Patent ID: 7265521

Claim:
A method of providing reactive power compensation from a shunt reactive power source adapted to transfer reactive power of a first polarity to a utility power network carrying a nominal voltage, the method comprising: providing a reactive power compensation device electrically connected to the utility power network, the device configured to transfer a variable amount of reactive power of a first polarity or a second opposite polarity, the potential range of transferred reactive power consisting of a normal output range and an overload output range; detecting a first change of a first predetermined magnitude in the nominal voltage on the utility power network; causing, in response to the detecting the first change, the reactive power compensation device to transfer a first amount of reactive power to the utility power network, the amount of reactive power being in the normal output range; detecting a second change of a second predetermined magnitude in the nominal voltage on the utility power network; causing, in response to the detecting the second change, the reactive power compensation device to transfer a second amount of reactive power to the utility power network; the amount of reactive power being in the overload output range; connecting the shunt reactive power source to the utility power network to provide reactive power compensation.