NAMAL INSTITUTE MIANWALI

Department of Electrical Engineering

Introduction to Power Engineering Lab

EE-372L
Lab #7 Manual

Reactive Power Compensation and Power Factor Improvement through

Optimal Capacitor Placement Mode using ETAP

Name

Roll No.

Marks Obtained

Date Performed

Instructors Eng. Zeeshan Shaukat

Signature

Rev. Date Comment Author

1.0 23/10/2021 Initial draft ZS

Created by: Eng. Zeeshan Shaukat

1
Objective:
This lab is based on ETAP usage for Optimal Capacitor Placement to reduce the
reactive power demand from the utility. Purpose of this lab is to optimize the size and
location of capacitor bank to reduce cost of reactive power compensation.

Description:
Major portion of the load on electrical grid is of inductive nature and draw lagging
current from the grid. Real and reactive power are dependent upon the phase difference
between voltage and current. Reactive power directly linked with the phase difference
whereas real power in inversely linked with it. To maintain the balance between the
reactive and real power in the system within the allowed range, capacitor banks are
used as source of reactive power to maintain the power factor hence the voltage level
on the bus and ampacity of line.

In general, capacitor banks are installed in power systems for voltage support, power
factor correction, reactive power control, loss reduction, system capacity increase, and
billing charge reduction. This process involves determining capacitor size and location
for voltage support and power factor correction.

In this lab we will determine the size and location of capacitor banks to for the
following two objectives:

• To maintain the voltages on the Buses with in specified ranges

• To Improve the power factors to the allowed ranges

Procedure:
• Run ETAP and create a new project
• Construct one-line diagram as shown in figure 1 and 2 with specifications
shown
a) Task 1
• Run Load flow Analysis.
• Show the result of Load Flow Analysis and take a snapshot of result.
Showing Voltage percentage of each bus, KVA and power factor of each
branch and attach it with report.
• Generate a Load Flow Report in PDF and attach it.
b) Task 2
• Now, from the mode toolbar go to Optimal Capacitor Placement mode
• Open Study Case Editor
• From info tab, select objective as Voltage Support
• From Voltage Constraint, select all the buses having lumped load and
voltage Limits between 105-95.

2
• From Capacitor tab, select all the buses having lumped load as
candidate bus.
• From Analysis toolbar, run Optimal Capacitor Placement.
• Generate OCP Results report in PDF and attach it with report.
• Generate OCP Cost Summary report in PDF and attach it with report.
• Now go to Edit mode and add the capacitor bank using recommendation
of OCP results.
• Repeat Part (a).

Fig. 1: One-line diagram of the Electric Power Supply System

3
 Fig. 2: Composite Network

C) Task 3
• Go to OCP mode and open the Study Case Editor.
• From info tab, select objective as Power Factor Correction
From Power Factor Constraint, select all the buses having lumped load and voltage
Limits between 100-90.
• From Capacitor tab, select all the buses having lumped load as
candidate bus.
• From Analysis toolbar, run Optimal Capacitor Placement.
• Generate OCP Results report in PDF and attach it with report.
• Generate OCP Cost Summary report in PDF and attach it with report
• Now go to Edit mode and add the capacitor bank using recommendation
of OCP results.
• Repeat Part I.
c) Using Cost Summary from (b) and (c), conclude the benefits of reactive power
compensation.
Note: Use the following missing specifications for one-line diagram.
Specification for all cables

• Length: 500 meters

• Now open conductor library and choose the Metric 3/c XLPE cable which
is of Aluminum and designed for 50HZ. Choose the size 70 mm2 from
available sizes.

Transformers
Impedance: Typical Z & X/R