SALIENT FEATURES OF

SHUNT&SERIES REACTORS
AND THEIR FACTORY TESTING

C I R E

Applications: T&D network and Industrial plants

Classification:
Current limiting Reactors
Neutral earthing reactors
Shunt Reactors
Damping Reactors
Tuning or Filters
Arc Suppression reactors
Smoothing Reactors

Different Types of construction

Air Core or Gapped Iron Core

With or without Magnetic Shield

For Indoor or Outdoor Installation

For fixed or variable Reactance

With or without taps

SERIES REACTORS
Intended for series connection in a system
For limiting current under system fault condition or load
sharing in parallel circuits
Types
(i)Generator line Reactor Used to reduce stresses under
3phase short circuit.
(ii)Feeder Reactor - On feeders from operating stations or
on sub-station buses.
Minimize resultant effects of a short circuit on other parts
of the system.

(iii) Neutral earth current limiting Reactor Single phase

reactor intended for connection between neutral of the
system and ground for limiting the current under line to
earth fault condition to a moderate value.
(iv) Duplex Reactors Centre tapped reactor, to divide
current source and limit the magnitude of fault current.
(v) Tie line Reactor Relatively low cost means of expansion
of system at existing voltage.
Existing switchgear can be used with a little modification.

(vi) Synchronizing Reactor Provides a method for

expanding a system when the generation and utilization
voltages are same.
Done by sectionalizing existing bus and connecting bus
sections through reactors to a common bus.
Interrupting duty is greatly reduced on the existing breaker
New loads and additional generation can be added.
Generally found in industrial power plants on very large
system.

(vii) Motor starting reactor Used for reducing starting

current of AC motors.
Reduces stresses on the motor and reduces system
disturbances.
(viii) Reactor for capacitor bank To limit high transient
inrush current flowing in the capacitor bank while
switching.
Helps in suppression of harmonics present in the system.
This is also called damping reactor.
Rated for highest inrush current and continuous rated
current.

(ix) Smoothing Reactor Employed to filter out all harmonics

present in DC power system
Can be both HVDC smoothing reactor and low voltage DC
smoothing reactor with large super imposed harmonic
components.
(x) Line Trap Used on power lines having carrier channels for
communication and control.
It is a resonated inductance coil.
Blocks unwanted frequencies and noise from carrier
channels.

SHUNT REACTORS
EHV Network Capacitive generation often creates problem
during operation at low loads and during switching operations.
Severity of the problem increases with higher system voltage
and longer line sections.
Shunt reactors are intended for parallel connection to the
system to compensate for capacitive current.
Inject reactive power to compensate large capacitive currents
there by maintaining grid voltages within limits during
charging as well as under lightly loaded conditions.

Limit dynamic over voltage during

- Load rejection
- Switching in/Switching off
- Line to ground fault conditions
Shunt reactors provide an economically and technically sound
means of compensating part of capacitive generation.
Types:
a) Normally in service
b) Switched in, Switched off type.

TYPICAL CONNECTIONS IN THE STATION

1.

FIXED REACTOR
- DIRECTLY ON THE HV LINE END
(PERMANENTLY CONNECTED)

2.

BUS REACTOR
- CONNECTED ON HV BUS WITH CIRCUIT
BREAKER (SWITCHED ON/OFF TYPE)

3.

TERTIARY REACTOR
- ON/OFF TYPE LOW VOLTAGE REACTOR

4.

VARIABLE (CONTROLLED) SHUNT REACTOR

(a) VARIATION CAN BE ACHIEVED, FOR EXAMPLE, BY

PHASE-CONTROLLED THYRISTORS (STATIC VAR SOURCE)
OR BY D.C. MAGNETIZATION OF THE IRON CORE.
(b) VARIATION CAN BE ACHIEVED BY WINDING TAPPINGS,
BY MEANS OF AN OFF-LOAD OR ON-LOAD TAPCHANGER.
(c) VARIATION CAN BE ACHIEVED IN A REACTOR TRANSFORMER BY SHORTING ONE OR MORE SECONDARY
WINDINGS BY THYRISTOR VALVES OR BY VCBs.

BASIC THEORY

General consideration/ Characteristics

Series reactor
Reactor should have linear characteristic
i.e. straight line relationship between its current and voltage.
Helps in limiting current under system fault conditions,
thereby protecting costly equipment from failure due to
excessive mechanical stresses and heating caused by short
circuits.
In case of starting reactor, linear characteristic requirement
is not necessary , as it is required for a shorter duration and
not for limiting the short circuit.
contd..

Ability to withstand short circuit: Since the reactor is

basically required to limit short circuit current, mechanical
forces are taken care of during design by proper parameters
of reactor and by proper clamping of the winding.
Also reactor must withstand from thermal point of view.
Permissible values of temp. of the winding during a short
circuit (IS:2026) are given below.
Type

Class of
insulation

TempC
Copper

TempC
Aluminum

Oil

250

200

Dry

180

180

Dry

250

200

Dry

350

200

Dry

F&H

350

--

Series reactor is connected in series in the system and

therefore both ends should be suitable to withstand lightning
impulse voltage. Hence the winding is fully insulated.
In series reactors, rated continuous current and rated short
time currents are specified.
Rated impedance (Ohms per phase) pertains to short time
current at rated frequency.

Shunt Reactor
Highest system voltage and linearity: Impedance shall be
linear to certain level above rated voltage
Deviation from constant impedance means that parts of magnetic
Circuit get into saturation every half cycle and rms value of
current rises more than in proportion with the over voltage
To avoid the risk of non-linear Ferro resonance or heavy inrush
currents, reactor should have constant impedance up to 1.5 times
rated voltage
contd..

Impedance shall be same in all the phases (deviation of 2% is

permitted)
Acceptable tolerance on current at rated voltage is 5% of
rated
current ( Ref: IEC pub, 289)
Losses: Low losses with natural cooling is desired.
Zero phase sequence impedance: requirement depends on
system conditions. If this is 90 to 100% of positive sequence
impedance, core less design with magnetically shielded or 5
limbed gapped core reactor is most suitable.
Where ZPS impedance is not very important, 3 limbed gapped
core reactor can be used

Single/ Three phase units: Large rating reactors pose

Problems for testing.
To overcome this problem, banks of 3 single phase
units are most suitable.
In banks of single phase units: ZPS impedance is
equal to PPS impedance and spare unit requirement is only
one single phase reactor

NOISE & VIBRATION

REACTORS REQUIRE SPECIAL MANUFACTURING
PHILOSOPHY TO REDUCE NOISE.
VIBRATIONS TRANSFERRED ON TANK PANELS MAY
PRODUCE CRITICAL STRESSES ON WELDING AND
HENCE ARE TO BE MINIMIZED WITH SPECIAL
DESIGN &MANUFACTURING PRACTICES
IEC SPECIFIES 200 MICRONS PEAK-TO-PEAK
VIBRATION LIMIT.

Construction Features of Series Reactors

(i) Oil Immersed Coreless reactor:

For indoor or outdoor service

A high proportion of magnetic flux due to the current in

the winding passes through the coil itself.

This flux produces local eddy losses particularly at the

coil ends and could possibly cause local hot spots.

Use of stranded conductor and frequent transposition in

the coil would obviate the above condition.

Due to heavy concentration of flux in and around the coil,

non-magnetic materials are used except main tank body.
contd..

Coreless construction with non-magnetic shielding of

winding is used in achieving constant impedance during
short circuit condition.
Non-magnetic shielding is in the form of cylinder located
around the winding.
Eddy currents are induced in the shield, help in reducing
the tank losses and reduce any tendency for the coil to
bulge out during short circuit.

(ii) Dry type coreless reactor:

Cooling is by natural ventilation/ forced air.
Free circulation of air for satisfactory heat transfer.
contd

Steel structures and other metallic members should be kept

quite away from the reactor and they should not form
closed circuit.
Winding conductor consists of one or more cables,
depending on the current capacity, wound in radial layers.
Cross-over between layers are made to minimize eddy
losses.
Aluminum conductor is normally used.
For rigidity fibre glass insulation is adopted in the
construction.
Porcelain insulators are used for sufficient electrical
clearance to ground.

Construction Features of Shunt Reactors

(i)Coreless Reactor:

No magnetic material inside the coil. Dimensions of the

winding are identical to those of air gap volume,
imposing restrictions on the geometric proportions.

Flux density is much lower than in the gapped core

design and the total volume is larger for a given reactive
power rating.

Max. flux penetrates inner turns of the winding and gives

rise to relatively high eddy current losses.

Average circumference of the coil is appreciably larger

than for the gapped core reactor and the winding losses
tend to be higher

(ii) Gapped Core reactor:

Gaps of suitable size are inserted in the magnetic circuit
for obtaining high impedance in core type reactor
Magnetic field of gapped core is controlled by means of
gaps.
Operate at higher flux density compared to magnetically
shielded coreless reactors.
Core elements are constructed by using CRGO laminations

Noise and Vibration Problem

Magnetic field creates pulsating forces across air gaps.
Reactor core should be very stiff to eliminate objectionable
vibrations
Spacers supporting air gaps should be of stiff material
(ceramic blocks or stone spacers) with a high modulus of
elasticity so that their dimensional stability is maintained and
the core does not become loose.

Neutral Earthing Reactor:

A means to ground the neutral.

Increase the grounding reactance of the system to keep
currents within non-destructive range.
It is a current limiting reactor.
More suitable in systems having single pole opening and
reclosing from the consideration of transient stability.
No rated continuous current is applicable.
Reactor shall withstand without undue heating or excessive
mechanical stresses when short time current is carried for a
specified duration say 10 seconds.

Testing of Reactors
Basic difference between a transformer and a shunt reactor is
that the latter can not be tested at no load.
Reactor will draw rated power when rated voltage is applied.
Large and expensive test plant is needed for conducting most
of the tests on EHV shunt reactors

TESTING REQUIREMENTS OF A
SHUNT REACTOR AS PER IEC 289
1.ROUTINE TESTS :
A) MEASUREMENT OF WINDING RESISTANCE
B) MEASUREMENT OF REACTANCE
C) MEASUREMENT OF LOSS
D) INTER TURN VOLTAGE WITHSTAND TEST
E) SEPARATE SOURCE VOLTAGE WITHSTAND TEST
F) MEASUREMENT OF I.R.VALUES OF WINDINGS.
G) PARTIAL DISCHARGE MEASUREMENT (EHV
REACTORS)
contd..

H)

MEASUREMENTS OF VOLTAGE RATIO AND SHORT

CIRCUIT IMPEDANCE ON SHUNT REACTORS WITH
ADDITIONAL LOADING WINDING

I) LIGHTNING IMPULSE VOLTAGE WITHSTAND

TEST
J) SWITCHING IMPULSE VOLTAGE WITHSTAND
TEST (EHV REACTORS)
2. TYPE TESTS :
A) TEMPERATURE RISE TEST
B) DIELECTRIC TESTS
contd..

3. SPECIAL TESTS :
A) MEASUREMENT OF ZERO SEQUENCE REACTANCE ON
THREE PHASE LINEAR AND NON-LINEAR REACTORS.
B) MEASUREMENT OF MUTUAL REACTANCE ON THREE
PHASE REACTORS
C) MEASUREMENT OF ACOUSTIC SOUND LEVEL
D) MEASUREMENT OF VIBRATION
E) MEASUREMENT OF HARMONICS OF THE CURRENT
F) MEASUREMENT OF POWER TAKEN BY FANS AND OIL
PUMPS, IF ANY
G) MEASUREMENT OF MAGNETIC CHARACTERISTIC
H) SHORTCIRCUIT CURRENT WITHSTAND TEST
(APPLICABLE TO SERIES REACTORS AND EARTHING
TRANSFORMERS ONLY)
WHILE MAJORITY OF THE TESTS APPLICABLE TO
DIFFERENT
TYPES OF REACTORS ARE SIMILAR, A FEW TESTS ARE THE
PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS OF PARTICULAR REACTORS
contd..

TEST EQUIPMENT FOR POWER FREQUENCY

TESTS
-

INTERPOSING TRANSFORMER TO FEED POWER

AT RATED VOLTAGE OF REACTOR SAY 420 kV

50 HZ MOTOR GENERATOR SET AND CAPACITOR

BANK TO FEED RATED POWER

OFWF COOLER AND PIPE WORK FOR

CALORIMETRIC TEST
contd..

TEST EQUIPMENT FOR DIELECTRIC TESTS

IMPULSE GENERATOR OF SUITABLE RATING
MOTOR GENERATOR SET OF ELEVATED FREQUENCY
INTERPOSING TRANSFORMER
CAPACITOR BANK

Measurement of winding resistance:

For calculation of IR losses in the windings.
Measurement to be done after the Direct current circulating in
the winding has reached a steady state.
Temperature of the winding must be stable. Average oil
temperature is determined as the mean of top and bottom oil
temperatures and is taken as the average winding temperature.
Measurement of I.R. Values:
I.R.value of the winding with respect to core and endframe
and tank connected together to earth is measured. Oil
temperature is measured and recorded prior to test.

MEASUREMENT OF LOSS
1.

LOSS IS MEASURED AT RATED VOLTAGE AND RATED

FREQUENCY.

2.

AS THE POWER FACTOR OF A SHUNT REACTOR IS

NORMALLY VERY LOW, LOSS MEASUREMENT USING
CONVENTIONAL WATTMETER METHODS MAY NOT BE
VERY ACCURATE.

3.

LOSS MEASUREMENT IS DONE BY SCHERING OR

ADVANCED BRIDGE.

4.

CALORIMETRIC METHOD CAN ALSO BE USED IN SPECIAL

CASES.

5.

LOSS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE REACTOR (I2R LOSS,

IRON LOSS, ADDITIONAL LOSS) CANNOT BE SEPARATED
BY MEASUREMENT/
Contd..

6.

TO AVOID CORRECTION TO REFERENCE TEMPERATURE,

MEASUREMENT SHOULD BE PERFORMED WHEN THE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF THE WINDING IS
PRACTICALLY EQUAL TO THE REFERENCE
TEMPERATURE SAY AFTER HEAT RUN TEST.

7. ALTERNATIVELY, ON ONE TYPE TESTED UNIT, LOSS

MEASUREMENT SHOULD BE DONE BOTH AT AMBIENT
TEMPERATURE AND AT HIGHER (NEAR REFERENCE
TEMPERATURE) THEREBY ESTABLISHING A
TEMPERATURE
CO-EFFICIENT FOR TOTAL LOSS.
8.

REMAINING UNITS MEASURED AT AMBIENT

TEMPERATURE ONLY AND THEIR LOSS FIGURE
CORRECTED TO REFERENCE TEMPERATURE BY USING
THE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT ESTABLISHED AT 6.

In case of Series Reactors, impedance is a guaranteed figure.

Measured at rated frequency by applying a voltage enough to
circulate continuous rated current.
Ratio of applied voltage to the rated current gives the
impedance value.
Eg. In case of 3 phase series reactor, the impedance value is
Phase-to-phase applied voltage
= ----------------------------------------Continuous rated current x 3

MEASUREMENT OF ACOUSTIC NOISE LEVEL

1.
2.

GENERALLY ACCORDING TO IEC 60076-PART 10

(ERSTWHILE IEC 551)
VIBRATION OF IRON CIRCUIT IS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF
NOISE GENERATED IN REACTORS. NOISE LEVEL
DEPENDS ON THE FLUX DENSITY AND
MAGNTOSTRICTION.

3.

DURING MEASUREMENT ON DRY TYPE SUFFICIENT

SAFETY CLEARANCES TO THE WINDING UNDER TEST
HAVE TO BE ENSURED.

4.

THE CONTOUR OF MEASUREMENT SHALL BE LOCATED

2 METRES FROM THE WINDING SURFACE (AT HALF THE
WINDING HEIGHT)

5. REACTOR IS ENERGIZED AT SPECIFIED VOLTAGE AT RATED

FREQUENCY
6.FOR LARGE RATING REACTORS, IF NOT POSSIBLE IN THE
FACTORY, THE TEST MAY BE CARRIED OUT ON SITE
SUBJECT TO AGREEMENT.
7.NOISE LEVEL SHOULD BE LESS THAN NEMA TR-1 LEVEL
8.NOISE LEVEL OF REACTOR IS THE ARITHMETIC AVERAGE
OF ALL THE READINGS OBTAINED AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS,
WITH APPROPRIATE CORRECTION FOR BACKGROUND, IF
APPLICABLE.

MEASUREMENT OF VIBRATION
1.VIBRATION MEASUREMENT IS DONE TO CHECK THE
SAFETY OF THE REACTOR TANK AGAINST ANY IMPENDING
MECHANICAL DAMAGE
2. MEASUREMENT IS DONE AT SYSTEM HIGHEST VOLTAGE
3. MEASUREMENTS ARE MADE ON ALL 4 SIDES OF THE
TANK WALL.
4. MEASUREMENTS EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF PEAK-TO-PEAK
AMPLITUDE OF VIBRATION.
5. A RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM VALUE IS 200 m

Inter-turn over voltage withstand test:

Because of large power requirement, this test is generally
impracticable even with increased frequency for large
reactors. Instead, impulse voltage tests are conducted, which
are similar to those applicable for power transformers.
Separate source voltage withstand test:
Reactor is tested by applying specified test voltage between
line and neutral terminals joined together and the earth for 60
seconds.

Partial discharge Measurement:

Partial discharge (PD) is defined as a localized discharge in
insulating media which only partially bridges the insulation
between conductors.
PD may be initiated due to improper processing or drying of
insulation, overstressed insulation, sharp edges on the
conducting part or the ground plane causing stress. These
factors may cause ionization in cavities within solid
insulation, in gas bubbles in insulating liquids or along
di-electric surfaces.
To check the level of internal partial discharges at specified
over-voltage, P.D. is measured on EHV reactors of 300kV
and above class.

Measurement of Zero sequence impedance:

This test is not applicable to series reactors.
For star connected 3 phase shunt reactors, zero sequence
impedance (ohms/phase at rated frequency) is measured by
applying rated phase to neutral voltage between line terminals
connected together and the neutral.
Measurement of third harmonics:
Third harmonics in phase currents add together at the neutral,
cause increase in the earth current .
Line terminals are joined together and single phase supply is
applied between these and the neutral point .
Zero sequence impedance Zo = 3V/I (V-test voltage , I- test
current)

Short circuit current withstand test: (Series Reactors)

To prove mechanical capability at rated short time current

and
in case of reactor with a magnetic core or shield, to
measure impedance corresponding to the rated short time
current.

Test consists of two applications of rated short time

current,
each of a duration of ten cycles, the first peak having a
crest value of 1.8x2 times rms value.

Three phase reactors are subjected to two three-phase tests

one with maximum asymmetry of short circuit current in
the centre phase and the other with maximum asymmetry
in an outer phase.

Reactor is again tested for impedance, di-electric tests and

visual inspection done to ascertain the capability for Shortcircuit withstand.

TOLERANCES APPLICABLE
1.

REACTANCE

5% OF RATED IMPEDANCE AT
RATED FREQUENCY

NB : THE REACTANCES IN THE THREE PHASES; WHEN

CONNECTED TO A SYSTEM OF SYMMETRICAL VOLTAGES,
SHALL NOT DEVIATE FROM THE AVERAGE MORE THAN
2%.
2.

V/I CHARACTERISTIC:
RATED

5% AT RATED VOLTAGE AND

FREQUENCY

3.

LOSS

NOT TO EXCEED 15% ON

GUARANTEED LOSS

CEA SPECIFICATIONS OF SHUNT REACTORS

STANDARD RATINGS
RATED VOLTAGE
LINEARITY
PU
BIL, LINE, LI/SI
BIL, NEUTRAL,AC/LI
PD AT 364 kV
XO
X1
VIBRATION LEVEL
NOISE LEVEL

50, 63, 80 MVAr

420 kV
STRAIGHT UPTO 1.5
1300/1050 kVp
230 kV RMS/550 kVp
LESS THAN 500 pC
0.9 TO 1.0
200 max. P-P
81 dB FOR 50, 63 MVAr
83 dB FOR 80 MVAr

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLLED SHUNT

REACTORS
1.

MOVING CORE TYPE

ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO VARIATION OF INDUCTANCE
WAS ACHIEVED BY MOVING CORE INSIDE THE
COIL.DUE TO COMPLICATED MECHANICAL
MOVEMENT etc SUCH REACTORS USED ONLY IN TEST
INSTALLATIONS.

2.

BBC TYPE REACTOR TRANSFORMER-1979

750 kV450 MVA HYDRO-QUEBECK CANADACHARACTERISED BY HUGE HARMONIC CONTENT REQUIRING HUGE FILTER BANKS WITH
CONTINUOUS MAINTENANCE
(CHANGE OF FAILED CAPACITORS ETC.)

3.

BHEL TYPE-2001

MERITS / DEMERITS OF CSR

1. PROHIBITIVE COST
2.

3 TIMES COSTLIER THAN A STANDARD FIXED

CAPACITY REACTOR

HARMONIC CONTENT MUCH HIGHER THAN

A FIXED SR DUE TO FIRING ANGLE OF THYRISTORS.
CALLS FOR HUGE FILTER BANKS WHICH
REQUIRES CONTINUOUS MAINTENANCE
(CHANGE OF FAILED CAPACITORS ETC.)
CONTD..

3. BROWN BOVERI MADE SUCH REACTOR

TRANSFORMER IN 1979 WHICH HAD SEVERE
HARMONIC PROBLEMS AND NEVER REPEATED
THEREAFTER.
4. POWERGRID, DID NOT REPEAT ITARSI
EXPERIENCE.
5. LOSSES OF A CSR BEING A TRANSFORMER
ARE HIGH , 200 KW COMPARED TO 90 KW
OF SR.
IF CSR OPERATES FOR 12 HOURS 12 X 200
KWH ( = 2400) COMPARED TO 24 X 90 (=2160)
- PRACTICALLY NO SAVING
contd..

6.

RELIABILITY IS AN ISSUE

FIXED SR IS SIMPLE EQUIPMENT OF

PROVEN TECHNOLOGY.

REACTOR TRANSFORMER HAS SEVERAL

WINDINGS WITH POWERFUL LEAKAGE
FIELD WHICH PRODUCES HOT SPOTS.

THANK YOU