Reactive Power compensation on LV Supply: Guide to Understand / Selection of a right reactive power compensation system.
Description
We are living in the era of Electricity Supply System supplied to us as AC – Alternating Current. This system is now the universal standard. Obviously, it is adapted because of many good features over the DC supply system. But with AC supply system, the “POWER FACTOR” is one term that is really important.
Electrical supply system efficiency and level of utilization of Electricity distribution equipment are improved with Power Factor near unity. With improvement in Power Factor, there is current reduction for the same value of Watt power consumption.
The Power Factor on an electrical supply system with advent of new technology products that creates non-linear electrical loading and generates various challenging aspects for designing of Reactive Power Compensation Systems (PF correction Systems). Some major issues that are:
•New version of Power Electronics Based equipment normally generate Electrical harmonics. This has created some challenges for designing of PF correction Systems.
•Even the loading pattern in multiple cases is seen to be changing abruptly, causing abrupt changes in Power Factor.
•Sometimes, the loading pattern in three different phases of the supply systems are different. In such case, the Power Factor at any given moment may be different in three phases.
All these effects seen are either individually or sometimes in combinations. These can be in variable degrees of severity.
The systems therefore are to be designed based upon the consumer loading. The consumer loading based upon issues like PQ (Power Quality), Speed of load changes, difference in loading between the phases, environmental conditions, the safety norms etc.
In every category of electrical consumer like Industrial, Commercial, Domestic, Agricultural, Small cottage businesses would face challenge of designing different type of Power Factor correction system. Even the sub-categories within these primary categories would face challenge to design such new system.
In fact the best approach is to design the system based upon the every individual consumer’s loading pattern survey results. And based on the finding in such survey results, the rightly configured “Power Factor Correction System” should be designed.
Thus, this book tries to bring out the various options in present day commercially available technology (Year 2014) and how to utilize it best for the specific consumer needs.
For providing the Power Factor Compensation, one has to know how much compensation to be provided. For knowing that one has to know what are the electrical parameters that are to be measured.
Thus, this book starts with initially some basics of Electrical Engineering which is studied by Engineers. Therefore, some may find first two or three chapters as the elementary level. Still it is given in the book because many of us Engineers who have passed years back would be able to brush up the fundamentals of electrical engineering.
Further chapters would discuss the present day technology and the right approach towards designing the right “Reactive Power Compensation System”.
In this book, the approach is of practicality on the subject rather than a theory. Still, one has to take help of theory to reach the right practical approach. Thus, naturally some theory is always touched upon. The approach of the book is not to get into Mathematical Derivations of the theorems. But to understand the Basics of the already established theorems and practically apply these to design the right system.
In this book, the approach is even to explain the situation diagrammatically. Therefore reader may find multiple diagrams (referred as Fig.--.-) which may be useful in visualization.
Hope, reader finds this book informative and useful as handbook for designing the LV application Reactive Power Compensation Systems.
Thank you.
Electrical supply system efficiency and level of utilization of Electricity distribution equipment are improved with Power Factor near unity. With improvement in Power Factor, there is current reduction for the same value of Watt power consumption.
The Power Factor on an electrical supply system with advent of new technology products that creates non-linear electrical loading and generates various challenging aspects for designing of Reactive Power Compensation Systems (PF correction Systems). Some major issues that are:
•New version of Power Electronics Based equipment normally generate Electrical harmonics. This has created some challenges for designing of PF correction Systems.
•Even the loading pattern in multiple cases is seen to be changing abruptly, causing abrupt changes in Power Factor.
•Sometimes, the loading pattern in three different phases of the supply systems are different. In such case, the Power Factor at any given moment may be different in three phases.
All these effects seen are either individually or sometimes in combinations. These can be in variable degrees of severity.
The systems therefore are to be designed based upon the consumer loading. The consumer loading based upon issues like PQ (Power Quality), Speed of load changes, difference in loading between the phases, environmental conditions, the safety norms etc.
In every category of electrical consumer like Industrial, Commercial, Domestic, Agricultural, Small cottage businesses would face challenge of designing different type of Power Factor correction system. Even the sub-categories within these primary categories would face challenge to design such new system.
In fact the best approach is to design the system based upon the every individual consumer’s loading pattern survey results. And based on the finding in such survey results, the rightly configured “Power Factor Correction System” should be designed.
Thus, this book tries to bring out the various options in present day commercially available technology (Year 2014) and how to utilize it best for the specific consumer needs.
For providing the Power Factor Compensation, one has to know how much compensation to be provided. For knowing that one has to know what are the electrical parameters that are to be measured.
Thus, this book starts with initially some basics of Electrical Engineering which is studied by Engineers. Therefore, some may find first two or three chapters as the elementary level. Still it is given in the book because many of us Engineers who have passed years back would be able to brush up the fundamentals of electrical engineering.
Further chapters would discuss the present day technology and the right approach towards designing the right “Reactive Power Compensation System”.
In this book, the approach is of practicality on the subject rather than a theory. Still, one has to take help of theory to reach the right practical approach. Thus, naturally some theory is always touched upon. The approach of the book is not to get into Mathematical Derivations of the theorems. But to understand the Basics of the already established theorems and practically apply these to design the right system.
In this book, the approach is even to explain the situation diagrammatically. Therefore reader may find multiple diagrams (referred as Fig.--.-) which may be useful in visualization.
Hope, reader finds this book informative and useful as handbook for designing the LV application Reactive Power Compensation Systems.
Thank you.
