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5
MECHANICALLY SWITCHED
FACTS CONTROLLERS

Various connections of mechanically switched capacitors and reactors in shunt and/or

series with a transmission line allow the modification of the line voltage and, in the
process, the power flow in the transmission line changes. The objective in this chapter
is to show that the mechanically switched shunt- and series-connected capacitors and
reactors can be used as FACTS controllers. The same operating points are studied us-
ing VSC-based FACTS controllers in Chapter 8.

5.1 SHUNT COMPENSATION

Both mechanically switched capacitors and reactors are studied in this section.

5.1.1 Mechanically Switched Capacitor (MSC)

It is discussed in Chapter 2 that a shunt-connected capacitor, shown in Figure 5-1, in-
creases the line voltage at the point of compensation and also increases the delivery of
reactive power to the receiving end of the transmission line significantly more than the
delivery of active power. As an example, the shunt-connected reactance from the ca-
pacitor is adjusted until the reactive current drawn from the line at the point of com-

Introduction to FACTS Controllers. By Kalyan K. Sen and Mey Ling Sen 107
Copyright 2009 The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
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108 MECHANICALLY SWITCHED FACTS CONTROLLERS

Ps' , Q s'

Vs Qc-sh SHNBRK V2 Vs'

V1
I1q Xc

Figure 5-1. Shunt-connected mechanically switched capacitor.

pensation is one pu. The resulting line voltage is 1.035 pu. Therefore, the shunt-con-
nected compensating reactance is

X c = X pu Zbase = 1.035 119.02 = 123.19

where Xpu = (Vpu/Ipu) = 1.035/1 = 1.035 pu. Therefore, the shunt-connected capacitor C
= 1/(Xc) = 1/(2 60 123.19) = 21.532 F.
A shunt-connected capacitive reactance is run from the main file 501SHREA.DAT
(see Appendix C, Section 29) with the user file 502SHREA.USR (see Appendix C,
Section 30), and the control file 503SHREA.CON (see Appendix C, Section 31). The
corresponding shunt capacitive reactance branch file is 321SHRE1.BRN (see Appen-
dix C, Section 19).
Figure 5-2 shows the digital simulation results from connecting a three-phase shunt
capacitor bank to the transmission line. Between 0 and 50 ms, the shunt breaker
(SNHBRK) stays open and the natural voltage at the point of compensation is 0.99 pu.
At 50 ms, the SNHBRK closes and the shunt capacitor is connected to the line. The in-
rush current (i1a) of phase a exceeds four pu. The instantaneous voltage of phase a ex-
ceeds 0.75 pu over the nominal value. Under steady-state conditions, the current (i1a)
of phase a through the shunt capacitor leads the line voltage (v1a) of phase a by 90
with a magnitude of one pu. The line voltage becomes 1.03 pu at the point of compen-
sation. Therefore, the compensating reactive power becomes 1.03 pu (capacitive). At
250 ms, the SNHBRK opens to disconnect the shunt capacitor from the line, the cur-
rent through the shunt capacitor reduces to zero, and the line voltage at the point of
compensation becomes the original 0.99 pu. When the capacitor disconnects, a spike
in voltage occurs at the point of compensation due to the sudden change in flow of cur-
rent through the line inductance.
Just prior to closing the switch, the voltage on one side of the contact of the shunt
breaker (SHNBRK) is the capacitor voltage, which is zero. On the other side of the
contact is the line voltage and it is different instantaneously on three different phases.
The worst inrush current will occur in any phase if the contact closes on a peak volt-
age. The most desirable scenario is if the contact closes on zero voltage.
The inrush current through the capacitor can be limited by connecting the shunt ca-
pacitor through a series reactor, as shown in Figure 5-3. After some time, the series re-
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5.1 SHUNT COMPENSATION 109

V, A , VA R cap acitive natural

(pu )

I1 q time
(ms)
0
10 0 20 0 30 0
Qc-sh

-1

-2

2
i1 a
v1 a
V1
1

-1

-2

Figure 5-2. Exchanged reactive power and the resulting voltages and currents due to
a shunt-connected mechanically switched capacitor to a transmission line.
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110 MECHANICALLY SWITCHED FACTS CONTROLLERS

Ps' , Q s'

Vs Qc-sh SHNBRK V2 Vs'

BYPBRK X byp V1

I1q Xc

Figure 5-3. Shunt-connected mechanically switched capacitor with series reactor.

actor is shorted out by closing a bypass breaker (BYPBRK) and leaving only the shunt
capacitor in the circuit. The bypass reactor (Xbyp) is chosen to be 20% of the compen-
sating reactance (Xc) with a quality factor (Q) of 10.
A shunt-connected capacitor with bypassed reactor is run from the main file
504SHREA.DAT (same as 501SHREA.DAT with a change of shunt reactance file)
with the user file 505SHREA.USR (see Appendix C, Section 32). The corresponding
shunt capacitive reactance branch file is 322SHRE2.BRN (see Appendix C, Section
20).
Figure 5-4 shows the digital simulation results when a three-phase shunt capacitor
bank is connected to the transmission line through three-phase series reactors that are
bypassed after a certain time. Between 0 and 50 ms, the shunt breaker (SNHBRK)
stays open and the natural voltage at the point of compensation is 0.99 pu. At 50 ms,
the SNHBRK closes and the shunt capacitor with the series reactor is connected to the
line. The inrush current (i1a) of phase a barely exceeds 3.2 pu. The instantaneous volt-
age (v1a) of phase a reaches 0.18 pu over the nominal value. At 150 ms, the BYPBRK
closes to short out the series reactor, causing some transients to occur in currents and
voltages. After the transients die out, the current (i1a) of phase a through the shunt ca-
pacitor leads the line voltage (v1a) of phase a by 90 with a magnitude of one pu. From
this point onward, the circuit operation is the same as before.

5.1.2 Mechanically Switched Reactor (MSR)

It is discussed in Chapter 2 that a shunt-connected reactor, shown in Figure 5-5, de-
creases the line voltage at the point of compensation and also decreases the delivery of
reactive power to the receiving end of the transmission line significantly more than the
delivery of active power.
The shunt-connected reactor is adjusted until the reactive current drawn from the
line at the point of compensation is one pu. The resulting line voltage is 0.94 pu. The
shunt-connected compensating reactance is
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5.1 SHUNT COMPENSATION 111

V, A, VAR capacitive natural

(pu)

1
I1q
time
(ms)
0
100 200 300
Qc-sh
-1

i1a
v1a
V1
1

-1

Figure 5-4. Exchanged reactive power and the resulting voltages and currents due to
a shunt-connected mechanically switched capacitor (with a series reactor) to a trans-
mission line.
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112 MECHANICALLY SWITCHED FACTS CONTROLLERS

Ps' , Q s'

Vs Qc-sh SHNBRK V2 Vs'

V1
I1q Xc

Figure 5-5. Shunt-connected mechanically switched reactor.

X c = X pu Zbase = 0.94 119.02 = 111.89

where Xpu = (Vpu/Ipu) = 0.94/1 = 0.94 pu. Therefore, the shunt-connected reactor L =
Xc/ = 111.89/(2 60) = 296.78 mH.
A resistor (R) connected in parallel to the reactor is R = Q (L) = 10 (2 60
296.78 103) = 1118.834 , where the quality factor, Q = R/(L), is considered to
be 10. The equivalent series combination of resistor and reactor is

1 1118.834
Rs = R = = 11.077
1 + Q2 101

and

Q2 100
Ls = L = 296.78 = 293.84 mH
1+ Q 2
101

A shunt-connected reactor is run from the main file 501SHREA.DAT with a differ-
ent shunt reactor branch file 323SHRE3.BRN (see Appendix C, Section 21).
Figure 5-6 shows the digital simulation results when a three-phase shunt reactor
bank is connected to the transmission line. Between 0 and 50 ms, the shunt breaker
(SNHBRK) stays open and the natural voltage at the point of compensation is 0.99 pu.
At 50 ms, the SNHBRK closes and the shunt reactor is connected to the line. After the
closing of the breaker, the current through the reactor builds up from its zero initial
condition. Under steady-state conditions, the current (i1a) of phase a through the shunt
reactor lags the line voltage (v1a) of phase a by 90 with a magnitude of one pu. The
line voltage becomes 0.94 pu at the point of compensation. Therefore, the compensat-
ing reactive power becomes 0.94 pu. At 250 ms, the SNHBRK opens to disconnect the
shunt reactor from the line. The current through the shunt reactor drops to zero, caus-
ing a spike voltage across the reactor. There is also a spike in voltage at the point of
compensation due to the sudden change in flow of current through the line inductance.
The line voltage at the point of compensation becomes the original 0.99 pu.
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5.2 SERIES COMPENSATION 113

V, A, VAR inductive natural

(pu)

1
Qc-sh
time
(ms)
0
100 200 300
I1q

-1

i1a
V1 v1a
1

-1

Figure 5-6. Exchanged reactive power and the resulting voltages and currents due to
a shunt-connected reactor to a transmission line.

5.2 SERIES COMPENSATION

Both mechanically switched reactors and capacitors are studied in this section.

5.2.1 Mechanically Switched Reactor (MSR)

It is discussed in Chapter 2 that a series-connected reactor, shown in Figure 5-7, modi-
fies the effective reactance of the transmission line between its two ends and regulates
the active and reactive power flows in the line simultaneously.

SRSBK1
Ps' , Q s'
Qc-se SRSBK2 SRSBK3
I

Vs V1 X L1 X L2 X L3 V2 Vs'

Figure 5-7. Series-connected mechanically switched reactor.

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114 MECHANICALLY SWITCHED FACTS CONTROLLERS

In this example, the series-connected reactors are inserted in three stages. All three
series breakers (SRSBK1, SRSBK2, and SRSBK3) are closed initially, leaving the line
with its natural active power flow of 1.31 pu and reactive power flow of 0.43 pu at the
receiving end. Each of the three series-connected compensating reactances is XL1 = XL2
= XL3 = 0.15 Zbase = 0.15 119.025 = 17.854 . Therefore, the value of each com-
pensating reactor is L1 = XL1/ = 17.854/(2 60) = 47.358 H. The first compen-
sating reactor (XL1) has a quality factor (Q) of 10, whereas the other two reactors (XL2
and XL3) have a quality factor of . In Chapter 8, it is considered that the compensating
reactance (XL1) represents the leakage reactance of the series coupling transformer.
A series-connected reactor is run from the main file 506SEREA.DAT (see Appen-
dix C, Section 33) with the user file 507SEREA.USR (see Appendix C, Section 34),
and the control file 508SEREA.CON (see Appendix C, Section 35). The corresponding
series reactor branch file is 324SERE1.BRN (see Appendix C, Section 22).
Figure 5-8 shows the digital simulation results when a three-phase series reactor
bank is connected to the transmission line. The normally closed series breaker 1 (SRS-
BK1) opens at t = 25 ms and stays open for the next 275 ms to connect the reactor
(XL1) in series with the transmission line between BUS01 and BUS02. A voltage (v12a)
develops between BUS01 and BUS02. Both the active and reactive power flows (Pr
and Qr) in the line decrease. Further increases in the inductive compensation at 50 ms
and 175 ms (by opening the series breakers SRSBK2 and SRSBK3) decrease the ac-
tive and reactive power flows in the line simultaneously. These operating points are
verified in series compensation with VSCs in Chapter 8. The compensating reactive
power (Qc-se) exchanged with the line is shown. At 300 ms, all the series breakers are
closed, bypassing the series inductive compensation. The line current and power flow
go back to the original uncompensated levels.

V, I, P, Q Q c-se
inductive natural
(pu)
0
ia
Pr

0 Qr

-1 v12a
time
(ms)
200 400 600

Figure 5-8. Effect of a series-connected reactor into the transmission line.

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5.2 SERIES COMPENSATION 115

SRSBK1
Ps' , Q s'
Qc-se SRSBK2
I

Vs V1 XL XC V2 Vs'

Figure 5-9. Series-connected mechanically switched capacitor with reactor.

5.2.2 Mechanically Switched Capacitor (MSC) with a Reactor

In this example, the series reactances from a three-phase reactor and capacitor banks,
shown in Figure 5-9, are inserted in two stages. The two series breakers (SRSBK1 and
SRSBK2) are closed initially, leaving the line with its natural active power flow of 1.31
pu and reactive power flow of 0.43 pu at the receiving end. The first series-connected
compensating reactance is XL = 0.15 Zbase = 0.15 119.025 = 17.854 and its induc-
tance is L = XL/ = 17.854/(2 60) = 47.358 H. Its quality factor (Q) is 10. The
second series-connected compensating reactance is XC = 0.15 Zbase = 0.15 119.025
= 17.854 and its capacitance is C = 1/(XC) = 1/(17.854 2 60) = 148.57 F.
A series-connected inductive/capacitive reactance is run from the main file
509SEREA.DAT that is same as 506SEREA.DAT with a different series reactance file
325SERE2.BRN (see Appendix C, Section 23).
Figure 5-8 shows the digital simulation results when a three-phase series reactor/ca-
pacitor banks are connected to the transmission line. The normally closed series break-

V, I, P, Q
inductive/capacitive natural
(pu)
0
Q c-se ia
Pr

0 Qr

-1 v12a
time
(ms)
200 400 600

Figure 5-10. Effect of a series-connected reactor/capacitor in the transmission line.

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116 MECHANICALLY SWITCHED FACTS CONTROLLERS

er 1 (SRSBK1) opens at t = 25 ms and stays open for the next 275 ms to connect the re-
actor (XL) in series with the transmission line between BUS01 and BUS02. A voltage
(v12a) develops between BUS01 and BUS02. Both active and reactive power flows (Pr
and Qr) in the line decrease. At 50 ms, series breaker 2 (SRSBK2) is opened, adding
15% capacitive compensation that nullifies the inductive compensation that is already
in place. These operating points are verified in series compensation with VSCs in
Chapter 8. The compensating reactive power (Qc-se) exchanged with the line is shown.
At 300 ms, all the series breakers are closed, bypassing the series inductive and capac-
itive compensations. The line current and power flow go back to the original uncom-
pensated levels.