12-04-2026

Voltage Control

• In a modern power system, electrical energy from the generating

station is delivered to the ultimate consumers through a network of
transmission and distribution.
• For satisfactory operation of motors, lamps and other loads, it is
desirable that consumers are supplied with substantially constant
voltage.
• Too wide variations of voltage may cause erratic operation or even
malfunctioning of consumers’ appliances.
• To safeguard the interest of the consumers, the government has
enacted a law in this regard.
• The statutory limit of voltage variation is ± 6% of declared
voltage at consumers’ terminals.

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• The principal cause of voltage variation at consumer’s premises is the

change in load on the supply system.
• When the load on the system increases, the voltage at the consumer’s
terminals falls due to the increased voltage drop in
• (i) alternator synchronous impedance
• (ii) transmission line
• (iii) transformer impedance
• (iv) feeders and
• (v) distributors.
• These voltage variations are undesirable and must be kept within
the prescribed limits.
• This is achieved by installing voltage regulating equipment at suitable
places in the power system.

Importance of Voltage Control

• When the load on the supply system changes, the voltage at the consumer’s
terminals also changes.
• The variations of voltage at the consumer’s terminals are undesirable and
must be kept within prescribed limits for the following reasons :
• (i) In case of lighting load, the lamp characteristics are very sensitive to
changes of voltage.
• For instance, if the supply voltage to an incandescent lamp decreases by 6%
of rated value, then illuminating power may decrease by 20%.
• On the other hand, if the supply voltage is 6% above the rated value, the
life of the lamp may be reduced by 50% due to rapid deterioration of the
filament.

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• (ii) In case of power load consisting of induction motors, the voltage

variations may cause erratic operation.
• If the supply voltage is above the normal, the motor may operate with a
saturated magnetic circuit, with consequent large magnetizing current, heating
and low power factor.
• On the other hand, if the voltage is too low, it will reduce the starting torque of
the motor considerably.
• (iii) Too wide variations of voltage cause excessive heating of
distribution transformers. This may reduce their ratings to a
considerable extent.
• Voltage variations in a power system must be kept to minimum level
in order to deliver good service to the consumers.
• With the trend towards larger and larger interconnected system, it has
become necessary to employ appropriate methods of voltage control.

Methods of Voltage Control

• There are several methods of voltage control.
• In each method, the system voltage is changed in accordance with the load
to obtain a fairly constant voltage at the consumer’s end of the system.
• The following are the methods of voltage control in an a.c. power system:
• (i) By excitation control
• (ii) By using tap changing transformers
• (iii) Auto-transformer tap changing
• (iv) Booster transformers
• (v) Induction regulators
• (vi) By synchronous condenser

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• Method (i) is used at the generating station only whereas methods (ii)
to (v) can be used for transmission as well as primary distribution
systems. However, methods (vi) is reserved for the voltage control of a
transmission line.

Excitation Control
• When the load on the supply system changes, the terminal voltage of
the alternator also varies due to the changed voltage drop in the
synchronous reactance of the armature.
• The voltage of the alternator can be kept constant by changing the
field current of the alternator in accordance with the load.
• This is known as excitation control method.
• The excitation of alternator can be controlled by the use of automatic
or hand operated regulator acting in the field circuit of the alternator.
• The first method is preferred in modern practice.

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Tap-Changing Transformers
• The excitation control method is satisfactory only for relatively short lines.
• However, it is not suitable for long lines as the voltage at the alternator
terminals will have to be varied too much in order that the voltage at the far
end of the line may be constant.
• Under such situations, the problem of voltage control can be solved by
employing other methods.
• One important method is to use tap changing.
• In this method, a number of tappings are provided on the secondary of the
transformer.
• The voltage drop in the line is supplied by changing the secondary e.m.f. of
the transformer through the adjustment of its number of turns.

Off load tap-changing transformer.

• Fig. shows the arrangement where a
number of tappings have been
provided on the secondary.
• As the position of the tap is varied,
the effective number of secondary
turns is varied and hence the output
voltage of the secondary can be
changed.
• When the movable arm makes
contact with stud 1, the secondary
voltage is minimum and when with
stud 5, it is maximum.

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• During the period of light load, the voltage across the primary is not
much below the alternator voltage and the movable arm is placed on
stud 1.
• When the load increases, the voltage across the primary drops, but the
secondary voltage can be kept at the previous value by placing the
movable arm on to a higher stud.
• Whenever a tapping is to be changed in this type of transformer, the
load is kept off and hence the name off load tap-changing transformer.

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• The principal disadvantage of the circuit arrangement is that it cannot be

used for tap-changing on load.
• Suppose for a moment that tapping is changed from position 1 to position 2
when the transformer is supplying load.
• If contact with stud 1 is broken before contact with stud 2 is made, there is
break in the circuit and arcing results.
• On the other hand, if contact with stud 2 is made before contact with stud 1
is broken, the coils connected between these two tappings are short-
circuited and carry damaging heavy currents.
• For this reason, the above circuit arrangement cannot be used for tap-
changing on load.

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On-load tap-changing transformer.

• In supply system, tap-changing
has normally to be performed on
load so that there is no
interruption to supply.
• Fig. shows diagrammatically one
type of on-load tap-changing
transformer.
• The secondary consists of two
equal parallel windings
which have similar tappings
1a..... 5aand 1b ......... 5b.

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• In the normal working conditions,

switches a, b and tappings with the
same number remain closed
and each secondary winding carries
one-half of the total current.
• Referring to Fig., the secondary
voltage will be maximum when
switches a, b and 5a, 5b are closed.
• However, the secondary voltage
will be minimum when switches a,
b and 1a, 1b are closed.

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• Suppose that the transformer is

working with tapping position at
4a, 4b and it is desired to alter
its position to 5a, 5b.
• For this purpose, one of the
switches a and b, say a, is
opened.
• This takes the secondary winding
controlled by switch a out of the
circuit.
• Now, the secondary winding
controlled by switch b carries the
total current which is twice its
rated capacity.

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• Then the tapping on the

disconnected winding is changed
to 5a and switch a is closed.
• After this, switch b is opened to
disconnect its winding, tapping
position on this winding is
changed to 5b and then switch b
is closed.
• In this way, tapping position is
changed without interrupting the
supply.

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• This method has the following disadvantages :

• (i) During switching, the impedance of transformer is increased and there will
be a voltage surge.
• (ii) There are twice as many tappings as the voltage steps.

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Booster Transformer
• Sometimes it is desired to control
the voltage of a transmission line at
a point far away from the main
transformer.
• This can be conveniently achieved
by the use of a booster transformer
as shown in fig.
• The secondary of the booster
transformer is connected in series
with the line whose voltage is
to be controlled.

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• The primary of this transformer is supplied from a regulating

transformer fitted with on-load tap-changing gear.
• The booster transformer is connected in such a way that its secondary
injects a voltage in phase with the line voltage.
• This method of voltage control has three disadvantages.
• Firstly, it is more expensive than the on-load tap-changing transformer.
• Secondly, it is less efficient owing to losses in the booster and
• thirdly more floor space is required.

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Induction Regulators
• An induction regulator is essentially a constant voltage transformer,
one winding of which can be moved w.r.t. the other, thereby obtaining
a variable secondary voltage.
• The primary winding is connected across the supply while the
secondary winding is connected in series with the line whose voltage
is to be controlled.
• When the position of one winding is changed w.r.t. the other, the
secondary voltage injected into the line also changes.
• There are two types of induction regulators viz. single phase and 3-
phase.

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Voltage Control by Synchronous Condenser

• The voltage at the receiving end of a transmission line can be
controlled by installing specially designed synchronous motors called
synchronous condensers at the receiving end of the line.
• The synchronous condenser supplies wattless leading kVA to the line
depending upon the excitation of the motor.
• This wattless leading kVA partly or fully cancels the wattless lagging
kVA of the line, thus controlling the voltage drop in the line.
• In this way, voltage at the receiving end of a transmission line can be
kept constant as the load on the system changes.

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Compensation of Transmission Lines

• The performance of long EHV AC transmission systems can be
improved by reactive compensation of series or shunt (parallel) type.
• Series capacitors and shunt reactors are used to reduce artificially the
series reactance and shunt susceptance of lines and thus they act as the
line compensators.
• Compensation of lines results in improving the system stability and
voltage control.
• Series compensation reduces the series impedance of the line which
causes voltage drop and is the most important factor in finding the
maximum power transmission capability of a line.

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