POWER FACTOR CORRECTION

WISEMAN NENE

EIT – ELECTRICAL

ESTON SUGAR MILL

POWER FACTOR CORRECTION

AS A MEANS OF COST SAVINGS

CONTENT

– INTRODUCTION
– OBJECTIVES
– NATURE OF ELECTRICAL POWER/LOAD
– POWER FACTOR THEORY
– ADVANTAGES OF IMPROVED POWER FACTOR
– DISADVANTAGES OF LOW POWER FACTOR
– METHODS OF IMPROVING POWER FACTOR
– OVERVIEW OF THE SYSTEM
– SYSTEM BREAKDOWN
– POWER AND COSTS SAVINGS
– PROJECT COSTS
– COSTS RECOVERY PERIOD
– SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM
– CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION

 COSTS SAVINGS IS ONE OF THE MEASURE DRIVERS IN

INDUSTRY FOR BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY

 POWER FACTOR CORRECTION IS ONE OF THE MEANS

THAT CAN BE USED TO REDUCE COSTS

NATURE OF ELECTRICAL LOAD

 Resistive - I and V peaks are simultaneous

– The angle between the two is zero
 Inductive - I lags V
– The angle between the two is negative
 Capacitive – I leads V
– The angle between the two is positive I
V
-VE
I V
INDUCTIVE CAPACITIVE
RESISTIVE

+VE
V
I
OBJECTIVES

 TO INVESTIGATE MEANS OF COST REDUCTION FROM THE

ELECTRICAL PERSPECTIVE – (POWER FACTOR CORRECTION)

POWER FACTOR THEORY

 PF = ACTIVE POWER / APPARENT POWER

=P/S

= kW / kVA

– ACTIVE POWER (P) = kW

– APPARENT POWER (S) = kVA

POWER TRIANGLE

ACTIVE POWER (P) = kW

REACTIVE POWER (Q) = kVAr

SYSTEM BEFORE PFC

 PF = 0.68 Lagging
Θ1 = 47.17° ACTIVE POWER (P) = kW

REACTIVE POWER (Q) = kVAr

DESIRED MINIMUM SYSTEM TRIANGLE

 PF = 0.8 Lagging
Θ2 = 36.87° P = kW

Q2 = kVAr
Qold = kVAr
Q1 = kVAr
NEW SYSTEM POWER TRIANGLE

 PF = 0.92 Lagging
Θ2 = 23.07° P = kW

Q2 = kVAr
Qold = kVAr
Q1 = kVAr
ADVANTAGES OF IMPROVED PF

 REDUCED APPARENT POWER PRODUCED

 IMPROVED PLANT EFFICIENCY
 ADDITIONAL LOADS CAN BE ADDED TO THE SYSTEM
 REDUCED OVERLOADING OF CABLES,
TRANSFORMERS, SWITCHGEAR, ETC.
 IMPROVED NETWORK VOLTAGE
 IMPROVED STARTING TORQUE OF MOTORS
DISADVANTAGES OF LOW PF

 INCREASES ELECTRICITY COSTS

 CAUSES OVERLOADING OF GENERATORS,
TRANSFORMERS AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
 GREATER VOLTAGE DROPS AND POWER LOSSES
 LOW EFFICIENCY AND UNNECESSARY WEAR AND TEAR
TO INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
 REDUCES LOAD HANDLING OF THE PLANTS’ ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM
METHODS OF IMPROVING POWER FACTOR

 SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS

 STATIC VAR COMPENSATORS

 STATIC CAPACITORS
METHODS OF IMPROVING POWER FACTOR

 SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS
– Has long service life
– Can withstand higher short circuit currents
– High maintenance and installation costs
 STATIC VAR COMPENSATORS
– Fast response system
– System is very expensive
 STATIC CAPACITORS
– Simple and easy to install
– Cannot be repaired
CONNECTION TO THE NETWORK

 Basic connection diagram for static capacitors

SUPPLY LOAD

CAPACITOR BANK
SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

 FRONT – END SECTION

– 4 x 48kVAr + 3 x 50 kVAr
– = 342 kVAr

 BACK – END SECTION

– = 6 x 62.5 kVAr
– = 375 kVAr
SYSTEM OPERATION

 Manual Mode

– Uses a selector switch to select a stage

 Automatic – using Epcos BR6000 PFC Controller

– Uses a selector switch to automatically select a stage

POWER AND COSTS SAVINGS

 Electrical saving in P = 429.08 kW

terms of the power @ 0.68 PF , S = 631 kVA
And at:
consumed
@ 0.92 PF, S = 466.39 kVA

STOTAL = SOLD – SNEW

 P = 151.44 kW = 164.61 kVA

I = S/√3 x 525
= 181.02A
P = √3 V I Cos θ
= 151.44 kW
RAND VALUE SAVING (ACTUAL)

 Assuming 24 hours/day for 30 days @

0.4019/kWh and saving 151.44 kWh,
National grid Power

– Energy Charge Saving = 151.44 x 24 x 30 x

0.4019
= R 43,821.89/month
POWER SAVINGS (BACK-END)

P = 903.4 kW
@ 0.61 PF, SOLD = 1.48 MVA
@ 0.8 PF, SNEW = 1.13 MVA
STOTAL= SOLD – SNEW = 350 kVA
 I = S/√3 x 525
= 384.9 A
 P = √3 V I Cos θ
= 280 kW
SAVINGS ( RAND-VALUE, BACK-END)

 Assuming 24 hours/day for 30 days @ 0.4019/kWh

and saving 280 kW hourly:

Energy Charge Saving = 280 x 24 x 30 x 0.4019

= R 81,023.04/month
OVERALL POWER / COST SAVINGS

For 2010 season

 Eskom used during crushing=331.3 hrs, [06-07-10 to 04-10-10]
 Electrical Power saved;

– P FRONT-END = 151.44 kW
– P BACK-END = 280 kW
 Total Power Saved (2010 season)
= 151.44 kW + 280 kW
= 431.44 kW
= 431.44 kW x 331.3hrs
= 142.936 MWh
= 142936kWh x R0.4019 /kWh = R 57,446.00
BUDGET & COSTS RECOVERY PERIOD

 Approximately R45 000.

 Source: Electrical Department Budget

 Recoverable: Within 1 Month on National Grid

FINAL SYSTEM PICTURES

 The following pictures shows the installation

locations and the results obtained from the front-end

section
CONTROLLER

 Controller - Epcos BR6000

CONTROL

 Auto and Manual Control

CAPACITOR BANKS
CONTROL PANELS
MAIN PANELS
DISPLAYS

 With all banks OFF

WITH 6 BANKS ON

 .
PF ALL BANKS ON

 PF = 0.92 Lagging
BACK-END SECTION
SAFETY

 No unauthorized person should switch the system

ON/OFF.
 Before opening the capacitor banks panels, make
sure the main isolator is off and wait for at least
5minutes for the capacitors to discharge
CONCLUSION

 As seen on the pictures in the previous slides,

the new system was successful.
 The power factor was corrected from 0.68
lagging to 0.92 lagging in the front-end and
from 0.61 to 0.8 lagging in the back-end section
CONCLUSION cont.

 The costs and power savings were significant

at 142.936 MWh during the 4 months period

recorded during the 2010 season

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 ESTON ENGINEERING TEAM

THANK YOU!!!

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