Application of an Orthogonal Core to a VAR Compensator.

This paper describes the use of an orthogonal core to in a VAR compensator to stabilize line voltage in an electrical power system. An orthogonal core is a kind of variable inductor that uses the nonlinear B-H characteristics of an iron core. The inductance of the secondary winding decreases with the dc control current of the primary winding. Utilizing this feature, we developed a three-phase VAR compensator with a capacity of ±5 kVA, constructed from three-phase connected orthogonal cores and capacitor banks. Here, we discuss the fundamental operation of the VAR compensator, and demonstrate the static and dynamic operations of the trial VAR compensator. Experimental results show that the VAR compensator is useful for line voltage stabilization. A possible for first response of the compensator is also described.