Tutorial

Capacitor Placement
CYME 7.0 Power Engineering Software
A self-contained study file (.sxst) to use with this tutorial is provided. The explanations below are based on the use of it.
The Capacitor Placement analysis will suggest optimal locations to install capacitor banks on a desired feeder
according to a user-defined objective of either Minimize the kW losses or Improve the system voltage.

 Getting Started

This exercise consists of connecting a new industrial customer to the feeder GA04 and correcting the voltage
problems introduced using the Capacitor Placement analysis.
1. Open the self-contained study named CapPlacement.sxst.
2. Run a Load Flow analysis on the network. To do so, select the Load Flow analysis in the drop down list
of the Simulation toolbar and click the Run Simulation button to open the corresponding dialog. Click
on .

Verify that there are no abnormal conditions on the network by clicking on the Show Abnormal
Conditions button .

 Addition of an Industrial Plant

1. The industrial customer (2.3 MVA) will be connected to

node 14499.
2. Zoom in on node 14499 to see the industrial load.
3. Connect the industrial customer by right clicking on it and
selecting the command Connected from the pop-up menu.

4. Run the Load Flow analysis on the network and click on the
Show Abnormal Conditions button. As indicated by the
red color, the addition of the industrial load has caused a
substantial voltage drop on the feeder.

© CYME International, October 2013

  Capacitor Placement Analysis

1. To solve the low voltage problem, run a Capacitor Placement analysis. Go to Analysis > Capacitor
Placement > Run menu option, or select Capacitor Placement in the drop down list of the Simulation
Toolbar and click on the Run Simulation button.
2. Select the Objectives tab
and choose the following
options in the dialog box:
 Objectives: Improve
system voltage.
 Threshold voltage: 115
V. This is the voltage
below which CYMDIST
will initiate the process of
adding Capacitors.
 Target voltage: 124 V.

3. Click on the Restrictions tab and choose to

ignore all single and two-phase line sections,
and all underground cables.

4. Click on the Capacitor Banks tab to specify

the size of capacitors that are available for the
analysis. Set:

 the Minimum capacitor bank size to 300

kvar/phase

 the Maximum capacitor bank size to 1200

kvar/phase

 the Increment in capacitor bank size to

300 kvar/phase
The number of locations to install capacitor
banks can also be specified here. In our case
we are allowing only one location for the
capacitor banks installation
5. Under the Load Levels tab, specify the feeder
load levels as per the values indicated. This
will determine the size of fixed and switched
capacitors required for each loading condition
of the feeder.

CYME 7.0 Tutorial – Capacitor Placement Page 2

 6. Click on the Run button to launch the analysis and display the results.
7. Under the Results tab, click on all the buttons to expand the tree view and show the optimal location
suggested for the installation of the capacitor bank, i.e. section 15097. Clicking on 15097 will make the
size of the banks (fixed and switched) and the reduction in KW losses displayed.
8. Select Peak Load: 100.0 % and click on the Apply Capacitor button to install the capacitor on section
15097. Click on OK.

9. Run the Load Flow analysis again, click on the Show Abnormal Conditions button and generate the
Load Flow Summary report. As it can be noticed, the addition of the capacitor bank has eliminated all
voltage problems on phases A and B while reducing significantly the low voltage problem on phase C of
the feeder.

CYME 7.0 Tutorial – Capacitor Placement Page 3