Ac Reactors And Dc Reactors

AC Reactors and DC reactor are two different types of reactors. They have significant differences in structure, working principle and application.

‌Structural differences‌:

AC reactor: usually consists of two parts: a capacitor and an inductor. The AC voltage difference between the capacitor and the inductor is 90 degrees. This structure enables the AC reactor to control the voltage and current of the AC power to meet the requirements of the frequency converter.
DC reactor: The structure is relatively simple, consisting of a magnetic core, a magnetic flux leakage coil, etc. The magnetic field generated by the magnetic leakage coil in the DC reactor will hinder the flow of current, thereby stabilizing the transmission of DC current.
‌How it works‌:

AC reactor: In AC circuits, reactors are mainly used for phase shifting, filtering and voltage dividing, etc. Through the combination of capacitors and inductors, AC reactors can adjust the voltage and current in the circuit to realize the transmission and control of electrical energy.
DC reactor: In a DC circuit, the main function of the reactor is to limit the overcurrent of DC current. The magnetic field generated by the magnetic flux leakage coil will hinder the rapid changes in current, thereby maintaining the stability of the DC current.
‌Application Differences‌:

AC reactor: widely used in AC circuits, such as household power, industrial power, etc. It can effectively reduce main power supply harmonics, surges and peak currents, improve low-frequency conduction interference resistance, and protect the power electronic equipment of the driving mechanism.
DC reactor: mainly used in DC circuits, such as batteries, motors, etc. It can limit the AC component superimposed on the DC current to a certain specified value to ensure the stable transmission of DC current.
‌Other differences‌:

Current direction: AC reactors are used in AC circuits, including three-phase AC reactors and single-phase AC reactors; DC reactors are only used in DC system circuits, and only have single-phase.
Installation location: In the frequency converter, the AC reactor is usually installed on the power side or load side of the frequency converter; while the DC reactor is installed in the DC link of the frequency converter, that is, behind the rectifier link of the frequency converter and in front of the inverter link.
Cost-effectiveness: Under the same voltage and current, the price of AC reactor is usually higher than that of DC reactor, but the cost-effectiveness of DC reactor may be higher because it has better performance in stabilizing DC current‌.
To sum up, there are significant differences between AC reactors and DC reactors in structure, working principle, application and other aspects. Which type of reactor is chosen depends on the specific circuit needs and application scenario.