Shunt reactors are intended for parallel connection in a system to compensate for capacitive current, as generated by long, lightly loaded transmission lines or underground cables.
With regard to installation, these devices may be identified as:
- Single phase or three phase
- Cast resin dry type, conventional dry type or oil immersed
- With or without magnetic shield
- For indoor or outdoor installation
- With or without enclosure
- With fixed or variable reactance
- With or without additional loading winding
The absorbed reactive power can be fixed or may be varied by the use of additional devices such as:
- Winding tappings using on load or off load tapchangers or links
- Phase controlled thyristors in Static VAR systems
- Direct current magnetisation of the core.