The effect of a synchronous condenser on the voltage dip environment-as expressed in terms of the Eskom ABCD dip chart

Voltage dips are a major source of equipment trips or malfunctions. This has prompted investigations into methods of either reducing the sensitivity of equipment to voltage dips or methods of reducing the amplitudes of voltage dips. One such method is the installation of a synchronous condenser. The synchronous condenser reduces the amplitudes of voltage dips by virtue of reducing the effective supply impedance at the busbar to which the synchronous condenser is connected. This paper describes an investigation into the degree that a synchronous condenser is able to shift dip positions within the Eskom ABCD dip chart for a particular test network.