VOLTAGE R EG UL A T O R

WHY DO WE NEED A VOLTAGE REGULATOR?

•POWER QUALITY CRITERIA REQUIRES A CONSTANT VOLTAGE DESPITE VARIATIONS IN
LOAD CURRENT

• IF THE VOLTAGE AT THE SUBSTATION IS SET AT THE NOMINAL VOLTAGE, THE

CONSUMERS AT THE END OF THE FEEDER HAVE TOO LOW A VOLTAGE UNDER PEAK LOAD.

•IF THE VOLTAGE IS SET SO THAT CONSUMERS AT THE END OF THE FEEDER RECEIVE THE
NOMINAL VOLTAGE UNDER HEAVY LOAD, THE CONSUMERS NEAR THE SUBSTATION HAVE
TOO HIGH A VOLTAGE, AND THE VOLTAGE IS TOO HIGH FOR ALL OF THE CONSUMERS AT
LIGHT LOAD.
WHAT IS A VOLTAGE REGULATOR?
•VOLTAGE-REGULATING EQUIPMENT IS DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN A
PREDETERMINED LEVEL OF VOLTAGE AUTOMATICALLY THAT WOULD OTHERWISE
VARY WITH THE LOAD.

•A VOLTAGE REGULATOR IS GENERALLY USED TO MAINTAIN THE VOLTAGE OF A

LINE.

•A CIRCUIT WHICH IS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE LOAD AND THE POWER SOURCE,
WHICH PROVIDES A CONSTANT VOLTAGE DESPITE VARIATIONS INPUT VOLTAGE
OR OUTPUT LOAD.
•VOLTAGE REGULATOR SIMILAR TO A VOLTAGE REFERENCE, BUT PROVIDES
MORE OUTPUT CURRENT AT A LESS PRECISELY CONTROLLED VOLTAGE.
PRIMARILY USED TO “CLEAN UP” (REGULATE) A VARYING INPUT VOLTAGE
TO PROVIDE CIRCUITRY WITH A CONSTANT POWER SUPPLY VOLTAGE.

•A DEVICE USED BY UTILITIES TO STAY WITH PREFERRED VOLTAGE LEVELS

AND RANGES OF VARIATION FOR SATISFACTORY OPERATION OF
EQUIPMENT SET FORTH BY THE ANSI STANDARD.
•USED BY POWER COMPANIES TO MINIMIZE VOLTAGE DROP AND TO ENSURE
THAT THE PROPER VOLTAGE IS SUPPLIED TO CUSTOMERS.

•IT CONTROLS THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE, ELIMINATING VOLTAGE SAGS AND

SWELLS IN THE INPUT VOLTAGE.

•VOLTAGE REGULATORS LOCATED IN THE SUBSTATION OR ON A FEEDER ARE

USED TO KEEP THE VOLTAGE CONSTANT AT A FICTITIOUS REGULATION OR
REGULATING POINT WITHOUT REGARD TO THE MAGNITUDE OR POWER
FACTOR OF THE LOAD.
VOLTAGE REGULATING RELAY (VRR)
•VOLTAGE REGULATING RELAY A VOLTAGE REGULATING RELAY SENSES RMS
VOLTAGE LEVEL AND ISSUES COMMANDS TO DEVICES SUCH AS LOAD TAP
CHANGERS, WHICH THEN ADJUST THE TAP POSITION TO BRING THE
VOLTAGE BACK TO THE DESIRED LEVEL.

•THE VRR MEASURES THE VOLTAGE AT THE REGULATING POINT BY MEANS

OF LDC.
LINE-DROP COMPENSATOR
• THE LDC HAS R AND X SETTINGS THAT ARE BOTH ADJUSTABLE WITHIN THE APPROXIMATE RANGE FROM 0
TO 24V (OFTEN CALLED VOLTS BECAUSE THE CURRENT TRANSFORMERS USED WITH REGULATORS HAVE
1-A SECONDARIES).

• THE TIME DELAY IS ADJUSTABLE BETWEEN ABOUT 10 AND 120 SEC.

• PERFORMS THE AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE MAINTENANCE IS ACHIEVED BY DIAL SETTINGS OF THE
ADJUSTABLE RESISTANCE AND REACTANCE ELEMENTS OF A UNIT OF A VOLTAGE REGULATOR
•LOCATED ON THE CONTROL PANEL OF THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR.
•CONTROLS THE LOCATION OF THE REGULATING POINT BY THE R AND X SETTINGS OF THE
LDC. IF THE R AND X SETTINGS ARE SET AT ZERO, THE REGULATOR ADJUSTS THE
VOLTAGE AT ITS LOCAL TERMINAL TO THE SETTING OF THE VRR RANGE.

•IF LOAD GROWTH OCCURS, HOWEVER, BOTH A LARGER RANGE OF REGULATION AND
LARGER REGULATOR SIZE MAY BE REQUIRED.
VOLTAGE REGULATION
VOLTAGE REGULATION THE CHANGE IN DELIVERED VOLTAGE FROM A GENERATOR OR
TRANSFORMER FROM NO-LOAD TO FULL-LOAD. VOLTAGE REGULATION IS USUALLY EXPRESSED AS
A PERCENTAGE OF THE NO-LOAD VOLTAGE. FOR A DC GENERATOR, THE VOLTAGE WILL ALWAYS
DROP AS THE LOAD INCREASES AND THE VOLTAGE REGULATION WILL BE A POSITIVE QUANTITY.
FOR AC GENERATORS AND TRANSFORMERS, VOLTAGE REGULATION IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE
MAGNITUDE OF THE NO-LOAD AND FULL-LOAD VOLTAGES (IGNORING PHASE ANGLES). FOR
CAPACITIVE (LEADING POWER FACTOR) LOADS, THE FULL-LOAD VOLTAGE MAY HAVE A HIGHER
MAGNITUDE THAN THE NO-LOAD VOLTAGE, RESULTING IN NEGATIVE VOLTAGE REGULATION. SUCH
A CONDITION MAY LEAD TO INSTABILITY AND IS UNDESIRABLE.
VOLTAGE REGULATOR VS. TRANSFORMER
THE PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF A VOLTAGE REGULATOR IS
SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THAT OF A TRANSFORMER HAVING TAPS. THIS
FORM OF REGULATOR HAS TWO FIXED WINDINGS, A PRIMARY
(HIGH-VOLTAGE) WINDING CONNECTING IN SHUNT OR ACROSS A LINE, AND
A SECONDARY OR LOW VOLTAGE WINDING CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH THE
LINE. THE SECONDARY OR SERIES WINDING IS PROVIDED WITH AS MANY
TAPS AS NECESSARY (SHOWN IN FIGURE 4.20) TO VARY THE VOLTAGE
ACROSS THIS WINDING. THIS EQUIPMENT OPERATES AS A VOLTAGE
REGULATOR BY MEANS OF A CONTROL CIRCUIT WHICH AUTOMATICALLY
CHANGES THE TAP SETTING ON THE SERIES WINDING, WHILE LEAVING THE
VOLTAGE APPLIED TO THE PRIMARY (HIGH-VOLTAGE) WINDING ALONE. THE
VARIABLE VOLTAGE IN THE SERIES WINDING CAN THUS BE ADDED OR
SUBTRACTED FROM THE INCOMING (OR PRIMARY) VOLTAGE, RESULTING IN
AN OUTGOING VOLTAGE WHICH CAN BE KEPT APPROXIMATELY CONSTANT
EVEN WHEN THE INCOMING PRIMARY VOLTAGE MAY VARY.
 A REGULATOR IS REALLY A TRANSFORMER WITH A VARIABLE RATIO. WHEN THE
OUTGOING VOLTAGE BECOMES TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW FOR ANY REASON, THIS
APPARATUS AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTS THE RATIO OF TRANSFORMATION TO BRING THE
VOLTAGE BACK TO THE PREDETERMINED VALUE. THE ADJUSTMENT IN RATIO IS
ACCOMPLISHED BY TAPPING THE WINDINGS, VARYING THE RATIO BY CONNECTING TO
THE SEVERAL TAPS. THE UNIT IS FILLED WITH OIL AND IS COOLED MUCH IN THE SAME
MANNER AS A TRANSFORMER. A PANEL MOUNTED IN FRONT OF THE REGULATOR
CONTAINS THE RELAYS AND THE OTHER EQUIPMENT WHICH CONTROL THE OPERATION OF
THE REGULATOR.
TYPES OF VOLTAGE REGULATOR: BASED ON
MOUNTING

• OVERHEAD TYPE VOLTAGE REGULATORS- ARE

SUPPLIED WITH SUPPORT BRACKETS FOR POLE
MOUNTING AND HAVE BOLT-DOWN PROVISIONS FOR
PAD-MOUNTED APPLICATIONS.
• SUBSTATION TYPE VOLTAGE REGULATORS- ARE
PROVIDED WITH RECTANGULAR SUBSTATION BASES.

- USED TO ADJUST THE VOLTAGE LEVEL OF A SPECIFIC

FEEDER SO THAT ALL THE LOADS SERVED FROM THE
TRANSFORMER CAN SAFELY OPERATE AT THEIR
INTENDED VOLTAGE LEVEL.

- THE SUBSTATION VOLTAGE REGULATOR IS TYPICALLY

CONTROLLED AND ADJUSTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE TRANSFORMER’S LTC.
•PADMOUNT VOLTAGE
REGULATORS
TYPES OF VOLTAGE REGULATOR
•FEEDER VOLTAGE REGULATOR
•INDUCTION-TYPE VOLTAGE REGULATOR
•CAPACITOR-TYPE VOLTAGE REGULATOR
•VOLTAGE REGULATION BY USE OF TAP CHANGERS
•VOLTAGE REGULATION BY USE OF VOLTAGE REGULATING TRANSFORMERS
FEEDER VOLTAGE REGULATOR
• ARE USED EXTENSIVELY TO REGULATE THE VOLTAGE OF EACH FEEDER SEPARATELY TO MAINTAIN A
REASONABLE CONSTANT VOLTAGE AT THE POINT OF UTILIZATION.

• THEY ARE EITHER THE INDUCTION-TYPE OR THE STEP-TYPE REGULATORS.

• STEP-TYPE VOLTAGE REGULATORS CAN BE EITHER:
❖ STATION-TYPE- CAN BE SINGLE- OR THREE-PHASE REGULATORS (500 TO 2,000 KVA) AND CAN BE USED IN
SUBSTATIONS FOR BUS VOLTAGE REGULATION OR INDIVIDUAL FEEDER VOLTAGE REGULATION

❖ DISTRIBUTION TYPE- CAN BE ONLY SINGLE-PHASE REGULATORS (25 TO 833 KVA) AND ARE USED
POLE-MOUNTED OUT ON OVERHEAD PRIMARY FEEDERS.
•A STEP-TYPE VOLTAGE REGULATOR IS BASICALLY AN AUTOTRANSFORMER
WITH A COMMON WINDING AND A TAPPED (STEPPED) SERIES WINDING.

•IT HAS A REVERSING SWITCH ENABLES THE SERIES WINDING TO BE

CONNECTED FOR EITHER RAISING OR LOWERING OF THE LINE VOLTAGE.

•TYPICALLY, STEP VOLTAGE REGULATORS HAVE 16 STEPS OF 5/8% PER

STEP, FOR A TOTAL REGULATION RANGE OF 10%.
INDUCTION-TYPE VOLTAGE REGULATOR

•ACCOMPLISHES VOLTAGE REGULATION BY HAVING THE PRIMARY COIL

ROTATE, CHANGING ITS POSITION IN RELATION TO THE SECONDARY COIL,
WHICH IN THIS CASE HAS NO TAPS.
USE OF CAPACITORS FOR VOLTAGE
REGULATION
•SWITCHING SHUNT CAPACITORS ACROSS A LINE WILL INCREASE THE VOLTAGE BY
REDUCING THE INDUCTIVE VARS DRAWN.

• IF SO MUCH CAPACITANCE IS SWITCHED ACROSS THE LINE THAT THE CURRENT

BECOMES LEADING, THE METHOD IS NOT COST-EFFECTIVE BECAUSE THE VARS BEGIN TO
RISE AGAIN.

•SHUNT CAPACITORS ARE ONLY USEFUL WITH LAGGING LOAD POWER FACTORS.
•CAPACITOR BANKS ARE INSTALLED NEAR LOAD POINTS.
•FIXED-TYPE CAPACITORS MAKE THE UTILITY EXPERIENCE AN EXCESSIVE
LEADING POWER FACTOR AND VOLTAGE RISE AT THE FEEDER

•CAPACITORS ARE INSTALLED AS SWITCHED-CAPACITOR BANKS SO THEY

CAN BE SWITCHED OFF DURING LIGHT-LOAD CONDITIONS.

•THE UNGROUNDED WYE IS A PREFERRED CONFIGURATION FOR CAPACITOR

BANKS BECAUSE IF A CAPACITOR SHOULD SHORT OUT IN ONE LEG OF THE
WYE, THE OTHER TWO LEGS WILL LIMIT THE FAULT CURRENT.
VOLTAGE REGULATION BY USE OF TAP
CHANGERS
• TAPS ARE CONNECTIONS ON A TRANSFORMER WINDING THAT CHANGE THE TURNS RATIO SLIGHTLY.
• THE RATIO CHANGE IS NORMALLY 10%(0.625% PER STEP).
• THE TAPS ARE USUALLY LOCATED ON THE PRIMARY BECAUSE LESS CURRENT HAS TO BE SWITCHED BY THE TAP
CHANGING CONNECTIONS THAN WOULD BE NECESSARY ON THE SECONDARY.

• TAP CHANGERS CAN BE MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC.

• MOTOR-DRIVEN AUTOMATIC TAP CHANGERS ARE NECESSARY FOR VOLTAGE REGULATION WITH WIDELY
FLUCTUATING LOADS. THIS IS CALLED TAP CHANGING UNDER LOAD (TCUL) OR LOAD TAP CHANGING (LTC).

• LTC IS USED IN DISTRIBUTION AND SUB-TRANSMISSION SUBSTATIONS TO KEEP THE SECONDARY LINE VOLTAGE
AT THE PROPER LEVEL IN RESPONSE TO LOAD AND PRIMARY VOLTAGE CHANGES.
VOLTAGE REGULATION BY USE OF VOLTAGE
REGULATING TRANSFORMERS
•REGULATING TRANSFORMERS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A BOOST IN VOLTAGE
MAGNITUDE ALONG A LINE OR A CHANGE IN PHASE.

•THEY ARE USED BASICALLY TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF POWER BETWEEN TWO SYSTEMS
WITH DIFFERENT SOURCES, OR THEY ARE USED ALONG A TIE FEEDER BETWEEN TWO
LOAD CENTERS THAT ARE FED BY THE SAME BULK POWER SUBSTATION.
PARTS OF A SINGLE-PHASE VOLTAGE REGULATOR
BASIC PARTS OF A VOLTAGE REGULATOR
•AUTOTRANSFORMER - A TRANSFORMER IN WHICH PART OF ONE WINDING IS COMMON TO
BOTH THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY WINDINGS

•LOAD TAP CHANGER - A SWITCH DESIGNED TO WORK UNDER LOAD TO CHANGE THE
CONFIGURATION OF A TRANSFORMER COIL. USES AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, GEAR TRAIN, AND
SPRING DRIVE TO PROVIDE QUICK, RELIABLE OPERATION. THE SWITCH IS MECHANICALLY
COUPLED TO THE EXTERNAL TAP POSITION INDICATOR TO PROVIDE VISUAL INDICATION OF
THE SWITCH POSITION.

•VOLTAGE REGULATOR CONTROL - A CONTROL WHICH SENSES THE SYSTEM AND

AUTOMATICALLY COMMANDS THE TAP CHANGER.
OTHER
•TANK
PARTS OF A VOLTAGE REGULATOR
- SEALED-TANK CONSTRUCTION TO PREVENT MOISTURE AND AIR FROM ENTERING THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT.
- TANKS ARE CONSTRUCTED OF MILD STEEL OR STAINLESS STEEL AND ELECTROSTATICALLY COATED WITH A TOUGH
POLYESTER POWDER FINISH.

• CORE AND COIL ASSEMBLY

- CORES ARE MANUFACTURED FROM HIGH QUALITY GRAIN-ORIENTED SILICON STEEL.
- THE SERIES COIL IS WOUND WITH FULLWIDTH ALUMINUM STRIP CONDUCTOR AND COMPRESSION-BONDED
THERMOSETADHESIVE INSULATION PAPER TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL PROTECTION FROM POTENTIALLY
DAMAGING THROUGH-FAULT CONDITIONS.

- LAMINATIONS ARE CUT AND ASSEMBLED USING A DISTRIBUTED-GAP PROCESS TO PRODUCE A LOW RELUCTANCE
JOINT. A STURDY CLAMPING ASSEMBLY EFFECTIVELY SECURES THE CORE AND COILS.
• TAP POSITION INDICATOR
- LOCATED ON THE COVER-MOUNTED TERMINAL BLOCK ENCLOSURE AND IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE
TAP CHANGER BY A FLEXIBLE DRIVE SHAFT.

- THE INDICATOR DIAL PLATE IS MARKED IN 32 STEPS, 16 EACH ON THE RAISE AND LOWER SEGMENTS OF
THE DIAL.

- THE “ZERO” MARK DESIGNATES THE NEUTRAL POSITION.

• LIMIT SWITCH
- ALLOWS VR TO HANDLE INCREASED CURRENT CAPACITY BY REDUCING THE REGULATION RANGE.
- SCALES ON THE LIMIT SWITCHES ARE GRADUATED IN PERCENT REGULATION, INCLUDING 5%, 6-1/4%M
7-1/2%, 8-3/4% AND 10% REGULATION SETTINGS.
• SURGE ARRESTERS
-EACH REGULATOR IS EQUIPPED WITH AN APPROPRIATELY SIZED SURGE ARRESTER CONNECTED BETWEEN
THE SOURCE AND LOAD BUSHINGS.
-PROTECTS THE SERIES WINDING OF THE REGULATOR FROM DAMAGE DUE TO LINE SURGES, SUCH AS CAN
RESULT FROM LIGHTNING, SWITCHING SURGES, AND LINE FAULTS.
-SHUNT ARRESTERS PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR THE SHUNT WINDING. SHUNT ARRESTERS ARE MOUNTED
ON THE REGULATOR TANK ADJACENT TO THE LOAD BUSHING AND THE SOURCE BUSHING.
- EACH ARRESTER IS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE BUSHING TERMINAL AND GROUND.
HOW TO IMPROVE VOLTAGE REGULATION?
• USE OF GENERATOR VOLTAGE REGULATORS
• APPLICATION OF VOLTAGE-REGULATING EQUIPMENT IN THE DISTRIBUTION SUBSTATIONS
• APPLICATION OF CAPACITORS IN THE DISTRIBUTION SUBSTATION
• BALANCING OF THE LOADS ON THE PRIMARY FEEDERS
• INCREASING OF CONDUCTOR SIZE
• CHANGING OF FEEDER SECTIONS FROM SINGLE-PHASE TO MULTIPHASE
•TRANSFERRING OF LOADS TO NEW FEEDERS
•INSTALLING OF NEW SUBSTATIONS AND PRIMARY FEEDERS
•INCREASING OF PRIMARY VOLTAGE LEVEL
•APPLICATION OF VOLTAGE REGULATORS OUT ON THE PRIMARY FEEDERS
•APPLICATION OF SHUNT CAPACITORS ON THE PRIMARY FEEDERS
•APPLICATION OF SERIES CAPACITORS ON THE PRIMARY FEEDERS