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EPeos

Damping of Inrush Current

in Low-Voltage PFC Equipment
Low-Voltage PFC
 Power Quality

Contents

General 3
The risks of high inrush current 4
Single capacitor connection, inrush current calculation 6
Parallel capacitor connection, inrush current calculation 7

Various solutions for limiting inrush current serial aircoils 7

Detuning reactors, connection cable selection 8
Capacitor contactors with damping resistors
Functionality / comparison 9

Comparison 10

Capacitor bank switching under various conditions 11

2 EPCOS AG
 Damping of Inrush Current
in Low-Voltage PFC Equipment
General
The market trend to reduce losses
in modern low-voltage power-
factor-correction capacitors (LV-PFCs)
and the requirement for high
output density result in reduced
ohmic resistance in PFC capacitors.
Especially the switching of capa-
citors in parallel to others of the
bank, already energized, causes
extremely high inrush current
up to 200 times the rated current
Eq I :
and limited only by the ohmic Switching operation : f-.oo --. Xc -.0 --. i -.200 * I,
resistance of the capacitor itself.
According to the formula (Eq 1),
such a capacitors AC resistance is
very low and thus contributes to ,. ,$.,.,. ,. _. -.." . -... ,. '.-,.,

- 11 l111]
high inrush current.
T
1 _ _ _ _ _ _• _ _ J

! ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ :
!; &l)~~:; ~~ 11)~ ;
i_ J
~
N N . (\oJ
__ • __ '' __ ___
(\oJ . (\oJ N .
~.C
N
__ .•.
~

~-- ...... --- -- - ... 187,5 kVAt

High inrush current for grid,

high balancing currents for capacitors

LV-PFC capacitor bank

Inrush current (pulse) is a factor of:
• R~maining capacitor voltage
due to fast switching ,in auto-
matic capacitor banks
• Shortcircuit power of supply
transformer '
• Outputof capacitor switched
in parallel to other's already
energized
• F~ult level of supply network
• Output of capacitors already
j; . energized "

• Ohmic resistance ofcapacitor

itself and distribution swjtch
gear; connection cables or con-
ductors

EPCOS AG
 Inrush Current by Connecting
Capacitor in Parallel (Energization)
Capacitor connection:
IN = rated current = 21 A

73.8 ' : :74.5 75; I 75.7 76.3 77;0 77.6 tlrnsJ

, :
.::..:------1! :". 5th capacitor connected
fLi. Peak current occurrence
:..,----':"-:--' ---- 1~-1-57-;i~ :; is-i :-ii:;iioo-A-----,------------------~- - ----

The risks of high inrush current

.Connecting lV-PFC capacitors with-
;A dllt dampJogioan A0. grid stresses
the capacitor like a shortcircuit.
To avoid negative effects and to
improve a capacitors life time;.ade-
quate damping of ih~Llsh ClJrrept is
highly recommended . .

fnfluehceof high inrush current

ahd resultlng distortion:
• High stress on the capacitor
... reduced lifetime
" .Welding .or} ast wearing outor
the main contacts of contactors
• Negative effects on power
quality (eg. vOltage transients/
.Overvolrage: oJ
- insulation problems
- defects of electronic equipment
- production stop
. • Undervoltage/voltage zero "
crossing
- measurement failure
C.. - problems with numerical
.l· cohtrb! ~equipnie·nt
- prodL/~Jion stop due to
computer failure
/:"ligh qos,t of maintenance qT)fiI .
produ~~n stand~till .
Inrush Measurement
of Capacitor Steps
PFC capacitor cascade connection:
High voltage transients occurrence due to no damping

~ 1500

1000 I---+--+""';;;"+:,--j--

-1000 I----+--t--F--+--+---j- "11-'-4-·-+-·-+

·0 -- ---~ :;,.-- --- 1---- --- ---
-ISOO " • '.
o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 100
t(ms)
"'o_ __ __ ---'n IL __________":f!9!"J_~~C!~ _~?!~9~_ (t!~_~~i~~~) _?~~_~r:.r~~~~_
<D <D • <D 0 > U1NS -+ r~sk of shortcircuit
~ ~ 0 $; 0 V-+ results in wrong measurements
causing control failures
.oltage at,Q.69 /(v.;.pusbar

.Switching of power factor corr~€­

tion (PFC) capacitors is not onlY
related to high currents but also
( 6 highyoltage transients (ref.
capacitor switching-on steps J - 6),
- tausingdegradation of power
'quallty, lif the negative influence
is not prevented by damping .

r~~!i\S:@PC!cJt:Qr sample, .
contact surface damaged
by high Inrusl'1...currents
Pilgh i'1rYSh cut'ent oe~urrences.
due to insufficient damping .
caused high eiectromechanical
f~rces within th~ capa,citor. Espe;
cially the contact area between
electrOdes (windings) and the r
{flet~l-sRray faye,~. was ~:<tremely Example '
stressed by high current forces.
Metal-spray layer
separated trom the
capacitor windings

5
Inrush Current Calculation

Connecting a single capacitor

~ .. ....
"'''~~-"",..

Circuit and formula

Eq2

Calculation exam
Given parameters:
Grid c8nnection of a single SOkVN'"",
A capacItor; nobther capacitor conneCted;
kVA • Grid 400VI50 Hz
kVAr • Transformer shortcircuir voltage: 5%
A • Transformer output: 1600 .kVA
V • Capacitor 0 = 50 kVAr; IN = 72 A

2* 1600 kVA'
1'= 0.05 *72 A =2575 A
50 kVAr . . -
.~,. Grid impedance =
w * L (n) including The inrush current is approximately
- conjactor 35 times the rated current
- fus€!
- busbars
 Various Solutions
for Limiting Inrush Current

Parallel connecting of capacitor: Serial air coils

Eq3 Eq4

Given parameters: Given parameters:

.. C;0nnection of a 50 k'<,N capa£!~9r; otJ1er Pprallel connection of a 50 kVAr capacitor .
. 300 kVN capacitors are already connected: with cableturnslserial aircoilsrfor damping, .')
• Grid 400 Vl50 Hz other 300 kVAr capacitors are already connect~ ··
• Transformer shortcin:uit voltage: ed. 400Vl50 Hz. shortcircuit power 10.5 MVA. j
• Transformeroutput' 630 kVN rated capacitor durrent 72 A damping with
.0) = 50 kVAr approx. 6 f.JH with turns.
• 02 = 300 kVAr . ... . .Xc=11.2Q
• IN =72 A; VN = 400 V; f ;"'150 Hz .XLI = 2 * 1t * f * t= 2 * 1t * 50 * 6~H = L88 mQ
=
Xc 3 * U2N * (01 +. 0)
1 1
= • XL2 = =
2 * 1t * f * L O. I 25 mO
....• 2 11.2 0
• XL total = 0.125 + 1.88 = 2 mO
.. Llphase = 0.4 ~H (empirical) • Llphase = 0.4 f.JH (empirical value) I)
• XL = W * L = 2 * 1t * f * L = 0.125 mO
A,.. __ (2 *400V
t===V'L=2=*=40=0=V~= =3780 A
r===#=::==:='=§~=:==.:==:= =15118.6 A ..J IL2 0*2 * 10-3 0
..J 11.20*0.125*10"'3 0 The inrush current is approximately
The inrush current is approximately 50 times the rated current. This means only
210 times the rated current. . about a quarter compared to a capacitor
without damping (turns).

example shows that cable turns in s.eries

between contactor and capacitor reduce the
inrush current. Contactor suppliers recommend
inductivity of 6-8 ~H for damping inrush current. .
To achieve this inductivity. the following table pro:
vides tips for selecting the required turns. diame-
ters and cross sections.

1J For switch gear and connecteq cables

Various Solutions for
Limiting Inrush Current
Damping as described is a possible Selection table for connection cables
simple solution, but this method
deals with two contradicting effects: able
oss-section
• Longer (or additional) cables
cause electrical losses - higher
losses cause higher inherent
temperature within the capacitor.
• On the other hand, cable turns
reduce the inrush current and
increase the life cycle of capaci-
tors and contactors.
Plus, you must make sure that the
capacitor works below its maximum
operating temperature. This table should help to find the appropriate cable and required turns.
Our PFC-CDROM (available upon request) contains calculation software
which enhances preCise calculation of the application (capacitors and
switch gear) .

Det~nlngreactors
Detuned capac;
(sedesantl-harrfi'onic reacto with series reac

"

Fig. I : 2SkVAr (21 Al690VJ Fig. 2: 2SkVAr (2IA/6S'OVI

vertical : 2000A/div vertical:200A/div
hori~ortal : O.62Smsldiv horizontal : JOins I div
"., ."
 Capacitor contactors with damping resistors

/-:':.
. .. . ",!f!O'l" d()es it work? ;}
,~The series damping resistors are
'.~\iVitched by soqllled precontacts
''''i ':>" or auxiHarycontacts, The precon- '
tact closes before main contacts '
. Cipcl.preloads the capacitor.
,,,., .... --, <:"; ':k{:~t\i<> .
~'.~ ~ .)'~:;~) .~~'>..,~ ,~ ..

• Reduced voitage differences.,

I Tj1~ . P~~~ qJri~nt is I1m ited .
Ii Th~resistor i§temporarily in
circuit and has no thermal losses .
• The total resistance of the resistor
wires,s mainlY ohmic in nature,
its inductance can be neglected.
The coiling up of the damping
Functional diagram
resistors is only a matter of con-
.' struction.
, ,-'- .:<-- ,-'
Main contacts
on
o ff Ik ......... L _'~
.• During operation (main contacts
are closed) the resistor wires are on r ~
~;'f ~
disconnected or shorted out and Precontacts ~III •• _ -

do not cause .any permanent . 2 .. . 10 ms

losses at all. Due to the very short
operation time (a few millisecqnds Note: .
'only) during switch-on of the Due to pre-loading via aux.
contactor, a long life cycle of the contacts the capacitors
voltage difference will be
d(!mp(rg .
resistors is ensured. k~. '·~~:<...4; r!?(luced. Consequently
also the capacitor current
according 'to the formula : '.'
Comparison

The following two diagrams show

With
the difference between a capa-
damping resist
citors inrush current without and
with damping series resistors
when a capacitor is switched in
parallel to an already energized
capacitor bank/unit:

Fig. 3: 12.5 kVAr (18 Al400 VI Fig.4 : 12 .5kVAr(l8A1400V)

vertical: 250 A/div vertical : 250 A/oiv
horizontal : 0.5 ms/div horizontal : 0 .5 rTls/div
Comparison
Capacitor bank switching under various conditions

Fig. 5 : 25 kVAr r21A/690VI Fig. 6 : 25 kVAr r2 1Al690 VI Fig. 7: 25 kVAr r21 Al690 VI
vertical : 2000 A/div vertical: 200 A/div vertical : 200 A/div
horizontal : 0.625 ms/div horizontal : 10 ms/div horizontal : 10 ms /div
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