Improvement of

Power Factor

Need for Reactive Power

Compensation
Electrical energy is generated, transmitted, distributed, and utilized

as alternating current (AC). However, alternating current has several

distinct disadvantages. One of these is the necessity of reactive
power that needs to be supplied along with active power.
Reactive power can be leading or lagging. While it is the active

power that contributes to the energy consumed, or transmitted,

reactive power does not contribute to the energy. Reactive power is
an inherent part of the total power. Reactive power is either
generated or consumed in almost every component of the system,
generation, transmission, and distribution and eventually by the
loads.
The impedance of a branch of a circuit in an AC system consists of

two components, resistance and reactance. Reactance can be

either inductive or capacitive, which contribute to reactive power in
the circuit. Most of the loads are inductive and causes lagging
power factor.

Power Capacitors
Power capacitor is highly technical and complex device
Thin dielectric materials and high dielectric stresses are required.
Highly sophisticated techniques are involved.

In past most power capacitors were constructed by two

sheets of thin aluminum foil separated by three or more

layers of chemically impregnated Kraft paper.
Power capacitors have been improved due to
Improvements in dielectric materials and their more efficient utilization
Improvements in processing techniques.

Series Capacitors
Capacitors connected in series with the lines.
A series capacitor compensates for inductive reactance.
A series capacitor is negative reactance in series with

circuits positive reactance, compensating all or a part of it.

Increases voltage regulation of line.
Improves power factor of lines
Used to very limited extent in distribution systems due

complicated maintenance requirements and very limited

applications.
Voltage rise

Shunt Capacitors
Connected in parallel with line, used extensively in

distribution systems.
Compensate reactive component of current by supplying

reactive current to counteract the out of phase component

of current
Increases voltage regulation of lines
Improves power factor of lines
Modify the characteristics of an inductive load by drawing

leading current
Phasor diagram illustration
Voltage Rise

Power Factor
Cosine of angle between voltage and current in an AC

system is known as power factor

Power Factor is the ratio between the actual power to the

apparent power
Major loads are inductive like Transmission lines, AC

motors, Induction Furnaces, Light bulbs, Transformers and

causes lagging power factor

Power Factor
Current lags behind voltage by angle .

is in phase with V and is known as active or wattfull

component.

is out of phase with V, is known as reactive or

wattless component, is the measure of power factor.
If this component is small pf will be high.

Maximum value of power factor is 1 for purely

resistive loads

Power Triangle
Apparent Power
Power Factor

For leading currents power triangle will be reversed which

provide key for power factor improvement

Reactive power is neither consumed nor it does any useful

work. It merely flows back and forth in both directions in

the circuit.

Disadvantages of low pf (contd.)

For

single phase supply

For

three phase supply

High Load Current

Large line losses
Greater conductor size
Poor voltage regulation: Voltage drop .

Low pf, high current, high voltage drop

Cost of voltage regulation will increase.

Disadvantages of low pf (contd.)

Large kVA rating
All electrical machinery is always rated in kVA

kVA rating of machinery like generator, transformer etc has to be made

more, making machinery larger and expensive.

Reduced Handling capacity:

It is because reactive component of current prevents full utilization of

installed capacity

Penalty from Electric Power Supply Company on Low

Power factor

Example 6.2

A single phase motor connected to 400V, 50Hz supply

takes 31.7A at pf of 0.7 lagging. Calculate the
capacitance required in parallel with the motor to raise
the pf to 0.9 lagging
[94.3uF]

Causes of low power factor

Inductive Loads
Low power factor is caused by inductive loads such as transmission

lines, transformers, induction motors, generators and certain lighting

ballasts.

Lightly loaded induction motors.

Magnetizing current is dependent upon design, not on load
Best pf at full load (0.8 to 0.9).
Low pf at light loads (0.2 to 0.3)

Variable load on power system

Load on power system is varying. During low load period, supply

voltage is increased which increases the magnetization current. This

results in decreased power factor.

Power Factor Correction

If the circuit has a low pf it means the reactive power is too

high.
The reactive power is the energy required to build the

magnetic field in an inductive circuit, or an electrostatic field

in a capacitive circuit
The process of introducing reactive elements to bring the

power factor closer to unity is called power-factor

correction.
Since most loads are inductive, the process normally

involves introducing elements with capacitive characteristics.

Pf can be improved by using following equipment:
Static Capacitor
Synchronous Condenser
Phase Advancer

Static Capacitor
Power factor can be improved by connecting capacitors in

parallel with the equipment operating at lagging pf.

Capacitor draws leading current and neutralizes the

lagging reactive component of current.

Static capacitors are invariably used for pf improvement in

factories
Advantages:
Low Losses in static capacitors
No moving part, therefore low maintenance requirements.

Disadvantages:
Limited age (8 10 years) and not easily repairable
Capacitor switching with changing loads causes switching surges on

the system

Calculation of pf Correction
Suppose pf is improved from to
Leading kVar supplied by pf correction equipment

Capacitance of capacitor to improve pf

Note:
For 3 phase balanced loads, analysis of single phase leads to desired

results

Capacitor Bank
Individual capacitors can be added in parallel to achieve

desired KVar capacity.

Capacitors can be connected in series to achieve required

voltage.

The whole assembly of capacitors is called capacitor bank.

Fixed capacitors are sized to light or base load and

connected permanently.

Switched capacitors are installed for variable loads and

switched according to requirement, but increases the cost

of switchgear and control equipment.

TP1-6.3:

A 3 phase, 50 Hz, 3000 V motor develops 600hp

(447.6kW), pf being 0.75 lagging and efficiency 0.93. A
bank of capacitors is connected in delta across supply
terminals and pf raised to 0.95 lagging. Each of capacitor
unit is built of five similar 600 V capacitors. Determine the
capacitance of each capacitor.
[156uF]

Example 6.6

The load on an installation is 800 kW, 0.8pf lagging which

works for 3000 hours per annum. The tariff is Rs 100 per
kVA plus 20 paise per kWh. If the pf is improved to 0.9
lagging by means of loss free capacitors costing Rs 60 per
kVA, calculate the annual saving effected. Allow 10% per
annum for interest and depreciation on capacitors.
[Rs 9836]

Synchronous Condenser
Synchronous motor v curves:

Synchronous
Motor Phasor
Diagram

If terminal voltage and load is

constant.
is constant
is constant

Motor will work at

Lagging pf at under excited state
Unity pf at normally excited state
Leading pf at overexcited state

http://www.ece.umn.edu/users/riaz/animations/syncmotie.html

Synchronous Condenser
A synchronous motor takes a leading current when overexcited

and therefore behaves as a capacitor.

Overexcited synchronous motor running at no load is known as

synchronous condenser
Leading KVar supplied by synchronous condenser
Advantages:
Step less control on pf by varying field current to any amount.
Long life and repairable.

Disadvantages:
High operation and maintenance costs.

Note:
Maximum leading power is taken by a synchronous motor with maximum

excitation and zero load.

TP1-6.5

A station supplies 250 kVA at pf of 0.8 lagging. A

synchronous motor is connected in parallel with the load. If
combined load is 250kW with a pf of 0.9 lagging,
determine:
Leading kVAR taken by the motor
ii.
kVA rating of the motor
iii. Pf at which motor operates
[28.9kVAR, 57.75kVA, 0.566 lead]
i.

TP1-6.6

A generating station supplies the power to the following:

i. A lighting load of 100 kW.
ii. An induction motor of 800hp (596.8 kW) at pf of 0.8 lagging, efficiency 92%
iii. A rotary converter giving 150 A at 400 V at an efficiency of 0.95

What must be the pf of rotary convertor in order that power factor of

the station may become unity
[0.128 leading]

TP1-6.9

A 3 phase synchronous motor is having a mechanical load

of 122 kW, is connected in parallel with a load of 510 kW at
0.8pf lagging. The excitation of the motor is adjusted so
that kVA input to the motor becomes 140 kVA. Determine
the new pf of the whole system.
[0.8956 lagging]

Phase Advancer
Stator winding of induction motor draws exciting current

which lags behind supply voltage by 90 degrees.

If exciting ampere turns are provided from some other AC

source then stator winding will be relieved of exciting

currents and the power factor of the motor can be
improved.
Phase advancer is simply an A.C exciter which is mounted

on the shaft as the main motor and is connected in the

rotor circuit of the motor. It provides exciting ampere turns
to the rotor circuit.

Importance of pf improvement
For industrial consumers: Industrial consumers has to

pay electricity charges for maximum demand in kVA plus

units consumed. Although pf improvement involve extra
annual expenditure for pf correction equipment, yet
improvement of pf to proper value results in net annual
saving for consumer.
For Generating Stations: Generators are rated in kVA but

useful output is in kW. Greater the pf of the station, higher

the kWh it delivers to the system. Thus pf improvement
increases the earning capacity of the power station.

Most economical power factor

Increasing pf will reduce kVA maximum demand charges,

but increase the cost of pf correction equipment.

The value to which pf should be improved so as to have

maximum net annual saving.

x = Cost per KVA of MD per Annum

y = Cost per kVar of pf correction equipment per annum

Most economical pf depends only upon relative costs of

supply and pf correction equipment.

TP2-6.3

A factory has an average demand of 320 kW and an

annual load factor of 50%. The tariff is 80 per annum per
kVA of maximum demand plus 5 paise per kWh. Pf is 0.8
lagging. If the loss free capacitors costing 100 per kVAR
are to be utilized, find the value of pf at which maximum
saving will result. The annual interest and depreciation
together amount to 12%. Also determine the annual saving
effected by the improvement of pf to this value.
[0.988, 3809]

Home Work 3
Chapter 6 (VK Mehta)
Examples:

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11

TP1 (p.116): 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
TP2 (p.121): 1, 2, 3