Reactor Installation
Reactor Installation
(OP)
What are the necessary testing and commissioning required for a new installation of current limiting reactor in series with the power transformer.We are shutting down one of the transformer and restore power after installation of reactors.






RE: Reactor Installation
RE: Reactor Installation
You should also check all of the connection resistances with a DLRO, which is now a standard test for any electrical device.
RE: Reactor Installation
If so, there's not much to test in the field, past maybe a winding resistance test and an inductance test. You won't be able to generate enough voltage (most likely) to do a meaningful insulation test, plus, since it's a series device, the insulation rarely is an issue.
RE: Reactor Installation
An issue that is more of a problem with air core reactors than most other types of equipment is induction heating of nearby conductors. If large reactors are within several feet of a reinforced concrete wall the stray flux may cause enough current and heating in the re-bars to damage the wall.
A test that is almost unique to air core resistors is an inspection of nearby surfaces for excess heating under high current conditions. In some installations aluminum sheets may be mounted a few inches in front of concrete walls so that the flux bloom will cause heating in the aluminum rather than in the re-bar behind it.
respectfully
RE: Reactor Installation
With respect, I don't agree with your comments on the aluminum sheets, etc... AL is non-ferrous and would not shield magnetic field heat influences.
I work for an air-core reactor manufacturer and I've never heard of such installations. Can you shed some more light on what you're talking about?
RE: Reactor Installation
You may be right.
I have seen the aluminum sheets installed and when I asked I was told that the eddy currents set up by the flux in the aluminum created an opposing flux that diverted the flux away from the re-bar in the wall behind the aluminum. This may have been the engineering equivalent of an urban legend.
I understand that the heating effects caused by air core reactors are dependent on the current through the reactors and can be damaging during sustained fault conditions.
I do think that the possibility of heating of anything in the vicinity of an air core reactor is something to be aware of during acceptance tests.
As far as shielding with aluminum, I have only seen it used once and never saw a heavy current on the reactors. I welcome any other information or comments.
respectfully
RE: Reactor Installation
To my knowledge, this technique is occasionally applied to screen substations installed in or near buildings with sensitive electronics, such as hospitals. In addition, to my knowledge the effect from magnetic fields on the human body is not yet well understood, so this may also be one of the reasons to screen.
RE: Reactor Installation
respectfully
RE: Reactor Installation
I'll need to read it in detail, but my knee-jerk comment is that I'm not sure that would be applicable for real-life applications. The magnitudes of mag field being used is extremely low, relative to a real s/s application. Also, the field shape for a bus bar is much different than for an air-core reactor.
I can tell you this....shielding mag field with AL plate for a 2000A, 4 ohm, 230 kV reactor would be a big waste of time :)
RE: Reactor Installation
RE: Reactor Installation
RE: Reactor Installation
Warros is right-in oil filled series reactors aluminuim shielding is generally used to shield the tank .What scottf may be refering to is dry type reactors where there is no metal container and no need for shielding.
Thank you supermacc for sharing that excellent tutorial.
RE: Reactor Installation