Power System II:

Lecture 2

George Komen
Power Factor Improvement
• Using capacitor that draws leading current (connected in parallel with the load)
• This partly or completely neutralises the lagging reactive components of the load current. Hence
raising the load pf

• Capacitor draws current Ic which leads the supply voltage by 90 deg

• Note:
• Current I’ after pf correction is less than I current (original)
• Active component (I) remains unchanged before and after pf correction (Icosφ₁ = I’cos φ₂)
• The lagging reactive component is reduced after pf improvement and is equal to the difference btn reactive load
component (I sinφ₁)and capacitor current (Ic)
• Active power remain unchanged due to pf improvement {Icosφ₁ = I’cos φ₂  multiplying by V  VIcosφ₁ = VI’cos
φ₂ }
• Net VAR after pf correction = lagging VAR before pf correction – leading VAR of equipment
• I’sinφ₂ = Isin φ₁ - Ic  VI’sinφ₂ = VIsin φ₁ - VIc
Power Factor Improvement Equipment
1. Static capacitors
2. Synchronous condenser
3. Phase advancers

Static capacitors
Involves connecting capacitors in parallel with the equipment operating at lagging pf
Capacitors draws leading current
For 3-phase system, the capacitors are connected in delta or star configuration
Advantages
i. Low losses
ii. Require little maintenance – no rotating parts
iii. Easily installed as they are light and require
no foundation
iv. Workk under ordinary atmospheric
conditions
Disadvantage
i. Have short service life (8-10 yrs)
ii. Easily damaged if the current voltage
exceeds the rated value
Capacitors in delta configuration Star configuration iii. Repairing capacitors is very expensive
Synchronous Condenser
• It takes a leading current when over-excited – behaving as a capacitor
• Synchronous condenser – (An over-excited motor running on no-load)
• Im leads the voltage by an angle φm.
• Resultant current is the phasor sum of Im and IL and lags behind voltage by an angle φ.
• Hence, pf increased from cosφm to cosφ
Advantages
i. By varying the field excitation, the magnitude of
current drawn by the motor can be changed by any
amount – helps in stepless control of pf
ii. Motor windings have high thermal stability to short
circuit currents
iii. Faults can be removed easily

Disadvantages
i. High losses in the motor
ii. High maintenance
iii. Produces noise
iv. Greater cost that static capacitors except in sizes >
500kVA
v. The motor has no self-starting torque therefore,
auxiliary equipment is needed
Phase advancers
• Used to improve the pf of induction motors
• It is mounted on the same shaft as the main motor and is connected in the motor’s
rotor circuit
• It provides exciting ampere turns to the rotor circuit at slip frequency
• By providing more ampere turns than required, the induction motor can be made
to operate on leading pf like an over-excited synchronous motor

Advantages
• Lagging kVAR drawn by the motor are considerably reduced
• Phase advancer can be conveniently used where the use of synchronous motors is
unadmissible

Disadvantage
• Not economical for motors below 200 HP
 Calculations of pf Correction
• Consider an inductive load taking a lagging current I at pf cosφ₁
• Capacitor current takes a Ic leading voltage V by 90 deg.
• The resultant circuit current becomes I’ and its angle φ₂.
• NB φ₂ is less than φ₁, therefore new pf (cos φ₂) is greater

From phasor diagram (ii), the lagging reactive

component of the load is reduced to I’sin φ₂

NB:
I’sin φ₂ = I sin φ₁ - Ic
Ic = I sin φ₁ - I’sin φ₂

Capacitance of capacitor to improve pf

= Ic/(ωV)  V = Ic*Xc

Where  ω = 2πf Xc = 1(2πfC)

Using power triangle – pf correction

• Triangle OAB is for the pf cosφ₁ whereas OAC is

for the improved pf cosφ₂
• Active power OA does not change
• Lagging kVAR of the load is reduced, thus
reducing pf to cosφ₂

Leading kVAR supplied by pf correction equipment

= BC = AB-AC = kVAR1 – kVAR2
= OA(tan φ₁ - tan φ₂)
Example I
An alternator is supplying a load of 300 kW at a pf of 0.6 lagging. If the power factor is
raised to unity, how many more kW can alternator supply for the same kVA loading?
Example II
A single phase motor connected to 400 V, 50 Hz supply takes 31·7A at a power factor
of 0·7 lagging. Calculate the capacitance required in parallel with the motor to raise
the power factor to 0·9 lagging
Therefore, from the phasor diagram

NB:
• 94.3 uF capacitor is connected in parallel
with the motor
• Current is reduced from 31.7 to 24.65A
• This affects the sizing of generating plant and
cross-sectional area of the conductors
 Example III
A 3-phase 37.3 kW, 440-V, 50-Hz induction motor operates on full load with an efficiency of 89% and at a power factor of
0.85 lagging. Calculate the total kVA rating of capacitors required to raise the full-load power factor at 0.95 lagging.
What will be the capacitance per phase if the capacitors are (a) delta-connected and (b) star-connected ?

a) In delta connection, voltage across capacitor VL =Vp =

440
Current drawn by each capacitor = Ic = 4063 VA/440 V =
9.23A
Given that: Ic = V/Xc = ωVC
Hence, C = Ic/(2* π*f*V)
= 9.23/(2* π *50*440) = 66.8 μF

Using Power Triangle

Motor power input = Pout / eff. = 37.3 / 0.89 = 41.191 kW
b) In star connection, V across each capacitor is
Cos φ₁ = 0.85; φ₁ = 31.8 deg
V = 440/ / 3 = 254 V
Motor KVAR1 = kW tan φ₁ = 41.91 * tan 31.8 = 25.98kVAR
Ic = 4063/ 254 = 16 A
Power at full load (pf= 0.95)
Ic = V/Xc = Ic = ωVC
Cos φ₂ = 0.95; φ₂ = 18.2 deg
= 254 * 2 * π * 50 * C
Motor KVAR2 = kW tan φ₁ = 41.91 * tan 18.2 = 13.79kVAR
Hence
Leading kVAR supplied by capacitors
C = 16 /(254 * 2 * π * 50) = 200.4 μF
= KVAR1 - KVAR2 = 25.98 – 13.79 = 12.19 kVAR
For each capacitor = 12.19/3 = 4.063 kVAR = kVA
 Example IV
The load on an installation is 800 kW, 0·8 lagging pf which works for 3000 hours per annum. The tariff is KES 10 per
kVA plus KES 5 per kWh. If the power factor is improved to 0·9 lagging by means of loss-free capacitors costing KES 6
per kVAR, calculate the annual saving effected. Allow 10% per annum for interest and depreciation on capacitors

Annual cost after pf correction

Max. kVA demand = 800/0.9 = 888.89 kVA

kVA demand charges = KES 10 * 888.89
= KES 8888.9

Annual cost before pf correction Energy charges = same before (KES 12,000,000)

Max. kVA demand = 800/0.8 = 1000 kVA Capital cost of capacitors = KES 6 * 212.56
kVA demand charges = KES 10 * 1000 = KES 10,000 = KES 1,275.36
Units consumed/year = 800 * 3000 = 2,400,000 kWh
Energy charges/year = KES 5 * 2,400,000 = 12,000,000 Annual interest and depreciation
Total charges = KES (10,000 + 12,000,000) = 10% * 1,275.36
= KES 12,010,000 = KES 127.54

Total annual cost = KES (8888.9 + 12,000,000 + 127.5)

= 12,009,016.40
Annual saving = KES (12,010,000- 12,009,016.40)
= KES 983.60
Topic II: Economics of Power Generation