Capacitor Reactor Damage

Should reactors be in series with capacitors?

The vulnerability of capacitors to damage from harmonic currents, inrush currents, and overvoltage in reactive power compensation systems necessitates a meticulous approach. To combat these issues and steer clear of parallel resonance, the introduction of reactors in series with capacitors becomes imperative.

Can a capacitor breaker fail without a limiting reactor?

The use of outrush reactors for limiting outrush currents from a capacitor bank during a fault is one of considerable debate and discussion. The issue surrounds the contention that the peak outrush current from a fault without a current limiting reactor could cause a circuit breaker to fail.

Why are detuned reactors used in series with capacitors?

Hence, the use of detuned reactors in series with capacitors offers higher impedance for harmonics, thus eliminating the risk of overload in capacitors. The inductance value of detuned reactors is selected such that the resonance frequency is less than 90% of the dominant harmonic in the spectrum.

Why do capacitor switching devices use outrush reactors?

The use of outrush reactors is a good thing for capacitor switching devices that do not have an intrinsic current limiting feature such as a closing resistor. When multiple banks are in parallel, this back-to-back inrush limits the contact life of these non-resistor switching devices as well.

What happens if a capacitor bank value is reduced?

If the value of the reactors for both capacitor bank is reduced by one fourth value the frequency and peak value of inrush current due capacitor bank switching would double 1. With this reduced reactor value the frequency of inrush due to cable is not reduced, however, it gets damped early and hence reduces the contact deterioration.

Does large inrush current limiting reactor cause adverse effect?

The detailed analysis, verified through simulations, leads to counter intuitive result of adverse effect of large inrush current limiting reactor. The role of the parallel underground cables on source side and the cable connecting the VCB to the capacitor bank is also studied.