Voltage Regulators

Leader/Follower Scheme for Reference Data

Voltage Regulator Controls R225-01-1

Contents Applications
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ganged Operation of Cascaded Voltage Regulators
Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 in a Three-Phase 3-Wire Open Delta Configured
Three-Phase 3-Wire Open Delta Application . . . . . . 2 Application
Three-Phase 3-Wire Closed Delta Application . . . . 5
Ganged Operation of Voltage Regulators in a Three-
Three-Phase 4-Wire Grounded Wye Application . . . 8
Phase 3-Wire Closed Delta Configured Application
Three-Phase 3-Wire Ungrounded or
Uni-grounded Wye Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Ganged Operation of Voltage Regulators in a Three-
Paralleling Operation of Voltage Regulators . . . . . . . 11 Phase 4-Wire Grounded Wye Configured Application

GENERAL Ganged Operation of Voltage Regulators in a Three-

Phase 3-Wire Ungrounded or Uni-grounded Wye
The CL series controls from Cooper Power Systems are Configured Application
among the largest install base of any voltage regulator
Paralleling Operation of Voltage Regulators
control in the world. The CL-6 control has the power and
flexibility to meet the most demanding applications, yet
is simple to use. Cooper Power Systems adds to this
flexibility with a Leader/Follower (L/F) scheme that meets
today’s unique global applications.
The Leader/Follower scheme is an electronic design to
keep multiple (two or three) single-phase step voltage
regulators on the same mechanical tap position. L/F
scheme simulates the functionality of three-phase devices
while retaining the maintenance benefits of single-phase
apparatus.
Unlike other similar schemes, the L/F scheme from
Cooper Power Systems utilizes an intelligent fiber optic
loop to communicate between controls. This provides
the necessary link between tap changers, and provides
positive feedback in maintaining those identical tap
positions.
As a result of the communications between all controls,
data from each linked phase is available at any control
display as well as the interface software from Cooper
Power Systems.
The L/F scheme also allows for paralleling voltage
regulators. This application is beneficial for handling
capacity growth, providing service continuity, improving
tap changer contact life, and enhancing the flexibility of
your regulator inventory.

March 2010 • New Issue 1

Leader/Follower Scheme for Voltage Regulator Controls

Ganged Operation of Cascaded Voltage Regulators in a Three-Phase 3-Wire Open Delta

Configured Application

Figure 1.
Two single-phase voltage regulators connected in Open Delta bank.

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Two single-phase regulators connected in an Open

Delta bank, as shown in Figure 1, allow for two of the
phases to be regulated independent of each other with
the third phase tending to read the average of the other
two. The Open Delta connection results in a 30° phase
displacement between the regulator current and voltage.
The vector diagram in Figure 1 shows an example of this
phase displacement.
Depending on the phase rotation, one regulator’s current
lags the voltage while the second regulator’s current leads
the voltage. An unbalanced neutral shift occurs as the
two voltage regulators independently move away from
the Neutral tap position during load changes. Maximum
neutral shift occurs when both regulators are at their
extreme tap positions, such as 16 Raise. Neutral shift may
cause nuisance tripping of earth fault protection in some
applications.
On a given ungrounded 3-wire distribution or substation
feeder, three sets of two voltage regulators using the
Open Delta configuration may be cascaded. With the
Leader/Follower scheme, the controls of each set of
voltage regulators are ganged together. In this cascaded
arrangement, the Leader apparatus of each bank/
set would be located on different phases. Each set of
apparatus are required to stay in step with each other,
located on the same tap position. The apparatus should
be of similar design and specification, and the controls
should be in close proximity to each other.
Benefits:
■■ Provides voltage regulation up to 30% (10% times
three) eliminating the need for additional regulators
as the load grows
■■ Replaces three-phase devices with the
maintenance benefits of single-phase devices.
Single-phase devices can be bypassed and
replaced without an outage, three-phase devices
require an outage to repair or replace them.
■■ Minimizes neutral shift, a common cause of
nuisance earth fault tripping. This benefit reduces
needless service trips to the substation.

Requirements:
■■ CL-6 series controls
■■ Fiber optic communication module and Leader/
Follower firmware for each control
Operation:
The cascaded scheme is favorable because it substantially
reduces the neutral shift typically caused by one set of
Open Delta configured voltage regulators.
In the ganged, cascaded scenario, the voltage regulator
Leaders of each bank are located on different phases.
As the Leader and Follower tap up or down together, a
balanced neutral shift occurs with each bank. With a new
set of Leaders and Followers operating on different phases
from the consecutive banks, the net result minimizes the
overall neutral shift.

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Leader/Follower Scheme for Voltage Regulator Controls

Application:
Figure 1 shows the neutral shift based on a single set of
voltage regulators using ganged operation.
When the ganged voltage regulators change tap position,
phases VBA and VBC adjust with the tap change. This
causes the neutral point to shift in response to the voltage
change.
Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C show the effects of cascading
three sets of voltage regulators.
Figure 2A shows the neutral shift resulting from the first
bank of regulators. Phases VBA and VBC adjust when the
voltage regulators change tap position. This causes the
neutral point to shift in response to the voltage change.
Figure 2B shows the neutral shift resulting from the second
bank of regulators. Phases VCA and VCB adjust when the
voltage regulators change tap position. However, the angle
of this shift is 120° with respect to the initial shift from bank Figure 2A.
one. Cascading three sets of voltage regulators - Phases A and C.
Figure 2C shows the neutral shift resulting from the third
bank of regulators. Phases VAB and VAC adjust when the
voltage regulators change tap position. However, the angle
of this shift is 120° with respect to both of the initial shifts
from bank one and bank two. The result is a cancellation
of the three individual neutral shifts, substantially reducing
the overall effect on the system’s neutral. The loading seen
by the individual banks affects the overall neutral shift.
The setup for each bank involves designating one of the
voltage regulators as the Leader device, and the other as
the Follower device.
The Leader device will control the voltage regulation on the
circuit using the programmed settings of its control.
As the Leader device prepares to change taps, it sends
a signal to the Follower device of its intention to tap. It
follows this with a tap command, and checks the position
of the Follower device to make sure it has tapped as
requested. If any of the regulators fail to tap, the Leader
device steps back to the original tap position and attempts
Figure 2B.
to tap again. Cascading three sets of voltage regulators - Phases A and B.

Figure 2C.
Cascading three sets of voltage regulators - Phases B and C.
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Ganged Operation of Voltage Regulators in a Three-Phase 3-Wire Closed Delta

Configured Application

Figure 3.
Ganged operation of voltage regulators in a three-phase 3-wire closed delta configuration..

A Closed Delta configuration, shown in Figure 3, can
have voltage regulator controls ganged together using the
Leader/Follower scheme.
In this configuration, all of the apparatus are required to
stay in step with each other, located on the same tap
position. The apparatus should be of similar design and
specification, and the controls should be in close proximity
to each other. In this application, the overall range of
regulation of each phase is dependent on the range of
regulation of each voltage regulator.
A voltage improvement of 10% in the phase using voltage
regulation causes a 5% voltage improvement in the
adjacent phase. If all three voltage regulators operate to
the same extreme position, the overall effect increases
the range of regulation to ±15%, as the vector diagram of
Figure 4A shows.
The Closed Delta connection results in a 30° phase
displacement between the voltage regulator current and
voltage. Depending on the phase rotation, the currents of
all three regulators will lag or lead the voltage. The vector
diagram in Figure 4B shows the current lagging the voltage
with a phase rotation of A-B-C.
With the Closed Delta configuration, the system phase angle
increases linearly as the individual range of regulation of each
voltage regulator increases. When the voltage regulators are
all set at the same extreme tap position, 16L or 16R, there is
a maximum 4° to 6° shift in the phase angle.
Benefits:
■■ Replaces three-phase device with the
maintenance benefits of single-phase devices.
Single-phase devices can be bypassed and
replaced without an outage, three-phase devices
require an outage to repair or replace them.
■■ Eliminates neutral shift, a common cause of
nuisance earth fault tripping resulting in less
service trips to the substation.
■■ Minimizes effect of an unlikely control failure by
providing predictable behavior and early detection.
This improves system uptime.
Requirements:
■■ CL-6 series controls
■■ Fiber optic communication module and Leader/
Follower firmware for each control

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Leader/Follower Scheme for Voltage Regulator Controls

Operation:
Ganged operation of three voltage regulators in a three-
phase Closed Delta configuration eliminates a neutral shift
by keeping the voltage regulators on the same tap.
As the voltage regulators tap together, the sides of the
vector triangle, shown in Figure 5, adjust together, and
the neutral (N) of the new triangle (dashed line) has the
identical location as the neutral of the previous vector
triangle (straight line). If the voltage regulators were to tap
independently, the sides of the triangle would change
independently and the neutral would shift to a different
location from the previous point.
The setup for the L/F scheme involves designating one
of the voltage regulators as the Leader device, and the
others as Follower devices. The Leader device controls
the voltage regulation on all three phases using voltage
regulator settings to determine the need for tapping.
As the Leader device prepares to change taps, it sends
a signal to the Follower device of its intention to tap. It
follows this with a tap command, and checks the position
of the Follower devices to make sure they have tapped as
requested.
Figure 4A.
Vector diagram of ganged operation in Closed Delta If one of the Follower devices fails to make a tap, the
configuration. Leader device will step back to the previous tap position
and re-initiate the tapping command. If three additional
attempts have failed, the Leader device will inhibit the
feature and hold the last synchronized tap position. It
also initiates an alarm to provide visibility to the locked
condition.
Cascading with second set of voltage regulators wired
together in the opposite direction from the first set
minimizes the phase shift introduced by the previous bank.
The two banks of voltage regulators are arranged and
connected to the system, as shown in Figure 6B. Figure
6A shows the resulting vector diagrams of the two banks.
Overall voltage regulation of 30% is realized with this
configuration.

Figure 4B.
Vector diagram of lagging configuration.

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 R225-01-1

Figure 5.
Vector diagram of ganged operation.

Figure 6A.
Vector diagram of (2) cascaded bank of voltage regulators in ganged operation.

Figure 6B.
Two banks of cascaded voltage regulators in ganged operation.

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Leader/Follower Scheme for Voltage Regulator Controls

Ganged Operation of Voltage Regulators in a Three-Phase 4-Wire Grounded Wye

Configured Application

Figure 7.
Ganged operation of three single-phase voltage regulators in a three-phase, 4-wire grounded Wye configuration.

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 R225-01-1

On a given distribution or substation feeder, the controls of

a set of three voltage regulators in a 4-wire grounded Wye
configuration (Figure 7) can be ganged together replicating
a three-phase Off Load Tap Changer (OLTC) of a power
transformer. The voltage regulators will work together and
regulate the voltage between the individual phases and
neutral. Unbalanced load current flows in the neutral wire
keeping the neutral reference point from floating.
In this configuration, all of the apparatus are required to
stay in step with each other, located on the same tap
position. The apparatus should be of similar design and
specification, and the controls should be in close proximity
to each other.
Benefits:
■■ Replaces three-phase devices with the maintenance
benefits of single-phase devices. Single-phase
devices can be bypassed and replaced without an
outage, three-phase devices require an outage to
repair or replace.
■■ Minimizes neutral shift of voltage regulator bank if
grounded neutral wire is removed thus reducing
service trips to the substation.
Requirements: Figure 8.
Vector diagram of a balanced 4-wire grounded Wye
■■ CL-6 series controls configuration.
■■ Fiber optic communication module and Leader/
Follower firmware on each control
Operation:
Figure 8 shows a balanced phase diagram of a 4-wire
grounded Wye configuration as a result of ganged
operation. As the voltage regulators tap together on the
same position, the voltages V’AN, V’BN, V’CN change
together with the neutral ground current of the bank of
regulators being approximately zero.
The setup involves designating one of the voltage
regulators as the Leader device, and the others as
Follower devices. The Leader device will control the
voltage regulation on the circuit and use standard voltage
regulator settings to determine the need for tapping.
As the Leader device prepares to change taps, it sends
a signal to the Follower device of its intention to tap. It
follows this with a tap command, and checks the position
of the Follower devices to make sure they have tapped as
requested.
If one of the Follower devices fails to make a tap, the
Leader device will step back to the previous tap position
and re-initiate the tapping command. If three additional
attempts have failed, the Leader device will inhibit the
feature and hold the last synchronized tap position. It
also initiates an alarm to provide visibility to the locked
condition.
Cascading with additional ganged sets of voltage
regulators with Leader devices designated on different
phases will improve the overall voltage regulation of the
system.

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Leader/Follower Scheme for Voltage Regulator Controls

Ganged Operation of Voltage Regulators in a Three-Phase 3-Wire Ungrounded or Uni-

grounded Wye Configured Application

Figure 9.
Ganged operation of three single-phase voltage regulators in a three-phase, 3-wire ungrounded Wye configuration.

A bank of independent voltage regulators in a 3-wire Benefits:

ungrounded or high impedance, uni-grounded Wye
■■ Replaces three-phase devices with the
configuration can cause a neutral shift due to the affect
maintenance benefits of single-phase devices.
of unbalanced loading of the three phases. Flow of
Single-phase devices can be bypassed and
unbalanced load current is impeded by the circuit.
replaced without an outage, three-phase devices
The regulators do not have a stable reference point for
require an outage to repair or replace them.
their controls to regulate the phase voltages, resulting
in overstressed dielectric insulation and erratic voltage ■■ Minimizes neutral shift of voltage regulator bank
regulator operation. with ungrounded or high impedance grounded
Wye neutral thus reducing service trips to the
Single-phase voltage regulators in an uni-grounded Wye
substation.
configuration, as shown in Figure 9, operate individually
based on the total effect they have together on the load. Requirements:
The voltage regulators will attempt to regulate the voltage
■■ CL-6 series controls
seen between the individual phases and the unstable
neutral. ■■ Fiber optic communication module and Leader/
Follower firmware on each control
The voltage regulator controls can be ganged to operate
together as a three-phase unit, minimizing neutral shift due
to unbalanced three-phase loading. In this configuration,
all of the apparatus are required to stay in step with each
other, located on the same tap position. The apparatus
should be of similar design and specification, and the
controls should be in close proximity to each other.

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Operation:
In a ganged operation, voltage regulators in a 3-wire
uni-grounded Wye configuration tap together on the
same position. This minimizes the amount of neutral
shift generated by an unbalanced three-phase load and
high impedance ground, as seen in the phase diagram
in Figure 10. Neutral shift is dependent on the amount of
unbalanced loading and source impedance.
The setup involves designating one of the voltage
regulators as the Leader device, and the others as
Follower devices. The Leader device will control the
voltage regulation on the circuit and use standard voltage
regulator settings to determine the need for tapping. The
value of regulated voltage of each phase depends on
Leader device designation. Cascading with additional
ganged sets of voltage regulators with Leader devices
designated on different phases will improve the overall
voltage regulation of the system.

Figure 10.
Vector diagram of ganged operation on a 3-wire
ungrounded Wye configuration.

Paralleling Operation of Voltage

Figure 11.
Parallel operation with power transformers.

of circulating current is also dependent on the amount

Regulators
To handle a larger capacity load or provide continuity
and reliability of service for a high priority load, two banks
of identical voltage regulators and two identical power
transformers can be paralleled, as shown in Figure 11. In
a paralleling application, circulating current flows within
the loop when there is a difference of potential due to the
voltage regulators being on different steps. The amount
of impedance within the loop. Voltage regulators have
as much as 0.5% impedance at their maximum tap
position and essentially zero on the neutral position; power
transformers typically have impedance around 6%.
The Leader/Follower scheme in the voltage regulator
control allows a ganged type operation to keep the voltage
regulators on the same step, and eliminate the differential
voltage within the loop.
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Leader/Follower Scheme for Voltage Regulator Controls

The Leader/Follower scheme also allows the paralleling Operation:

of two banks of voltage regulators with a set of series
reactors with a minimum impedance of 2% (Figure 12).
This allows the use of voltage regulators with a current
rating that is half the rating of the load. Using the same
tap changer as the base, the available contact life would
increase by approximately four times with half the load
seen by the voltage regulators.
Benefits:
■■ Handling of present and future load growths.
Pay as you grow strategy maximizes capital
investment.
■■ Continuity and reliability of service due to
reduction in downtime optimizes revenue
generation and customer satisfaction.
■■ Increased flexibility of voltage regulator inventory:
Substitution of lower current rated voltage
regulators in place of larger ones reduces
inventory costs by narrowing the number of
unique sizes needed to fulfill replacement needs.
■■ Contact life extension reduces maintenance
costs by extending the time between scheduled
maintenance.
Requirements:
■■ CL-6 series controls
■■ Fiber optic communication module and Leader/
Follower firmware on each control
The setup involves designating one of the voltage
regulators of the same phase as the Leader device, and
the other as the Follower device. The Leader device
will control the voltage regulation on the circuit and use
standard voltage regulator settings to determine the need
for tapping.
As the Leader device prepares to change taps, it will send
a signal to the Follower device of its intention to tap. It
follows this with a tap command and checks the position
of the Follower device to make sure it has tapped as
requested.
If the Follower device fails to make a tap, the Leader
device will step back to the previous tap position and re-
initiate the tapping command. If three additional attempts
have failed, the Leader device will inhibit the feature and
hold the last synchronized tap position. It also initiates an
alarm to provide visibility to the locked condition.

Figure 12.
Parallel operation with series reactors.

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other countries. You are not permitted to use the Cooper Trademarks without the prior Waukesha, WI 53188
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