23/10/2019 Defining size and location of capacitor in electrical system (1) | EEP

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Defining size and location of capacitor in electrical

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Home / Technical Articles / Defining size and location of capacitor in electrical system (1)

Content
Type of Capacitor Bank as per Its Application:
1. Fixed type capacitor banks
2. Automatic type capacitor banks
3. Types of APFC – Automatic Power Factor Correction
Type of Capacitor as per Construction
Selecting Size of Capacitor Bank
Selection of Capacitor as per Non Liner Load
Configuration of Capacitor:
1. Star-Solidly Grounded
2. Star-Ungrounded
3. Delta-connected Banks
Effect of series and Parallel Connection of capacitor:
1. Parallel Connection
2. Series Connection

Type of Capacitor Bank as per Its Application

1. Fixed type capacitor banks

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The reactive power supplied by the fixed capacitor bank is constant irrespective of any
variations in the power factor and the load of the receivers. These capacitor banks are
switched on either manually (circuit breaker / switch) or semi automatically by a
remote-controlled contactor.

Defining size and location of capacitor in electrical system

This arrangement uses one or more capacitor to provide a constant level of

compensation.

These capacitors are applied at the terminals of inductive loads (mainly motors), at bus
bars.

Disadvantages:

Manual ON/OFF operation.

Not meet the require kvar under varying loads.
Penalty by electricity authority.
Power factor also varies as a function of the load requirements so it is difficult to
maintain a consistent power factor by use of Fixed Compensation i.e. fixed
capacitors.
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Fixed Capacitor may provide leading power factor under light load conditions, Due to
this result in overvoltages, saturation of transformers, mal-operation of diesel
generating sets, penalties by electric supply authorities.

Application:

Where the load factor is reasonably constant.

Electrical installations with constant load operating 24 hours a day
Reactive compensation of transformers.
Individual compensation of motors.
Where the kvar rating of the capacitors is less than, or equal to 15% of the supply
transformer rating, a fixed value of compensation is appropriate.
Size of Fixed Capacitor bank Qc ≤ 15% kVA transformer

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2. Automatic type capacitor banks

The reactive power supplied by the capacitor bank can be adjusted according to
variations in the power factor and the load of the receivers.

These capacitor banks are made up of a combination of capacitor steps (step =

capacitor + contactor) connected in parallel. Switching on and off of all or part of the
capacitor bank is controlled by an integrated power factor controller.

The equipment is applied at points in an installation where the active-power or reactive

power variations are relatively large, for example:

At the bus bars of a main distribution switch-board,

At the terminals of a heavily-loaded feeder cable.

Where the kvar rating of the capacitors is less than, or equal to 15% of the supply
transformer rating, a fixed value of compensation is appropriate.

Above the 15% level, it is advisable to install an automatically-controlled bank of

capacitors.

Control is usually provided by contactors. For compensation of highly fluctuating loads,

fast and highly repetitive connection of capacitors is necessary, and static switches
must be used.

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Types of APFC – Automatic Power Factor Correction

Automatic Power Factor correction equipment is divided into three major

categories:

1. Standard = Capacitor + Fuse + Contactor + Controller

2. De tuned = Capacitor + De tuning Reactor + Fuse + Contactor + Controller
3. Filtered = Capacitor + Filter Reactor + Fuse + Contactor + Controller.

Advantages:

Consistently high power factor under fluctuating loads.

Prevention of leading power factor.
Eliminate power factor penalty.
Lower energy consumption by reducing losses.
Continuously sense and monitor load.
Automatically switch on/off relevant capacitors steps for consistent power factor.
Ensures easy user interface.
Automatically variation, without manual intervention, the compensation to suit the
load requirements.

Application:

Variable load electrical installations.

Compensation of main LV distribution boards or major outgoing lines.
Above the 15% level, it is advisable to install an automatically-controlled bank of
capacitors.
Size of Automatic Capacitor bank Qc > 15% kVA transformer.

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Method Advantages Disadvantages

Most technically efficient, Higher installation &
Individual capacitors
most flexible maintenance cost
Most economical, fewer Less flexible, requires
Fixed bank installations switches and/or circuit
breakers
Best for variable loads, Higher equipment cost
Automatic bank prevents over voltages, low
installation cost
Most practical for larger Least flexible
Combination
numbers of motors

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Type of Capacitor as per Construction

1. Standard duty Capacitor

Construction: Rectangular and Cylindrical (Resin filled / Resin coated-Dry)

Application:

1. Steady inductive load.

2. Non linear up to 10%.
3. For Agriculture duty.

2. Heavy-duty

Construction: Rectangular and Cylindrical (Resin filled / Resin coated-Dry/oil/gas)

Application:

1. Suitable for fluctuating load.

2. Non linear up to 20%.
3. Suitable for APFC Panel.
4. Harmonic filtering

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3. LT Capacitor

Application:

Suitable for fluctuating load.

Non linear up to 20%.
Suitable for APFC Panel & Harmonic filter application.

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Selecting Size of Capacitor Bank

The size of the inductive load is large enough to select the minimum size of capacitors
that is practical.

For HT capacitors the minimum ratings that are practical are as follows:

System Minimum rating of

Voltage capacitor bank
3.3 KV , 75 Kvar
6.6KV
11 KV 200 Kvar
22 KV 400 Kvar
33 KV 600 Kvar

Unit sizes lower than above is not practical and economical to manufacture.

When capacitors are connected directly across motors it must be ensured that the
rated current of the capacitor bank should not exceed 90% of the no-load current of the
motor to avoid self-excitation of the motor and also over compensation.

Precaution must be taken to ensure the live parts of the equipment to be compensated
should not be handled for 10 minutes (in case of HT equipment) after disconnection of
supply.

Crane motors or like, where the motors can be rotated by mechanical load and motors
with electrical braking systems, should never be compensated by capacitors directly
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For direct compensation across transformers the capacitor rating should not
exceed 90 % of the no-load KVA of the motor.

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Selection of Capacitor as per Non Liner Load

For power Factor correction it is need to first decide which type of capacitor is used.

Selection of Capacitor is depending upon many factor i.e. operating life, Number of
Operation, Peak Inrush current withstand capacity.

For selection of Capacitor we have to calculate Total Non-Liner Load like: UPS,
Rectifier, Arc/Induction Furnace, AC/DC Drives, Computer, CFL Blubs, and CNC
Machines.

Calculation of Non liner Load, Example: Transformer Rating 1MVA,Non Liner Load
100KVA
% of non Liner Load = (Non Liner Load/Transformer Capacity) x100 = (100/1000)
x100=10%.
According to Non Linear Load Select Capacitor as per Following Table.

% Non Liner
Type of Capacitor
Load
<=10% Standard Duty
Up to 15% Heavy Duty
Up to 20% Super Heavy Duty
Capacitor +Reactor
Up to 25%
(Detuned)
Above 30%  

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Configuration of Capacitor
Power factor correction capacitor banks can be configured in the following ways:
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1. Delta connected Bank.

2. Star-Solidly Grounded Bank.
3. Star-Ungrounded Bank.

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1. Star-Solidly Grounded

Initial cost of the bank may be lower since the neutral does not have to be insulated
from ground.
Capacitor switch recovery voltages are reduced
High inrush currents may occur in the station ground system.
The grounded-Star arrangement provides a low-impedance fault path which may
require revision to the existing system ground protection scheme.
Typically not applied to ungrounded systems. When applied to resistance-grounded
systems, difficulty in coordination between capacitor fuses and upstream ground
protection relays (consider coordination of 40 A fuses with a 400 A grounded
system).
Application: Typical for smaller installations (since auxiliary equipment is not
required)

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2. Star-Ungrounded

Industrial and commercial capacitor banks are normally connected ungrounded Star,
with paralleled units to make up the total kvar.

It is recommended that a minimum of 4 paralleled units to be applied to limit the over

voltage on the remaining units when one is removed from the circuit.

If only one unit is needed to make the total kvar, the units in the other phases will
not be overloaded if it fails.

In industrial or commercial power systems the capacitors are not grounded for a variety
of reasons. Industrial systems are often resistance grounded. A grounded Star
connection on the capacitor bank would provide a path for zero sequence currents and
the possibility of a false operation of ground fault relays.

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Also, the protective relay scheme would be sensitive to system line-to-ground voltage
Unbalance, which could also result in false relay tripping.

Application: In Industrial and Commercial.

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3. Delta-connected Banks

Delta-connected banks are generally used only at distributions voltages and are
configured with a Single series group of capacitors rated at line-to-line voltage. With
only one series group of units no overvoltage occurs across the remaining capacitor units
from the isolation of a faulted capacitor unit.

Therefore, unbalance detection is not required for protection and they are not treated
further in this paper.

Application: In Distribution System.

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Effect of series and Parallel Connection of capacitor

Parallel Connection

This is the most popular method of connection. The capacitor is connected in parallel
to the unit. The voltage rating of the capacitor is usually the same as or a little higher
than the system voltage.

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Series Connection

This method of connection is not much common. Even though the voltage regulation is
much high in this method,

It has many disadvantages.

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One is that because of the series connection, in a short circuit condition the capacitor
should be able to withstand the high current. The other is that due to the series
connection due to the inductivity of the line there can be a resonance occurring at a
certain capacitive value.

This will lead to very low impedance and may cause very high currents to flow
through the lines.

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Jignesh Parmar

Jignesh Parmar has completed M.Tech (Power System Control), B.E (Electrical). He is
member of Institution of Engineers (MIE), India. He has more than 13 years experience
in transmission & distribution-energy theft detection and maintenance electrical projects.

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