Power Factor Correction

Reactive energy and power factor

The nature of reactive energy

Equipment and appliances requiring reactive energy

The power factor

Practical values of power factor

Why to improve the power factor?

Reduction in the cost of electricity

Technical/economic optimization

How to improve the power factor?

Theoretical principles

By using what equipment?

The choice between a fixed or automatically-regulated bank of capacitors

Where to install power factor correction capacitors?

Global compensation

Compensation by sector

Individual compensation

How to decide the optimum level of compensation?

General method

Simplified method

Method based on the avoidance of tariff penalties

Method based on reduction of declared maximum apparent power (kVA)

Compensation at the terminals of a transformer

Compensation to increase the available active power output

Compensation of reactive energy absorbed by the transformer

Power factor correction of induction motors

Connection of a capacitor bank and protection settings

How self-excitation of an induction motor can be avoided

The effects of harmonics

Problems arising from power-system harmonics

Possible solutions

Choosing the optimum solution

Implementation of capacitor banks

Capacitor elements

Choice of protection, control devices and connecting cables

Downloads

2010 edition in English: L-Power factor correction and harmonic filtering
2010 edition in French: L-Compensation de l energie reactive et filtrage des harmoniques