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Power Factor Schnider

Power factor correction capacitors can save money by supplying reactive power to industrial loads instead of utilities. Capacitors reduce utility bills, power losses in conductors and transformers, and increase system capacity. Other benefits include freeing up transformer capacity and slightly improving voltage, but the main benefit is financial from not paying the utility for reactive power needs.

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Mohamoud Ezzat
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132 views13 pages

Power Factor Schnider

Power factor correction capacitors can save money by supplying reactive power to industrial loads instead of utilities. Capacitors reduce utility bills, power losses in conductors and transformers, and increase system capacity. Other benefits include freeing up transformer capacity and slightly improving voltage, but the main benefit is financial from not paying the utility for reactive power needs.

Uploaded by

Mohamoud Ezzat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Power Factor Fundamentals

What we will learn:


l Most Industrial loads require both Real power and
Reactive power to produce useful work
l You pay for BOTH types of power
l Capacitors can supply the REACTIVE power thus
the utility doesn’t need to
l Capacitors save you money!

PqcA2.ppt 2
Why Apply PFC’s?
l Power Factor Correction Saves Money!
» Reduces Power Bills
» Reduces I2R losses in conductors
» Reduces loading on transformers
» Improves voltage drop

PqcA2.ppt 3
What is PF ?
l Introduction:
» Most plant loads are Inductive and require a magnetic field to
operate:
– Motors
– Transformers
– Florescent lighting
» The magnetic field is necessary, but produces no useful work
» The utility must supply the power to produce the magnetic field
and the power to produce the useful work: You pay for all of it!
» These two types of current are the ACTIVE and REACTIVE
components

PqcA2.ppt 4
The Basics:
The Power Triangle:

You pay for fuel for the VERTICAL


portion of flight, as well as the fuel
for the HORIZONTAL portion of flight.
Non-
Working
(Reactive)
Power
Working (Active) Power

PqcA2.ppt 5
The Power Triangle:
l Similarly, motors require REACTIVE power to set up the
magnetic field while the ACTIVE power produces the useful
work (shaft horsepower). Total Power is the vector sum of
the two & represents what you pay for:

Active Power (kW): Produces Useful Work

f Reactive Power (kVAR)


Sets up Magnetic Fields
Total Power (kVA)
What you Pay For!

PqcA2.ppt 6
The Power Triangle:
• Power Factor is the ratio of Active Power to Total
Power:

Power Factor = Active (Real) Power


Total Power
Active Power (kW)
= kW
f Reactive
Power kVA
Total Power (kVA) = Cosine (q)

l Power Factor is a measure of efficiency (Output/Input)

PqcA2.ppt 7
Why do we Install Capacitors?

l Capacitors supply, for free, the reactive energy required by


inductive loads.
» You only have to pay for the capacitor !
» Since the utility doesn’t supply it (kVAR), you don’t pay for it!

M M
Utility Supplies Capacitor Supplies
Reactive Current Reactive Current

PqcA2.ppt 8
Other Benefits:
l Released system capacity:
» The effect of PF on current drawn is shown below:

kW kVAR kW
100 100 100 kW
kVAR
75 100

kVA = 141 kVA = 125 kVA = 100


PF = 70% PF = 80% PF = 100%

q Decreasing size of conductors required


to carry the same 100kW load at P.F.
ranging from 70% to 100%

PqcA2.ppt 9
Other Benefits:
l Reduced Power Losses:
» As current flows through conductors, the conductors
heat. This heating is power loss
» Power loss is proportional to current squared (PLoss=I2
R)
» Current is proportional to P.F.:
» Conductor loss can account for as much as 2-5% of
total load
l Capacitors can reduce losses by 1-2% of the total
load
% Loss Reduction = 100 x 1- (Original P.F.)2
(Desired P.F.)2
PqcA2.ppt 10
Other Benefits:
l Voltage Improvement:
» When capacitors are added, voltage will increase
» Typically only a few percent
– Not a significant economic or system benefit
! Severe over-correction (P.F.>1) will cause a voltage
rise that can damage insulation & equipment; or result
in utility surcharges!
– Usually a result of large fixed capacitors at mains

% Voltage Rise = Capacitor kVAR x XFMR %Z


XFMR kVA

PqcA2.ppt 11
Summary of Benefits:

l Reduced Power Costs:


» Since Capacitors supply reactive power, you
don’t pay the utility for it
» You can calculate the savings
l Off-load transformers
» Defer buying a larger transformer when adding
loads
l Reduce voltage drop at loads
» Only if capacitors are applied at loads
» (minimal benefit at best)

PqcA2.ppt 12

A2
What we learned..
l Most Industrial loads (i.e. motors)are Inductive and draw
REACTIVE power
l The Utility supplies this energy therefore you pay for it
l Power Factor Capacitors supply REACTIVE energy thus
the utility doesn’t need to
l Power Factor Capacitors save money
l There are other benefits to correcting power factor,
» reduced heating in cables
» reduced heating in transformer(s)
» frees up system capacity

PqcA2.ppt 13

A2

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