

Reactive power, Q Rated voltage, U Maximum continuous operating voltage Insulation level LI, SI Frequency, Hz AC test voltages Permissible temperature rise for oil & winding Sound level & linearity criteria, if required Type of cooling, fan, pump, radiators Peripheral features, if required Safety & monitoring equipment Loss capitalization

Air-core shunt reactors are applicable to system voltages up to 72,5 kv and typically they are connected to tertiary winding of large power transformers. Due to the required ratings, the ACR for this application are designed in berglass encapsulated technology.

In berglass encapsulated technology, the reactors winding consists of numerous insulated aluminium conductors connected in parallel. These conductors are mechanically immobilized and encapsulated in epoxy impregnated berglass laments forming cylinders. Depending on the reactors ratings, one or more of these cylinders are connected in parallel between the aluminium spiders. The individual cylinders are separated by berglass spacers, which form the cooling ducts of the coil. The benefit in using air-core shunt Reactors are: > Maintenance free and environmentally friendly > Conservative temperature rise for extended service life > Customized space saving solutions for installation in Compact areas > Surface treatment for protection against UV radiation And pollution > High mechanical strength to withstand elevated Short-circuit forces > Low noise level for sensitive applications Shunt reactors are a vital part of the efficient operation of long transmission high voltage power lines. The shunt reactor compensates the capacitive generation on power lines to avoid noncontrolled voltage rise especially on lightly loaded lines. The simple design and robust buildup makes the shunt reactor the most cost efficient mean to compensate the capacitive generation. One of the reactor designs is based on the gapped core concept, which gives a compact design with low losses and low total mass. The concept was introduced in the mid nineteen sixties. Today the reactor has become a high tech product requiring special skills in both design and manufacture.

SALIENT FEATURES:
1. High Zero Sequence Reactance- when single phase reclosing is required in the system, it is desirable that Shunt Reactor should have maximum Zero sequence impedence in addition to neutral reactor. This property in shunt reactor depends upon the core arrangement. 2. Radial Core Shunt Reactor with Minimal Loss- low loss reactors have been developed by adopting epoxy encapsulated radially laminated core packets. 3. Special Winding Design- as a part of transformer winding design disc winding for low voltage reactor and interleaved disc winding for high voltage reactor is followed. High voltage reactor windings are generally in two parallel groups with line terminal at the centre. Eddy current loss is minimised by adopting strand wire dimensions and use of bunched wire cables. 4. Unique Winding Press Plates For Reducing Magnetic Leakage Flux- special flux plates which also act as winding press plates are provided at top and bottom of

winding to collect the leakage flux, thereby minimising stray losses in tank and eddy current loss and consequent hot spot at the end discs of winding. 5. Measures for Reducing Vibration and Noise Level- ceramic spacers having high modulus of elasticity are used to form gaps between core packets. Special tightening arrangement is given to provide dead solid support across the gap. The fundamental mechanical resonance mode of reactor frame is kept away from twice the power frequency using computer programme. 6. Welded tank cover- welding is done to tighten the tank parts firmly so that they can bear the heavy vibrations during reactor operation. This is also done to eliminate the possibility of leakage. The fundamental mechanical resonance mode of reactor frame is kept away from twice the power frequency using computer programme.