Power Factor Improvement

Power Factor Improvement

Bachelor of Technology

In Electrical & Electronics Engineering By

S.NAGENDRA KUMAR (08NF1A0254) S.KRISHNARJUNA RAO (08NF1A0255)

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

UNIVERSAL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Affiliated to JNTU Kakinada)

Dokiparru (V), Medikonduru (M), Guntur - 522438.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

ABSTRACT
Today, there is a rapid usage of electrical power in every sector. To meet the increasing load demand, we must increase the power development which results an increase in reactive power. With the increase of reactive power, the power factor will reduces. Low power factor causes the ratings of generators and transformers, cross-sectional area of the bus-bars and the contact surface of the switchgear, the size of the feeders and distributors, energy losses; voltage drops in generators, transmission lines and distributors to increase. In this paper, we are going to see the types of power, disadvantages of low power factor, Methods to improve the power factor to unity and the advantages of improving the power factor.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

CONTENTS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

INTRODUCTION WHAT IS POWER FACTOR POWER FACTOR MANAGEMENT & IMPROVEMENT DISADVANTAGES OF LOW POWER FACTOR METHODS OF LOW POWER FACTOR IMPROVEMENT BENEFITS OF POWER FACTOR IMROVEMENT CONCLUSION REFERENCES

1 2 5 6 7 13 14 15

1 INTRODUCTION
The significance of power factor lies in the fact that utility companies supply customers with volt-amperes, but bill them for watts. Power factors below 1.0 require a utility to generate more than the minimum volt-amperes necessary to supply the real power (watts). This increases generation and transmission costs. For example, if the load power factor were as low as 0.7, the apparent power would be 1.4 times the real power used by the load. Line current in the circuit would also be 1.4 times the current required at 1.0 power factor, so the losses in the circuit would be doubled (since they are proportional to the square of the current). Alternatively all components of the system such as generators, conductors, transformers, and switchgear would be increased in size (and cost) to carry the extra current. UCET-B.TECH Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement Utilities typically charge additional costs to customers who have a power factor below some limit, which is typically 0.9 to 0.95. Engineers are often interested in the power factor of a load as one of the factors that affect the efficiency of power transmission.

2 WHAT IS POWER FACTOR?

Power Factor is a term used to describe the efficiency of your electrical power supply. The Power Factor of an AC electric power system is defined as the ratio of the "Real Power" to the "Apparent Power", and is expressed as a number between 0 and 1 (as a percentage, ex. 0.5 equals 50% power factor). Power Factor consists of 3 components:

KW (Kilowatts)- the working, or Real Power; KVA - (Kilovolt Amps) the Apparent Power, and; KVAR - (Kilovolt Amps Reactive) the Reactive Power.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

2 Due to energy stored in the load and returned to the source, or due to a non-linear load that distorts the wave shape of the current drawn from the source, the Apparent Power can be greater than the Real Power. This process causes low-power-factor loads, which then increase losses in a power distribution system and result in increased energy costs. Consequently, as the KVA use decreases, the Power Factor of the load increases, based on a constant KW. To determine your Power Factor, divide the working power (KW) by the Apparent Power (KVA). The Power Factor, as stated can then be expressed as a percent of 1, with 1 or unity being the highest (or best) factor possible. When correcting Power Factor in general, a measurement of .9 or higher is considered good.

How Reactive Power Is Generated:

Every electric load that works with magnetic fields (motors, chokes, transformers, inductive heating, arc-welding generators) produces a varying degree of electrical lag, what is UCET-B.TECH Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement called inductance. This lag of inductive loads maintains the current sense (e.g. positive) for a time even though the negative going voltage tries to reverse it. This phase shift between current and voltage is maintained, current and voltage having opposite signs. During this time, negative power or energy is produced and fed back into the network. When current and voltage have the same sign again, the same amount of energy is again needed to build up the magnetic fields in inductive loads. This magnetic reversal energy is called reactive power. In alternating voltage networks (50/60 Hz) such a process repeats 50 or 60 times a second. So an obvious solution is to briefly store the magnetic reversal energy in capacitors and relieve the network (supply line) of this reactive energy. For this reason, automatic reactive power compensation systems (detuned/conventional) are installed for larger loads like factory plants. Such systems consist of a group of capacitor units that can be cut in and cut out and which are driven and switched by a power factor controller as determined by a current transformer.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

3 POWER FACTOR MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT

Power Factor improvement is one of the fastest ways to achieving Energy Conservation and improving the bottom line. Following is required to be done for Improvement of power factor.

Study of various types of loads. Determination of the percentage of Inductive load. Determination of Transformer Capacity Determination of Power Factor under full load conditions by calculating the impedance of the transformer.

Once the data is made available the KVA required to improve the power factor to the levels desired is determined. The next step would be to determine the banking pattern in the electrical system. This is done by first classifying the loads as major or minor. Second, to install capacitors at all major loads and finally to install capacitors at the PCC levels for the fine tuning of power factor preferably with the minimum banking pattern. The effects of current, voltage, harmonics and temperature are to be addressed. These produce degradations in capacitors and contactors. These go unnoticed since the equipment is operating silently in a corner, until a catastrophic breakdown occurs.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

4 DISADVANTAGES OF LOW POWERFACTOR

The current for a given load supplied at constant voltage will be higher at a lower power factor and lower at higher power factor. The higher current due to poor power factor affects the system results in following advantages.
i.

Rating of generators and transformers are proportional to their output current hence inversely proportional to power factor, therefore , large generators and transformers are required to deliver same load but a lower power factor

ii.

The cross-sectional area of the bus-bar and the constant surface of the switch gear is required to be enlarged for the same power to be delivered but a lower power factor.

iii.

For the same power to be transmitted but a lower power factor, the transmission line or distributor or cable have to carry more current. The size of the conductor will have to be increased if current density in the line is to be kept constant. Thus more conductor material is required for transmission lines, distributors and cables to deliver the same load but at lower power factor.

iv.

Energy loses are proportional to the square of the current hence inversely proportional to the square of the lower power factor i.e. more energy losses incur at low power factor, which results in poor efficiency.

v.

Low lagging power factor results in large voltage drop in generators, transformers, transmission lines and distributors which results in poor regulation. Low lagging power factor reduces the handling capacity of all the elements of the system.

vi.

Thus we see that the low power factor leads to a high capital cost for the alternators, switch gears, transformers, transmission lines, distributors, and cables etc.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

5 METHODS OF POWERFACTOR IMPROVEMENT

The low power factor is almost invariably due to inductive nature of load current. Let the current drawn by an inductive circuit be I lagging behind the applied voltage by an angle . The leading current required to neutralize the lagging reactive component of current drawn by the inductive (equipment) to give unity power factor. I sin = I [1-(pf)2] Power factor can be improved by the following methods:
i. ii.

By the use of Static Capacitor. By the use of Synchronous Machines.

a. b.

By the use of Synchronous Motors By the use of Synchronous Condensers

iii. iv. v.

By the use of Phase Advancers. By the use of Synchronous-Induction Motors. By the use of High Power factor Motor

By use of static capacitor:

Power factor can be improved by connecting the capacitors in parallel with the equipment operating at lagging power factors such as induction motors, fluorescent tubes. Advantages:

Small losses (less than 0.5 percent) Higher efficiency (up to 99.6%) Low initial cost Easy installation being lighter in weight Capability to operate under ordinary atmospheric conditions

Drawbacks:

short service life (8 to 10 years) gets damaged on over-voltage conditions uneconomical repair 7

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Power Factor Improvement

Power Factor Correction Unit. Automatic Capacitor Bank.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Regulator Network connection points Fuses Contactors Capacitors (single-phase units, delta-connection) Transformer 400/230 Volts for control power (contactors, ventilation,...)

The capacitors draw current leading the supply voltage by 90o approximately and neutralise the quardrature or wattles component of the current drawn by the equipment across which these are connected. In case of 3-phase loads capacitors can be connected either in star or delta. These capacitors remain permanently across the equipment and are across the supply mains, whenever the equipment is switched on.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

By use of Synchronous Machines:

i.

By use of Synchronous Motors:

Synchronous motors are designed for 1.0-0.8 leading power factors at full load. The unity power factor motor costs less and has a higher efficiency, but if fully loaded, it cannot furnish leading reactive KVA to compensate for lagging reactive KVA in the system.

ii.

By use of Synchronous condensers:

An over-excited synchronous motor running on no-load is called the Synchronous condenser and behaves like a capacitor, the capacitive reactance of which depends on the motor excitation. Power factor can be improved by using synchronous condensers like shunt capacitors connected across the supply.

The advantages of synchronous condensers over static capacitors as a power factor correction devices are:

A finer control can be obtained by variation of field excitation Inherent characteristic of synchronous condensers of stabilizing variations in the line voltage and there by automatically aid in regulation. Possibility of over loading a synchronous condenser for short periods, and Improvement in the system stability Except in size of above 5000KVAR, the cost is higher than that of static capacitors of the same rating Comparatively higher maintenance and operating costs Comparatively lower efficiency due to losses in rotating parts Noise is produced in operation An auxiliary equipment is required for starting synchronous condensers Possibility of synchronous condensers falling out of synchronism causing in interruption of supply, and Increase of short-circuit currents when the fault occurs near the synchronous condensers.

The disadvantages of synchronous condensers over static capacitors are:

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Power Factor Improvement

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By use of phase advancers:

Shunt and series type of phase advancers are available according to whether the exciting winding of the advancer is connected in series or parallel with the rotor winding of the induction motor.

Advantages:

Lagging KVAR dawn by the motor are considerably reduced due to supply of exciting ampere-turns at slip frequency and The phase advancers can be conveniently employed where the use of synchronous motor is inadmissible.

By use of Synchronous-Induction Motors:

These are special type of motors which operates at certain loads as synchronous motors and at other loads as induction motors.

By use of High Power Factor Motors:

Besides synchronous induction motors there are other several types of motors which operate at a power factor of nearly unity as compensated induction motors, and Schrage motors. These motors are more expensive and have higher maintenance cost than ordinary induction motors.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

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6 BENEFITS OF POWER FACTOR IMPROVEMENT

Power factor correction reduces the reactive power in a system. Power consumption and thus power costs drop in proportion. Effective installation use An improved power factor means that an electrical Installation works more economically (higher effective power for the same apparent power).

Improved voltage quality Fewer voltage drops Optimum cable dimensioning Cable cross-section can be reduced with improvement of power factor (less current). In existing installations for instance, extra or higher power can be transmitted.

Smaller transmission losses the transmission and switching devices carry less current, i.e. only the effective power, meaning that the ohmic losses in the leads are reduced.

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement 13

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

7 CONCLUSION
The Intelligent Power Factor Controller improves energy efficiency by benefiting optimum utilization of demand, Reduce line losses, Extra load can be connected without any additional demand sanction, Demand penalty can be avoided, Efficiency of plant increases, zero cost maintenance, increases capacitors life, Helps to avoid increase in system voltage . By energy conservation, the user is able to achieve a significant competitive edge in the global context as well as address a normal polarity.

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Power Factor Improvement

8 REFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_factor J.B.GUPTA.,A COURSE IN POWER SYSTEMS, KATSON BOOKS. http://www.conzerv.com/PDF/Articles/POWER%20FACTOR %20IMPROVEMENT.pdf WWW.POWERQUALITY.COM http://www.squared.com/us/services_support/squared_services.nsf/LookupFiles/PF_F undametals.pdf/$file/PF_Fundametals.pdf

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UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE

Power Factor Improvement

UCET-B.TECH

Dept of EEE