1

Transient Analysis of Shunt Reactor Switching

(December 2005)
Ariel Rivera-Coln, Student Member, IEEE

Juan L. Vargas-Figueroa, Student Member, IEEE

Lionel R. Orama-Exclusa, Member, IEEE

Abstract This paper presented the study of the transient

phenomena originating from the shunt reactor energizing and
de-energizing on the IEEE 14 bus transmission systems. These
shunt reactor were installed in the load busbar to present the
differences between solidly grounded and ungrounded banks.
The TRV of Shunt Reactor Bank de-energization is worst for
ungrounded reactor bank. The shunt reactors must be to remove
under full-load conditions to improve the line loadability.
Simulations were made using the software program ATP/EMTP.
Index Terms Shunt reactor, Transient Recovery voltage
(TRV), Switching operations, ATP/EMTP.

I. INTRODUCTION

nductors and capacitors are used on substation busbars,

medium-length and long transmission lines to increase line
loadability and to maintain voltages near rated values. A high
voltage reactor is relatively frequently switched, during the
periods of the system operations with low loads it is energized
and with the rise of load it is de-energized again. The
inductors absorb reactive power and reduce overvoltages
during light load conditions, also reduce transient
overvoltages due to switching and lighting surges [1, 4]. The
shunt reactors can reduce line loadability if they are not
removed under full-load conditions. During the energization,
high unsymmetrical currents can occur. At de-energization, a
transient recovery voltage occurs in the breaker contacts with
considerable magnitude [10].
The switching overvoltage can be dangerous for the
equipment if their peak value exceeds the rated switching
impulse withstand voltage of the equipment [6]. It is very
important to know the level of dielectric stress that occurs
during operation in the system in order to avoid insulation
failures. Each interruption involves a complex interaction
between the circuit breaker and the source and the reactor
(load side) circuits. This interaction results in overvoltages
dependent on system parameters and characteristics of the
load [7].
This work is the final project of INEL 6077: Surge Phenomena.
Ariel Rivera-Coln is with the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagez
Campus, P.R. 00680 (e-mail: ariel.rivera@ece.uprm.edu)
Juan L.Vargas-Figueroa is with the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagez
Campus, P.R. 00680 (e-mail: juan.vargas@ece.uprm.edu)

Overvoltage relays may be used to disconnect the reactors

under extreme high-voltage conditions [9]. However in this
case, the associated transmission line must be de-energized at
the same time, otherwise disconnection of the reactors would
only further aggravate the overvoltage condition on the
system.
The main objective of this paper is to report some transient
phenomena caused by the energization and de-energization of
shunt reactors connected on wye grounded and ungrounded in
a substation busbar.
II. POWER SYSTEM IEEE 14 BUS
System under study will be the IEEE 14 bus transmission
system presented in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1: IEEE 14 bus transmission system.

III. SHUNT REACTOR PARAMETERS

For the simulations in our study, the wye connected shunt
reactor was grounded as is shown on figure 2, the following
parameters: R= 2 (M/phase), L= 0.9 (H/phase), r= 5
(/phase) and C= 2.4 (nF/phase).

2
10.0
[kA]
7.5
r
R

5.0

C
L

2.5

0.0

-2.5
-5.0
-7.5
-10.0
16.66

Fig. 2: Shunt reactor model.

16.67

16.67

16.67

16.67

(file case14ATPasineliminarcargasPow er2.pl4; x-var t) c:X0075A-X0288A

c:X0075C-X0288C

16.67 [ms] 16.67

c:X0075B-X0288B

Fig. 4: Breaker inrush current at the closing.

The shunt reactors were connected for the simulation in the

14 bus system at the load bus X0172 as shown in Fig. 3. The
system line to line voltage is 115kV.

V. SHUNT REACTOR DE-ENERGIZATION TRANSIENT

When a circuit breaker interrupts shunt reactor current
several transient phenomena is be observed [7]. However not
all of them occur necessarily during each interruption with
small inductive currents, the medium used for arc
extinguishing will develop fast residual column resistance,
and abrupt current interruption before its natural zero crossing
may occurs [2,3]. Release of energy stored in the reactor
inductance will cause the electromagnetic transients that lead
to switching overvoltages. These transients and their
oscillation modes are dependent by the load and the system
configuration where the reactor is installed.
Fig. 5 shows an increase in the bus voltage, from 87.927kV
to 91.802kV, when the shunt reactor is de-energized with no
load or light load.

Fig. 3: Reactor Bank connected at load bus X0172.

IV. SHUNT REACTOR ENERGIZATION TRANSIENT

During the closing, high unsymmetrical phase inrush
currents with long time constant occurred [3]. Figure 4 present
the inrush currents that pass through the contact breaker with
wye shunt reactors. This is a very fast current transient that
can be near of 10kA and the maximum transient overvoltages
are obtained from closing at an instant corresponding to peak
voltage across breaker poles and their magnitude depends on
the values of the network parameters [5].

Fig. 5: Shunt Reactor voltage effect.

Figure 6 shows the Transient Recovery Voltage that occurs

across the contacts of the breaker when it is opening with the
shunt reactor grounded. This TRV is the difference between
the voltage on the system busbar and the voltage in the

3
reactor. It depends on the current flowing thought of the
breaker, before the interruption took place.

VL = L

Fig. 8 represents the current in the breaker when the grounded

reactor bank was opened.
300

di
dt

[A]
200

100

300
[A]
200

100

-100

-200

-100

-300
0

10

12

(file case14ATPasineliminarcargasPow er2.pl4; x-var t) c:X0176A-X0081A

c:X0176C-X0081C

-200

14 [ms] 16

c:X0176B-X0081B

Fig. 8 represents the current of the breaker when it was opened.

-300
0

10

(file case14ATPasineliminarcargasPow er.pl4; x-var t) c:X0077A-X0284A

c:X0077C-X0284C

12

14 [ms] 16

c:X0077B-X0284B

Fig. 9 presents the TRV in the contacts of the breaker with

the shunt reactors grounded. This TRV has a damping ratio
like ungrounded.

Fig. 6 represents the current of the breaker when it was opened.

When the current change abruptly Fig. 6, this differential of

current is higher and consequently the voltage too.
Fig. 7 presents the TRV in the contacts of the breaker with
the shunt reactors ungrounded. This TRV has a damping ratio
caused by the internal resistances in the shunt reactors.
The rate of rise of recovery voltage (R.R.R.V.) is important
because it gives a measure of circuit severity from a
switchgear point of view. Following the American National
Standard for the outdoor circuit breaker, the rating of the rate
of rise of recovery voltage should not exceed 2.0 kV/s.
This peak voltage is around of 260KV that is 2.768988 pu
and the rise time is 0.1468 ms, then the R.R.R.V. of the study
case is equal to 1.77 kV/s which is in the range established
by ANSI [8].

Breaker TRV

200
[kV]
150
100
50
0
-50
-100
-150
-200
0

10

20

30

(file case14ATPasineliminarcargas.pl4; x-var t) v:X0077A-X0284A

v:X0077C-X0284C

40

[ms]

v:X0077B-X0284B

Fig. 9: TRV of wye shunt reactor solidly grounded.

200
[kV]

The peak voltage of this transient is 173.14 kV that is

1.843933 pu. This value of peak voltage is close to the 2.0 pu
that is expected.
As mentioned before the amplitude of the voltage is 173.14
kV and the rise time is 0.1385 ms, then the R.R.R.V. of the
study case is equal to 1.25 kV/s which is in the range
established by ANSI [8]. In this case, the TRV can be
observed that the voltage between the contacts of the breaker
at the opening operation is smaller that with the shunt reactor
ungrounded.

100

-100

-200

-300
0

10

20

30

(file case14ATPasineliminarcargas.pl4; x-var t) v:X0077A-X0284A

v:X0077C-X0284C

40
v:X0077B-X0284B

Fig. 7: TRV of wye shunt reactor ungrounded.

[ms]

50

50

4
Braker TRV (Zoom)

20

VII. REFERENCES

[kV]
-20

-60

-100

-140

-180
8.5

8.6

8.7

8.8

8.9

(file case14ATPasineliminarcargas.pl4; x-var t) v:X0077A-X0284A

v:X0077C-X0284C

9.0

9.1

[ms]

v:X0077B-X0284B

Fig. 10: Zoom of Fig. 9

Fig. 11 shows the system with light load at 91,866V in the bus
voltage and decrease to 87,528V when the reactor bank is
connected, then the load is restored and it decrease to 84,134V
and is needed removed the reactor bank to increase the bus
voltage.

9.2

[1] Ching-Yin Lee, Chang-Jhih Chen, Chao-Rong Chen,

Yen-Feng Hsu "Comparison of Transient Phenomena
when Switching Shunt Reactors on the Lines Two
Terminals and Station Busbar," presented at
POWERCON 2004, Singapore, 21-24 November 2004.
[2] G. W. Chang, H. M. Huang, J.H. Lai, "Modeling SF6
Circuit Breaker for Shunt Reactor Switching Transient
Analysis," presented at POWERCON 2004, Singapore,
21-24 November 2004.
[3] I. Uglesic, S. Hutter, M. Krepela, B. Filipovic, F. Jakl
"Transients Due to Switching of 400 kV Shunt Reactor"
presented at International Conference on Power Systems
Transients, Ro de Janeiro, Brazil, June 24-28, 2001.
[4] J. D. Glover, M. S. Sarma, Power System Analysis and
Design, Third Ed., 2002.
[5] C. D. Tsirekis, N. D. Hatziargyriou "Control of Shunt
Capacitors and Shunt Reactors Energization Transients,"
presented at International Conference on Power Systems
Transients, New Orleans, USA, 2003.
[6] B. Khodabakhchian, J. Mahseredjian, M.-R. Sehati, M.
Mir-Hosseini, "Potential Risk of Failures in Switching
EHV Shunt Reactors in Some One-and-a-half Breaker
Scheme Substations," presented at International
Conference on Power Systems Transients, New Orleans,
USA, 2003.
[7] D. F. Peelo, E. M. Ruoss, "A New IEEE Application
Guide for Shunt Reactor Switching," IEEE Transactions
on Power Delivery, Vol. 11, No. 2, April 1996.
[8] American National Standard, AC High-Voltage Circuit
Breakers Rated on a Symmetrical Current Basis-Preferred
Ratings and Related Required Capabilities. ANSI/IEEE
C37.06-2000
[9] American National Standard, IEEE Guide for the
Protection of Shunt Reactors. ANSI/IEEE C37.109-1988
[10] A. Greenwood, Electrical Transients in Power Systems,
Second Ed., 1991.

Fig. 11: Load and Shunt Reactor Switching Response

VI. CONCLUSION
This paper study the transient phenomena that occur when a
shunt reactor grounded and ungrounded are switching in the
load busbar. The TRV of Shunt Reactor Bank de-energization
is worst for ungrounded reactor bank.
These switching operations of shunt reactor are relatively
frequent on each day and primarily depend on power network
loading. Then of several simulations with ATP/EMTP it is
demonstrated that the major difference using the shunt reactor
grounded is that the transient recovery voltage and the
R.R.R.V. are less than ungrounded. The shunt reactors must
be to remove under full-load conditions to improve the line
loadability.