Reactive Power Compensation
Reactive Power Compensation
Reactive Power Compensation
Reactive Power
Compensation
1. Voltage regulation
2. Reduce voltage flicker caused by varying loads like arc furnace, etc.
3. Increase power transfer capacity of transmission systems
4. Increase transient stability limits of a power system
5. Increase damping of power oscillations
6. Reduce temporary overvoltages
7. Damp subsynchronous oscillations
S S S
TCR FIXED
CAPACITOR
BANK TCR SWITCHED
CAPACITOR
(a) (b) BANK
COMPENSATOR BUS
S S
FIGURE 18.2 Three versions of SVC. (a) TCR with fixed capacitor bank; (b) TCR with switched capacitor banks;
and (c) thyristor switched capacitor compensator.
breakers (see Fig. 18.2b) if time delay (usually five to ten cycles) is not a consideration, or they can be
switched fast (less than one cycle) by thyristor switches (see Fig. 18.2c).
Reactive power variation with switched capacitor banks for an SVC is shown in Fig. 18.4.
V1 V2 sin d
P2 ¼ (18:1)
XL
(b) V1 V2 sin d
P2 ¼ (18:2)
X L XC
V V1 V2 sin d
¼ (18:3)
XL (1 K )
I
XC
where K ¼ is degree of the compensation,
XL
(c) usually expressed in percent. A 70% series com-
pensation means the value of the series capacitor
in ohms is 70% of the line reactance.
FIGURE 18.3 TCR voltage (V) and current (I) wave-
forms for three conduction levels. Thyristor gating
angle ¼ a; conduction angle ¼ s. (a) a ¼ 908 and s ¼
1808; (b) a ¼ 1208 and s ¼ 1208; and (c) a ¼ 1508 and
18.5 Series Capacitor Bank
s ¼ 608.
A series capacitor bank consists of a capacitor
bank, overvoltage protection system, and a bypass breaker, all elevated on a platform, which is insulated
for the line voltage. See Fig. 18.6. The overvoltage protection is comprised of a zinc oxide varistor and a
triggered spark gap, which are connected in parallel to the capacitor bank, and a damping reactor. Prior
to the development of the high-energy zinc oxide varistor in the 1970s, a silicon carbide nonlinear
resistor was used for overvoltage protection. Silicon carbide resistors require a spark gap in series
because the nonlinearity of the resistors is not high enough. The zinc oxide varistor has better nonlinear
resistive characteristics, provides better protection, and has become the standard protection system for
series capacitor banks.
0 1 2 3 CAPACITOR BANKS
THYRISTOR 180°
SWITCHED
CONDUCTION
ANGLE
MVAR
FIGURE 18.4 Reactive power variation of TCR with switched capacitor banks.
LINE SIDE TO
STATION BUS
MOV
D
SERIES CAPACITOR
TAG BANK
BKR
PLATFORM
LEGEND
C: CAPACITOR
MOV: METAL OXIDE VARISTOR
D: DAMPING CIRCUIT
TAG: TRIGGERED SPARK GAP
BKR: BYPASS BREAKER
C1 C2
TO TO
BUCKLEY SLATT
BYPASS
DISCONNECT
ISOLATION
ISOLATION
DISCONNECT
DISCONNECT
TCSC
SERIES MODULE
CAPACITOR VARISTOR
REACTOR
REACTOR THYRISTOR
VALVE
BYPASS BREAKER
The complete capacitor bank with all six modules can be bypassed by the bypass breaker. This bypass
breaker is located outside the main capacitor bank platform, similar to the case for the conventional
series capacitor bank. There is also a reactor connected in series with the bypass breaker to limit the
magnitude of capacitor discharge current through the breaker. All reactors are of air-core dry-type
design and rated for the full line current rating. Metal oxide varistors (MOV) connected in parallel with
the capacitors in each module provide overvoltage protection. The MOV for a TCSC requires signifi-
cantly less energy absorption capability than is the case for a conventional series capacitor of comparable
size, because gating of thyristor valves provides quick protection for faulted conditions.
References
Anderson, P.M., Agrawal, B.L., and Van Ness, J.E., Subsynchronous Resonance in Power Systems, IEEE
Press, 1990.
Anderson, P.M. and Farmer, R.G., Series Compensation in Power Systems, PBLSH! Inc. 1996.
Gyugyi, L., Otto, R.A., and Putman, T.H., Principles and application of thyristor-controlled shunt
compensators, IEEE Trans. on Power Appar. and Syst., 97, 1935–1945, Sept=Oct 1978.
Gyugyi, L. and Taylor, Jr., E.R., Characteristics of static thyristor-controlled shunt compensators for
power transmission applications, IEEE Trans. on Power Appar. and Syst., PAS-99, 1795–1804, 1980.
Hammad, A.E., Analysis of power system stability enhancement by static VAR compensators, IEEE
Trans. on Power Syst., 1, 222–227, 1986.
Miller, T.J.E., Ed., Reactive Power Control in Electric Systems, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1982.
Miske, Jr., S.A. et al., Recent Series Capacitor Applications in North America, Paper presented at CEA
Electricity ’95 Vancouver Conference, March 1995.
Padiyar, K.R., Analysis of Subsynchronous Resonance in Power Systems, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999.
Schauder, C. et al., Development of a +100 MVAR static condenser for voltage control of transmission
systems, IEEE Trans. on Power Delivery, 10(3), 1486–1496, July 1995.