Static Var Generator (SVG) Series

Every CHITEK Static Var Generator reads the network’s reactive demand cycle by cycle and injects or absorbs exactly what it needs — continuously, not in switched capacitor steps. Power factor is held at whatever target you set, and the voltage stops sagging every time a big load comes on.

Reactive demand never sits still: motors start, drives ramp, welders pulse, and the picture changes between shifts. A contactor-based bank can only chase it in coarse steps; the generator follows it as it moves, so the correction also covers the fast swings a capacitor bank never sees.

Benefits of Static Var Generator (SVG)

  • Cut reactive-power charges and avoid power-factor penalties
  • Release transformer and cable capacity you have already paid for
  • Voltage stays steady every time a large load starts
  • Fast payback on your investment
  • Motors, transformers and switchgear keep running longer
  • Stepless correction — no contactor steps, no resonance with the grid

Application of Static Var Generator (SVG)

Industry

Metal processing, automotive, pulp & paper, plastics and extrusion, food & beverages

Commercial buildings

Data centers, hospitals, airports, logistics centers, shopping malls

Infrastructure and utilities

Water treatment, pumping stations, irrigation systems, desalination

Anyone with motors

Wherever large motors, welders or transformers run, the generator keeps the power factor on target

Working Principle of Static Var Generator (SVG)

Inside every CHITEK SVG, the CTs sample the load current while the DSP at the core runs the control algorithm. It separates the reactive component from the active current, tracks how the demand moves cycle by cycle, and works out how much leading or lagging current the network needs at that instant.

The DSP then drives the IGBT bridge through PWM. The inverter injects a compensation current in quadrature with the voltage, so the reactive demand is met locally instead of being drawn from the utility. The CTs read the output current too and return it to the DSP as negative feedback — that closed loop is what keeps the correction stepless and continuous, with no contactor steps and no resonance with the grid.

Working principle of CHITEK static var generator

FAQs About the Static Var Generator (SVG) Series

Q1: What is the difference between an SVG and a capacitor bank?

A static var generator (SVG) is an active, stepless compensator — it reads the reactive demand continuously and injects exactly what the network needs, so correction tracks the load in real time. A capacitor or reactor bank switches in fixed steps, which means jumps in power factor, possible resonance and regular maintenance. The table below contrasts the two across the dimensions that matter in the field.

Aspect Capacitor Banks or Reactor Banks Static Var Generators
Response time
  • Contact-based solutions take at least 30 s to 40 s to mitigate the problem and thyristor-based solutions 20 ms to 30 ms
  • Real-time mitigation of power quality problems as the overall response time is less than 100 μs
Output
  • Depends on step sizes; cannot match load demand in real time
  • Depends on grid voltage as capacitor units and reactors are used
  • Instantaneous, continuous, stepless and seamless
  • Grid voltage fluctuation has no influence on the output
Power factor correction
  • Capacitor banks needed for inductive loads and reactor banks for capacitive loads; problems in systems with mixed loads
  • Not possible to guarantee unity power factor as they have steps; the system will be having continuous over- and under-compensation
  • Corrects simultaneously from −1 to +1 power factor of lagging (inductive) and leading (capacitive) loads
  • Guaranteed unity power factor at all times without any over- or under-compensation (stepless output)
Design & sizing
  • Reactive power studies needed to size the proper solution
  • Usually oversized to better adjust to changing load demands
  • Need to be designed taking into account system harmonics
  • Custom-built for specific load and network conditions
  • No extensive studies required as it is adjustable
  • Mitigation capacity can be exactly what load demands
  • Unaffected by harmonic distortion in the system
  • Can adapt to load and network conditions and changes
Resonance
  • Parallel or series resonance can amplify currents in the system
  • No risk of harmonic resonance with the network
Overloading
  • Possible due to slow response and/or variation of loads
  • Not possible as current is limited to the max. RMS current
Footprint & installation
  • Medium to large footprint, especially if several harmonic orders
  • Not simple installation, especially if loads upgraded frequently
  • Small footprint and simple installation as modules are compact in size; existing switchgear can be used
Expansion
  • Limited and depends on load conditions and network topology
  • Simple (and not dependent) by adding modules
Maintenance & lifetime
  • Uses components that need extensive maintenance like fuses, circuit breakers, contactors, reactors and capacitor units
  • Switching, transients and resonance reduce lifetime
  • Simple maintenance and service life of up to 15 years as there is no electro-mechanical switching and no risk of transients or resonance
Q2: Can one SVG follow a fluctuating load?

Yes, and that is where it beats a switched bank. Welding, motor starts and drive ramps change the reactive demand many times a second. The generator tracks those changes cycle by cycle, so it also covers the fast swings a contactor-based bank never sees.

Q3: Can SVG units be combined for a higher capacity?

Yes. The range is modular, so units can be paralleled to cover anything from a single wall-mounted module to a large plant, instead of forcing everything through one oversized cabinet.

Q4: Can SVG be installed outdoors or in harsh environments?

Yes. Alongside indoor enclosures, the range includes IP65 models for outdoor and dusty sites, plus anti-pollution and fanless low-noise versions for switchrooms where dust, corrosion or acoustic noise is the constraint.