Magnetically Controlled Reactor for Harmonic Filtering

Abstract

A Magnetically Controlled Reactor (MCR) for Harmonic Filtering is a novel application of a concept well known to electronics and power electronics engineers that provides continuous modulation of line reactance by controlling the magnetization in a ferromagnetic core. The novelty of the MCR is the target application, which is harmonic control in nonlinear electric power networks. Modulation of the impedance of filter reactor occurs by altering the current in a DC winding to control the magnetization of the ferromagnetic core, thereby varying the reactance of the AC winding. The deployment of harmonic filters, like LC filter, requires proper planning and study to determine if the nonlinear load to meet design objectives and how the equipment, and associated power supply, respond to harmonic filter. This dissertation focuses on the development of MCR models for variable tuned filter. The MCR models developed within the course of this effort are developed to observe effectiveness. The simulations also provide a basis for comparison between the methods and the hardware test results of a prototype device. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of all but one of the modelling methods to represent the MCR from the perspective of the filter system.