Different Techniques of Reactive Power Compensation

Pradeep Singh Thakur

Department of Electronics & Electrical Engineering
(RE3412 A-26)
Lovely Professional University
Phagwara, Punjab, India-144411
e-mail : dadwal_singh5226@yahoo.com

Synopsis
Now a days, nothing is possible without electricity. Without electricity modern society would cease to
function. As the volume of power transmitted and distributed increases, so do the requirements for a high
quality and reliable supply. Thus, reactive power control and voltage control in an electrical power system is
important for proper operation for electrical power equipment to prevent damage such as overheating of
generators and motors , to reduce transmission losses and to maintain the ability of the system to withstand and
prevent voltage collapse. As, the power transfer grow, the power system becomes increasingly more complex to
operate and the system become less secure. It may lead to large power with inadequate control, excessive
reactive power in various parts of the system and large dynamic swings between different parts of the system,
thus the full potential of transmission interconnections cannot be utilized.
In power transmission, reactive power plays an important role. Reactive power has been recognized as an
important factor in the design and operation of alternating current electric power systems. Since the impedance
of the network components are mainly reactive, the transmission of active power requires a difference in
angular phase between the voltages at the sending end and the receiving end. While the transmission of reactive
power requires a difference in magnitude of these same voltages. Reactive power is consumed not only by most
of the network elements, but also by most of the consumer loads.
Reactive Power (VAR) compensation is defined as the management of reactive power to improve the
performance of AC systems. There are two aspects:a) Load Compensation[1]:- The main objectives are to(i)
Increase the power factor of the system.
(ii)
To balance the real power drawn from the system.
(iii)
Compensate Voltage Regulation.
(iv)
To eliminate the current harmonics.
b) Voltage Support[2]:- The main purpose is to decrease the voltage fluctuation at a given terminal of
transmission line. Therefore the VAR compensation improves the stability of AC system by increasing
the maximum active power that can be transmitted.
Power is referred as the product of voltage and current.
i.e. Power=VI.
The portion of electricity that establishes and sustains the electric and magnetic fields of AC equipment.
Reactive power must be supplied to most types of magnetic equipment, such as motors and transformers. In AC
transmission, when the voltage and current grow up and down at the same time, only real power is transmitted
and when there is a time shift between voltage and current both active and reactive power are transmitted.

Why we need reactive power?

In resistive loads the current produces the heat energy which produces the desired output but in case of
inductive loads the current creates the magnetic field which further produces the desired work. Therefore

reactive power is the non-working power caused by the magnetic current to operate and sustain magnetism in
the device. Reactive power is required to maintaining the voltage to deliver active power through transmission
lines. When there is not enough reactive power the voltage sags down and it is not possible to deliver the
required power to load through lines.
Reactive power generated by the AC power source is stored in a capacitor or a reactor during a quarter of a
circle and in the next quarter of the cycle it is sent back to the power source. Therefore the reactive power
oscillates between the AC source and the capacitor or reactor at a frequency equals to two times the rated value
(50 or 60 Hz). So to avoid the circulation between the load and source it needs to be compensated. Also to
regulate the Power factor of the system and maintain the voltage stability we need to compensate reactive
power.

Different Techniques of Reactive Power Compensation

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Shunt Compensation.
Series Compensation.
Synchronous Condensers.
Static VAR Compensators.
Static Compensators.

1. Shunt compensation (parallel) for the transmission line capacitance is also carried out through
connecting parallel inductors to absorb the reactive power generated or injected by the line
capacitance[3][4].
2. Series compensation reduces the series impedance of the line which causes voltage drop and is the most
important factor in finding the maximum power transfer [5].
3. A device whose main function is the improvement of power factor of the electrical system is known as
synchronous condenser. It is installed at the receiving end of the line.
4. A static VAR compensator is an electrical device for providing reactive power in transmission networks.
It is an automatic impedance matching device, designed to bring the system nearer to the unity power
factor.
5. A static compensator is constructed using a voltage source converter (VSC). Such a shunt compensating
device is called static compensator or STATCOM.

References
[1] T. J. Miller, Reactive power control in electric systems ( John Willey & Sons , 1982).
[2] E. Warnner, R. Mathys, M. Hausler, Compensation systems for industry, Brown Boveri Review, vol. 70, pp. 330-340,
Sept./Oct. 1983.
[3] S.V.N.Jathin Sundar,G.Vaishanavi, Performance study of a Continuously Controlled Shunt Reactor for Bus voltage
Management in EHV systems ,International Conference on Power Systems Transients (IPST07) in Lyon,France on June
4-7 , 2007.
[4] Hong Chan-Practices of Reactive Power Management and Compensation
[5] Kothari, D. P. and Nagrath, I. J., Modern power system analysis (3rd Edition, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, 2003).