Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC; Richmond, Virginia, U.S.) installed a large-capacity PCS 600-SVC (static var compensator) system at its site on the eastern shore of Virginia within just three months from the order date.

ODEC, in cooperation with its local distribution cooperative member A&N, contracted with ABB for the SVC system, “in order to provide dynamic voltage support to a long radial transmission feed,” said Anders G. Troedson, director of ABB Inc., Power Electronics (West Berlin, Wisconsin, U.S.). Demand for SVC technology, which provides dynamic voltage regulation, flicker mitigation and power factor compensation for utilities, cooperatives and industrial applications, is growing rapidly as generation capacities continue to be strained, Troedson said.

ABB's Power Conditioning System (PCS) features two weatherproof walk-in enclosures equipped with 4-MVA voltage-source inverters. The compact inverters, built with ABB's high-performance ACS 600 technology, use fast-switching IGBT semiconductors. The PCS 600-SVC system includes a capacitor bank, with an 11-MVAR capacity, and utility power transformers, which are installed between the two walk-in inverter enclosures.

“The total system capacity, 19 MVAR, in this installation is critical,” Troedson noted, “as the system rapidly can compensate offsets and stabilize the voltage drops occurring on this long transmission line.”

The PCS 600-SVC, with its small footprint, modular hardware design and advanced software features, enables ABB to produce “customer-tailored solutions in record time at very cost-competitive rates,” according to Troedson.

The PCS 600-SVC covers the reactive power range from ±350 kVAR up to a maximum ±2000 kVAR per unit. Multiple units are paralleled for system ratings > ±2000 kVAR. As a technology leader, ABB's presence makes it easy to provide local service and maintenance support throughout the world.
Circle 176 on Reader Service Card or visit freeproductinfo.net/tdw