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M. Somasekhar

HYDERABAD, May 6

THE public sector BHEL is in dialogue with major power utilities to market a `controlled shunt reactor' (CSR) device, which substantially cuts transmission losses and saves money.

Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL), the Central Electrical Authority (CEA), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and several State electricity boards (SEBs), have already been apprised of the advantages of the new device.

Developed by the corporate research & development division of BHEL here and the two sister units in Bangalore and Bhopal, with technical consultancy from Prof G.N. Alexandrov of St. Petersburg Technical University in Russia, the first prototype of the 400 kV CSR was demonstrated at the Itarsi switching station of PowerGrid, in Madhya Pradesh.

At Itarsi, the CSR was installed in place of the existing fixed shunt reactor (FSR) of the same capacity at the end of a 238-km line from Jabalpur.

The operational performance data since September 2001 showed an appreciable increase in power transmitted along the line, said Mr S. Balagurunathan, General Manager Incharge of the R&D division.

Though the installation of the CSR costs 3-4 times more in comparison to the FSR, the efficient functioning can ensure the return of investment in 3 years' time.

Atleast 25 per cent more power can be transmitted by using the new device, Mr R.K. Bhattacharya, General Manager, said.

The product is well suited for power transmission through high voltage lines and over long distances. The CSR gets into action only when the line conditions warrant, thus, eliminating the scope for unwanted losses, he explained.

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