ENERGY EFFICIENT SYSTEMS ROLE OF

CAPACITORS.
Now a days there is increasing awareness about saving energy, utilising the
available energy efficiently by employing energy efficient devices. Thus, there is
a trend to convert conventional systems to energy efficient systems.

Capacitor, which improves the power factor of the system, forms an integral part
of the energy efficient system.

Industry is rapidly changing over to energy efficient drives, devices these are
listed as below.

1. DC drives.
2. Variable speed AC drives.
3. Energy efficient lamps.
4. UPS.

etc.

Though these devices facilitate the use of energy efficiently they reduce the
power factor of the system, inject harmonics in the system. These problems
further gives rise to another problems and ultimately there is reduction in the
overall efficiency of the system.

Devices and problems caused by them :

1. DC drives :

DC drives are used as they give better efficiency than that of AC drives also the
speed control of DC drive is easy.

AC supply is converted into DC supply using converters. Converters reduces

power factor introduces harmonics.

AC------> Converter------> DC

2. Frequency converters :

These are used to control the speed of AC drives. First AC supply is converted
into DC supply, which is again converted into AC with different frequency. This
also reduces the power factor and introduces harmonics.
AC(50 Hz) ------> DC(Using Converter) ------> AC (Using Inverter) (Variable
frequency)

3. Electronic items :

For accurate and automatic control there is increase in use of electronic controls,
also use of computers has been increased. All these electronic items require
switched mode power supply, which draws current over a part of each half cycle
as shown. This reduces the power factor.

Current wave of a "switch mode" power supply

2. Energy efficient lamps :

These lamps draw an almost instantaneous current over a short

portion of the voltage wave. This reduces the power factor.

Current Wave of a C.F. Lamp.

All these devices form what is called as nonlinear load, which not
only causes the problem of low power factor but also problem of
harmonics.
 A. POWER FACTOR CONTROL :

In an electrical distribution system , low power factor, harmonics

can not be tolerated as it reduces the overall efficiency of the system
and it also affects the working of other devices.

To improve the power factor use of capacitor is essential, where

harmonic level is high only capacitor does not serve the purpose
and use of power factor correction capacitors along with the
harmonic filter becomes essential.

Reactive power compensation is very important as it not only

improves the efficiency of the system but also reduces the penalty
for low power factor

Benefits of high power factor :

o Reduction in load current.

o Reduction in power loss, improvement in efficiency of the system.
o Reduction in KVA rating of equipment's, better utilisation of
equipment's.
o Better voltage profile.
o Less voltage fluctuations.
o Higher stability.

Capacitor itself is an energy efficient product as it has low power

loss, its efficiency as high as 99.9%. In addition to this, capacitors
has low initial cost, flexibility in choosing rating, compact size, easy
installation, less maintenance etc.

To install capacitors in a system we should study the system i.e. we

should have certain data such as load in KW, existing power factor
etc. Now we should decide the new required power factor, then we
can calculate the required KVAR to improve the power factor very
easily with the help of following table.

• Following tables and illustrations will enable you to properly select the
capacitor for your installation.

Capacitor KVAR for Power Factor Correction.

Ratio of Capacitor KVAR/Existing load in KWS to raise the power factor to
 New Power Factor

Existing

Power 0.85 0.90 0.95 0.96 0.97 0.98 0.99 1.00

Factor

0.40 1.668 1.805 1.959 1.998 2.037 2.085 2.146 2.288

0.50 1.112 1.248 1.403 1.441 1.481 1.528 1.590 1.732

0.60 0.714 0.849 1.005 1.043 1.083 1.131 1.192 1.334

0.65 0.549 0.685 0.840 0.878 0.918 0.966 1.027 1.169

0.67 0.488 0.624 0.779 0.817 0.857 0.905 0.966 1.108

0.68 0.459 0.595 0.750 0.788 0.828 0.876 0.937 1.079

0.69 0.429 0.565 0.720 0.758 0.798 0.840 0.907 1.049

0.70 0.400 0.536 0.691 0.729 0.769 0.811 0.878 1.020

0.71 0.372 0.508 0.663 0.701 0.741 0.783 0.850 0.992

0.72 0.343 0.479 0.634 0.672 0.712 0.754 0.821 0.963

0.73 0.316 0.452 0.607 0.645 0.685 0.727 0.794 0.936

0.74 0.289 0.425 0.580 0.618 0.658 0.700 0.740 0.909

0.75 0.262 0.398 0.553 0.591 0.631 0.673 0.713 0.882

0.76 0.235 0.371 0.526 0.564 0.604 0.652 0.687 0.855

0.77 0.209 0.345 0.500 0.538 0.578 0.620 0.661 0.829

0.78 0.183 0.319 0.474 0.512 0.552 0.594 0.633 0.808

0.79 0.156 0.292 0.447 0.485 0.525 0.567 0.608 0.776

0.80 0.130 0.266 0.421 0.459 0.499 0.541 0.582 0.750

0.81 0.104 0.240 0.395 0.433 0.473 0.515 0.556 0.724

0.82 0.078 0.214 0.369 0.407 0.447 0.489 0.530 0.698

0.83 0.052 0.118 0.343 0.381 0.421 0.463 0.504 0.672

0.84 0.026 0.162 0.317 0.355 0.395 0.437 0.478 0.645

Illustrative Example. :

1. A Factory has a minimum demand load of 140HP (131 KWS allowing an

overall 80% efficiency) and a power factor of 0.65. This is to be raised to
0.90.

Then Capacitor KVAR/Load Kws ratio from the above table is 0.685.
Therefore Capacitors required are 131 x 0.685 = 89.735 KVAR.

The Capacitors are rated at 440 volts to allow for high voltages prevailing
on the systems. But they operate let us say at an average of 400 volts.
Therefore an upward revision by 1.21 times is called for. The customer
will require 1.21 x 89.74 = 108.6 KVAR. Choose 110 KVAR, which comes
within standard sizes.

A desirable combination would be 50 : 25 x 2 and 10 KVAR.

General layout of system, only power factor correction.

We should not install more KVAR also we should not install less
KVAR than the required KVAR as both give disadvantages,
secondly we should decide optimum location of capacitors, it is
preferable to install the capacitors as near to the load as possible.
Further if there is wide variation in the load pattern we should go
for automatic power factor control method in which capacitors are
switched ON/OFF according to the load.

A. HARMONICS CONTROL :

Energy efficient devices brings along with it problems of

harmonics. So it is better to carry out harmonic survey and
eliminate them by installing harmonic filters.
 Harmonics have many disadvantages such as,

• Increased losses , over heating of equipment's and consequent energy

losses and even failure of rotating machinery, transformers, cables ,
capacitors etc.
• Frequent blowing of HRC fuses.
• Malfunction of electronic /computer controls.
• Interference with telephone, communication and logic circuits.
• Excessive neutral currents etc.

A normal power factor correction bank is divided into two parts. One is
normal power factor correction bank, only for power factor correction
purpose and second is harmonic filter bank, which besides reducing the
harmonics also improves the power factor.

General layout of system along with harmonic filter.

A harmonic filter consists of a tuning reactor in series with the capacitor, it

is connected in parallel with the normal untuned capacitor bank. KVAR
rating of reactor and capacitor is higher as it has to carry normal power
frequency current along with the harmonic current, also the voltages
across them is high.

Now a days there is increasing awareness about the harmonics and its
control. Although, presently there is no legislation to control the level of
harmonics it will be introduced in near future and the consumer which is
generating harmonics beyond specified limits may have to pay penalty.

There are standards like IEEE 519-1992, which recommends limits on the
voltage and current distortion. CBIP has also taken steps in this direction
and has published a guide for limiting voltage harmonics while guide for
limiting current harmonics is in pipe line. Also current distortions limits
are gaining increasing importance over the voltage distortion limits.
Table 1 Current distortion limits for general distribution systems.

(120 volts through 69000 volts)

Maximum harmonic current distortion in percent of IL

Individual harmonic order (odd harmonics)

ISC / IL <11 11<h<17 17<h<23 23<h<35 35< h TDD

<20 4.0 2.0 1.5 0.6 0.3 5.0

20<50 7.0 3.5 2.5 1.0 0.5 8.0

50<100 10.0 4.5 4.0 1.5 0.7 12.0

100<1000 12.0 5.5 5.0 2.0 1.0 15.0

>1000 15.0 7.0 6.0 2.5 1.4 20.0

Even harmonics are limited 25% of odd harmonic limits above.

(When ISC / IL is say 1000, then a maximum limit of 12 % is allowed for

the 11th harmonics. In other words, presence of 11th harmonics below
12% value does not strictly call for a filter.)

The IEEE standard 519 specifies voltage distortion limits as per the table
below.
 Bus voltage at PCC Individual voltage Total voltage
distortion % distortion THD %

69 kV and below 3.0 5.0

69 kV - 161 kV 1.5 2.5

Following example gives general idea and values for harmonic filter.

Data :

• Load in KW : 606.20 KW.

• Power factor : 0.42 lag.
• THD : 30%.
• Required new power factor : 0.97.

By calculation :

KVAR required = 1158 KVAR.

Out of this 30 % are used for harmonic filter.

Thus,

Untuned power factor bank = 808 KVAR.

Tuned harmonic filter = 350 KVAR.

KVAR rating of reactor = 399 KVAR.

KVAR rating of capacitor = 1203 KVAR.

(It can be seen that individual rating of reactor and capacitor is quite high.)

The cost of harmonic filter is many times the normal capacitor bank but the
advantages gained are worth.

Capacitors play very important role in making a system energy efficient. A

energy efficient system has low losses, high efficiency and capacitor helps in
reducing losses and gaining high efficiency. Cost of the capacitor is low, also the
payback period of capacitors is less. Life of capacitors is fairly high
approximately 10 years, it has less maintenance.

In near future all conventional drives will be replaced by energy efficient drives ,
which brings along with it the problems of low power factor and harmonics.
These problems can be easily solved by using capacitors and total system can be
made more energy efficient.