AN ON-LOAD TAP CHANGER ALLOWS CHANGING TAPS WITHOUT INTERRUPTING POWER TO THE LOAD.

AN ON-LOAD TAP CHANGER ALLOWS CHANGING TAPS WITHOUT INTERRUPTING POWER TO THE LOAD. CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TAP CHANGER FOR THIS APPLICATION ARE MECHANICAL TYPE WITH CONTACTS THAT ARC AND PIT EVERY TIME A CHANGE IS MADE. SOLID STATE TAP CHANGER WOULD OVERCOME THESE SHORTCOMINGS IN ADDITION WOULD ALLOW REMOTE TAP CHANGING, INTEGRATING TAP CHANGING IN PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM, READILY CHANGE THE TAPS TO SUIT SYSTEMS NEEDS THUS YIELDING MORE OPTIMUM POWER CONDITIONS. SOLID STATE TAP CHANGER WOULD SELECT THE TAP CONNECTION BY TURNING ON A THYRISTOR GATE. FIBER OPTICS WOULD BE USED TO ISOLATE CONTROL FROM HIGH VOLTAGE. OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH WILL BE TO DEVELOP THE NECESSARY CONTROL CIRCUITS, PROTECTION AND ANNUNCIATION CIRCUITS AND PROTECT THE THYRISTORS AGAINST HIGH SYSTEM VOLTAGE. DETAILED SYSTEM SPECIFICATION WOULD BE DEVELOPED FOR A 35 KV, 100 AMP SOLID STATE ON-LOAD TAP CHANGER. A LOW VOLTAGE EVALUATION BREAD BOARD MODEL WOULD BE ASSEMBLED AND TESTED.