Line Reactors to protect power supply?

[Kris Alan]

Hi,
I have a customer that has steering testers in their facility. They also have other testing equipment in the facility that creates voltage transients and noise that seems to affect the power supplies in the steering testers. I quoted isolating power conditioners to them but the price was too high. They said that they use Line Reactors at the other facility in another part of the country and it solves the problem. I don't know anything about line reactors except they usually are in front of VFD's. Does anybody know if they would be effective in cleaning up the input to their power supplies? One of the tester's power supplies is 480v/3ph/38a, the other is 208v/3ph/ 45a. I'm not even sure how to size them (other thank Galco sells them based on amperage). I've been lurking and enjoying you electrical geniuses here for years. Maybe you can help me out on this one.

Thanks!

Kris

 

[Kris Alan]

I should also have mentioned that we have installed smaller ones on other equipment in their facility (they supplied the line reactors and we hooked them up). They seem to be happy with the way those are working.

 

[xptpcrewx]

Line reactors are series inductors which help dampen high-frequency current transients, surges and harmonics. The downside with reactors is they consume kVAr/kW and produce a voltage drop across them. As far as sizing them, simply apply them within their nameplate ratings.

Line Reactor Sizing

Line Reactor Sizing

www.galco.com

 

[Besoeker3]

Hi,
I have a customer that has steering testers in their facility. They also have other testing equipment in the facility that creates voltage transients and noise that seems to affect the power supplies in the steering testers. I quoted isolating power conditioners to them but the price was too high. They said that they use Line Reactors at the other facility in another part of the country and it solves the problem. I don't know anything about line reactors except they usually are in front of VFD's. Does anybody know if they would be effective in cleaning up the input to their power supplies? One of the tester's power supplies is 480v/3ph/38a, the other is 208v/3ph/ 45a. I'm not even sure how to size them (other thank Galco sells them based on amperage). I've been lurking and enjoying you electrical geniuses here for years. Maybe you can help me out on this one.

Thanks!

Kris

We always used line reactors not isolating transformers. Isolating transformers are, as you correctly pointed our, are a rather expensive option.

 

[Kris Alan]

Line reactors are series inductors which help dampen high-frequency current transients, surges and harmonics. The downside with reactors is they consume kVAr/kW and produce a voltage drop across them. As far as sizing them, simply apply them within their nameplate ratings.

Line Reactor Sizing

Line Reactor Sizing

www.galco.com

Thanks for the quick reply. Thanks also for the info on voltage drop. I don't think that will present a problem here.

 

[Kris Alan]

We always used line reactors not isolating transformers. Isolating transformers are, as you correctly pointed our, are a rather expensive option.

Great! Thank you. It sounds like this is a reasonable solution for my customer. Glad to hear you have had good experience doing this.

 

[petersonra]

I doubt they do much but if they want to spend the money no reason they cannot acquire the units they want and have you install them.

 

[Besoeker3]

Great! Thank you. It sounds like this is a reasonable solution for my customer. Glad to hear you have had good experience doing this.

Welcome, Sir!
We used Aluminium Inductorsbut more recently we used bead reactors.

 

[synchro]

Hi,
I have a customer that has steering testers in their facility. They also have other testing equipment in the facility that creates voltage transients and noise that seems to affect the power supplies in the steering testers. ...They said that they use Line Reactors at the other facility in another part of the country and it solves the problem. ...Does anybody know if they would be effective in cleaning up the input to their power supplies?

Line reactors are series inductors which help dampen high-frequency current transients, surges and harmonics. ...

It sounds like this other testing equipment is drawing spikes of current that are producing the voltage transients and noise which you are describing. In this situation line reactors might be more effective if they were placed at the line inputs of this other testing equipment instead of at the inputs of the power supplies themselves. Placing reactors at the other equipment would reduce the voltage transients that they are producing on the power system, while placing them at the power supplies could reduce the level of current transients the suppies draw as a result of the applied voltage transients (which would depend on the impedance and other details of the supply input circuitry).

I would lean toward putting reactors at the other equipment that is producing these transients. The voltage transients they create on the system could potentially affect other equipment besides the power supplies on the steering testers, as well as equipment they may want to add in the future. If the equipment producing the transients draws substantially higher kVA than the supplies do, then that could favor putting the reactors at the supplies.

Has the customer mentioned where the line reactors were applied in the other facility? It might be worthwhile if they could let you contact an electrician or engineer at this other facility if the customer doesn't know the exact details.

 

[Besoeker3]

I would lean toward putting reactors at the other equipment that is producing these transients. The voltage transients they create on the system could potentially affect other equipment besides the power supplies on the steering testers, as well as equipment they may want to add in the future. If the equipment producing the transients draws substantially higher kVA than the supplies do, then that could favor putting the reactors at the supplies.

Good point!

 

[Kris Alan]

It sounds like this other testing equipment is drawing spikes of current that are producing the voltage transients and noise which you are describing. In this situation line reactors might be more effective if they were placed at the line inputs of this other testing equipment instead of at the inputs of the power supplies themselves. Placing reactors at the other equipment would reduce the voltage transients that they are producing on the power system, while placing them at the power supplies could reduce the level of current transients the suppies draw as a result of the applied voltage transients (which would depend on the impedance and other details of the supply input circuitry).

I would lean toward putting reactors at the other equipment that is producing these transients. The voltage transients they create on the system could potentially affect other equipment besides the power supplies on the steering testers, as well as equipment they may want to add in the future. If the equipment producing the transients draws substantially higher kVA than the supplies do, then that could favor putting the reactors at the supplies.

Has the customer mentioned where the line reactors were applied in the other facility? It might be worthwhile if they could let you contact an electrician or engineer at this other facility if the customer doesn't know the exact details.

That is a good idea. I believe the equipment they consider to be the culprit are a couple of dynamometers which both have very large kVA. I'm still going to discuss this with them though. Your other suggestion (talking to their electrician in Alabama) is a great one. Thanks!