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
Example of an installation before and after power-factor correction
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
