Power Factor Correction

This chapter provides technical knowledge reference about reactive power and power factor correction techniques: definitions, why and how to improve the power factor, power factor correction equipment types, where to install this equipment, impact of harmonics on capacitor banks etc ...

Chapter L - Contents

• Power factor and Reactive power
  • Definition of Power Factor
  • Definition of reactive power
  • The nature of reactive power
  • Reactive power of capacitors
  • Equipment and appliances requiring reactive energy
  • Practical values of power factor
• Why improve the power factor?
• How to improve the power factor?
  • Theoretical principles to improve power factor
  • Equipment to improve power factor
  • The choice between a fixed or automatically-regulated bank of capacitors
• Where to install power factor correction capacitors?
• How to determine the optimum level of compensation?
• 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
• Example of an installation before and after power-factor correction
• The effects of harmonics
  • Problems arising from power-system harmonics
  • Risk of resonance due to power-system harmonics
  • Possible solutions for power-system harmonics
• Implementation of capacitor banks