what is a reactor in a substation
If a transmission line has a load with a permanently poor power factor, reactors would be connected at the receiving end to correct the power factor and thus reduce the current and the power losses in the resistance of the line. A reactor is an application for an inductor. Inductors oppose any change in current. So a reactor is used to 'slow down' (a simplification) any significant change in current arising from, say, a short-circuit fault. Answer: Reactors are also used for power-factor correction. If a transmission line has a load with a permanently poor power factor, reactors would be connected at the receiving end to correct the power factor and thus reduce the current and the power losses in the resistance of the line.