3.4.

Capacitors for Voltage Regulation

• Capacitors may be used for voltage regulation on the power
system in either the shunt or series configuration (Fig. 7.10).
We will discuss each class of application separately.
 3.4.1 Shunt capacitors
• As shown in Fig. 7.10a, the presence of a shunt capacitor at the end of a feeder
results in a gradual change in voltage along the feeder. Ideally, the percent voltage
rise at the capacitor would be zero at no load and rise to maximum at full load.
• However, with shunt capacitors, percent voltage rise is
essentially independent of load. Therefore, automatic
switching is often employed in order to deliver the
desired regulation at high loads, but prevent excessive
voltage at low loads. Switching may result in transient over
voltages inside customer facilities.
• Application of shunt capacitors may also result in a variety
of harmonic problems
 3.4.2 Series capacitors
• Unlike the shunt capacitor, a capacitor connected in series with the
feeder results in a voltage rise at the end of the feeder that varies
directly with load current. Voltage rise is zero at no load and
maximum at full load. Thus, series capacitors do not need to be
switched in response to changes in load. Moreover, a series capacitor
will require far smaller kV and kvar ratings than a shunt capacitor
delivering equivalent regulation.
 But series capacitors have several disadvantages. Firstly, they
 Can not provide reactive compensation for feeder loads and
do not significantly reduce system losses.
• Series capacitors can only release additional system capacity if it is
limited by excessive feeder voltage drop. Shunt capacitors, on the
other hand, are effective when system capacity is limited by high
feeder current as well.
• Secondly, series capacitors cannot tolerate fault
current. This would result in a catastrophic overvoltage
and must be prevented by bypassing the capacitor
through an automatic switch. An arrester must also be
connected across the capacitor to divert current until
the switch closes.
• There are several other concerns that must be
evaluated in a series capacitor application. These
include resonance and/or hunting with synchronous
and induction motors, and ferroresonance with
transformers. Because of these concerns, the
application of series capacitors on distribution systems
is very limited. One area where they have proved to
be advantageous is where feeder reactance must be
minimized, e.g., to reduce flicker.
 3.5 End-User Capacitor Application
The reasons that an end user might decide to
apply power factor correction capacitors are to
■ Reduce electric utility bill.
■ Reduce I 2 R losses and, therefore, heating in
lines and transformers.
■ Increase the voltage at the load, increasing
production and/or the efficiency of the
operation.
■ Reduce current in the lines and transformers,
allowing additional load to be served without
building new circuits.
• The primary motivation is generally economics to
eliminate utility power factor penalties, but there
are technical benefits related to power quality as
well.
• There can be power quality problems as a result of
adding capacitors. The most common are
harmonics problems. While power factor
correction capacitors are not harmonic sources,
they can interact with the system to accentuate the
harmonics that are already there. There are also
switching transient side effects such as
magnification of utility capacitor-switching
transients.
 3.5.1 Location for power factor
correction capacitors
• The benefits realized by installing power factor
correction capacitors include the reduction of reactive
power flow on the system. Therefore, currents can
result. This is the most common cause of damage
from harmonics in industrial plants. If there is sufficient
resistance in the cables to the loads, a distributed
capacitor application may have some natural
suppression of harmonic resonance. On the other
hand, the resonance may be more convenient to
alleviate when the offending capacitors are in one
location. Thus, the optimal design for capacitor
compensation is often a compromise between
conflicting objectives.