Power flow control using distributed saturable reactors

A magnetic amplifier that controls high-voltage power flow through power lines comprising

• a saturable core, the saturable core comprising a plurality of legs;
• a power winding wound around a leg of the saturable core that receives high voltage alternating current from high voltage power lines and delivers an alternating load current to a load;
• a plurality of control windings, each wound in parallel around a separate leg, spaced apart from each other and the power windings, and connected in series in an anti-symmetric relation about the saturable core and configured in such a way that substantially all of a biasing magnetic flux arising from a control current flowing through the plurality of control windings and being conveyed by portions of the saturable core, does not flow through the leg which the power winding is wound about;
• where flow of the control current through each of the plurality of control windings changes a reluctance of the saturable core and impedance of the power winding by driving only those portions of the saturable core that convey the biasing magnetic flux, into saturation;
• and
• where a phasing of the plurality of control winding cancel out a voltage induced in the plurality of control windings caused by the alternating load current passing through the power winding;
• and
• a power converter coupled to the plurality of control windings, the power converter programmed to dampen the alternating load current when a fault in a high voltage power line is detected.

A magnetic amplifier that controls high-voltage power flow through power transmission and distribution lines comprising:

• a saturable core, the saturable core comprising a plurality of legs;
• and
• a plurality of control windings, each wound around a separate leg, spaced apart from each other and connected in series in an anti-symmetric relation, wherein the plurality of control windings generates a biasing magnetic flux that is conveyed through portions of the saturable core when a direct current (DC) control current flows through the plurality of control windings, and the plurality of control windings are configured in such a way that an amount of the biasing magnetic flux arising from the DC control current flowing through one of the plurality of control windings is substantially equal to an amount of biasing magnetic flux flowing into a second of the plurality of control windings;
• where:
• flow of the DC control current through each of the plurality of control windings changes a reluctance of the saturable core by driving those portions of the saturable core that convey the biasing magnetic flux in the saturable core, into saturation;
• and
• the phasing of the plurality of control winding cancels out or limits a voltage induced in the plurality of control windings caused by an alternating load current passing about a portion of the saturable core;
• and
• a power converter programmed to dampen the alternating load current when a fault is detected in a high voltage power line conveying the alternating load current.