When the saturable-core reactor is set at the knee of the magnetization curve, any small increase in control current will cause a large increase in load current. Any small decrease in control current will cause a large decrease in load current. That is why point "O" is the ideal operating point-because small changes in control current will cause large changes in load current. In other words, the saturable-core reactor can amplify the control current. However, a saturable-core reactor is NOT a magnetic amplifier. You will find out a little later how a magnetic amplifier differs from a saturable-core reactor. First you should know a few more things about the saturable-core reactor.

If a d.c. voltage is applied to the control winding of a saturable-core reactor and an a.c. voltage is applied to the load windings, the a.c. flux will aid the d.c. flux on one half cycle and oppose the d.c. flux on the other half cycle. This is shown in figure 3-35. Load flux is indicated by the dashed-line arrows, and control flux is indicated by the solid-line arrows. View (A) shows the load and control flux adding during one half cycle of the a.c. View (B) of the figure shows the load and control flux opposing during the other half cycle of the a.c.

Figure 3-35A. - Flux paths in a saturable-core reactor. FLUX AIDING

Figure 3-35B. - Flux paths in a saturable-core reactor. FLUX OPPOSING

This situation causes the operating point of the saturable-core reactor to shift with the applied a.c. However, the situation would be better if the load flux was not an influence on the control flux. Figure 3-36 shows a circuit in which this is accomplished.

During the first half cycle, the load circuit flux (dashed-line arrows) cancels in the center leg of the core. This is shown in figure 3-36, view (A). As a result, there is no effect upon the flux from the control circuit. During the second half cycle, the polarity of the a.c. (and therefore the polarity of the flux) reverses as shown in view (B). The result is the same as it was during the first half cycle. There is no effect upon the control circuit flux.

Figure 3-36A. - Three-legged, saturable-core reactor. FIRST HALF CYCLE

Figure 3-36B. - Three-legged, saturable-core reactor. SECOND HALF CYCLE

Another approach to solving the problem of load flux affecting control flux is shown in figure 3-37. Figure 3-37 shows a toroidal saturable-core reactor. The shape of these cores is a toroid (donut shape). The windings are wound around the cores so that the load flux aids the control flux in one core and opposes the control flux in the other core.

During the first half cycle, the flux aids in the left core and opposes in the right core, as shown in figure 3-37, view (A). During the second half cycle, the flux opposes in the left core and aids in the right core, as shown in view (B). Regardless of the amount of load flux or polarity of the load voltage, there is no net effect of load flux on control flux.

Figure 3-37A. - Toroidal saturable-core reactor. FIRST HALF CYCLE

Figure 3-37B. - Toroidal saturable-core reactor. SECOND HALF CYCLE

Figures 3-36 and 3-37 both represent practical, workable saturable-core reactors. Circuits similar to these are actually used to control lighting in auditoriums or electric industrial furnaces. These circuits are sometimes referred to as magnetic amplifiers, but that is NOT technically correct. A magnetic amplifier differs from a saturable-core reactor in one important aspect: A magnetic amplifier has a rectifier in addition to a saturable-core reactor.

Q.42 If the permeability of the core of a coil increases, what happens to (a) inductance and (b) true power in the circuit?
Q.43 What happens to the permeability of an iron core as the current increases from the operating point to a large value?
Q.44 If two coils are wound on a single iron core, what will a change in current in one coil cause in the other coil?
Q.45 What symbol in figure 3-33 indicates a saturable core connecting two windings?