Application of Capacitor

to
Distribution Transformers
Capacitors- A device for storing electrical energy, consisting of two conductors in close
proximity and insulated from each other.
Effects of Series and Shunt Capacitors-is to regulate the voltage and reactive power flows at
the point where they are installed. The shunt capacitor does it by changing the power factor
of the load, whereas the series capacitor does it by directly offsetting the inductive reactance
of the circuit to which it is applied.
Series Capacitor
Series Capacitor- that is, capacitors connected in series with lines, have been used to a very
limited extent on distribution circuits due to being a more specialized type of apparatus
with a limited range of application.
-a series capacitor compensates for inductive reactance.
-a series capacitor is a negative (capacitive) reactance in series with the circuit’s positive
(inductive) reactance with the effect of compensating for part or all of it.
-the primary effect of the series capacitor is to minimize, or even suppress, the voltage drop
caused by the inductive reactance in the circuit.
-a series capacitor can even be considered as a voltage regulator that provides for a voltage
boost that is proportional to the magnitude and power factor of the through current.
Therefore, a series capacitor provides for a voltage rise that increases automatically and
instantaneously as the load grows.
-a series capacitor produces more net voltage rise than a shunt capacitor at lower power
factors, which creates more voltage drop. However, a series capacitor betters the system
power factor much less than a shunt capacitor and has little effect on the source current.
Shunt Capacitors
Shunt Capacitors-capacitors connected in parallel with lines, are used extensively in
distribution systems.
-Shunt capacitors supply the type of reactive power or current to counteract the out-of-
phase component of current required by an inductive load.
-shunt capacitors modify the characteristic of an inductive load by drawing a leading current
that counteracts some or all of the lagging component of the inductive load current at the
point of installation. Therefore, a shunt capacitor has the same effect as an overexcited
synchronous condenser, generator, or motor.
-by the application of shunt capacitor to a feeder, the magnitude of the source current can be
reduced, the power factor can be improved, and consequently the voltage drop between the
sending end and the load is also reduced.
Power Factor Correction- A typical utility system would have a reactive load at 80% power
factor during the summer months.
-the generation of reactive power at a power plant and its supply to a load located at a far
distance is not economically feasible, but it can easily be provided by capacitors (or
overexcited synchronous motors) located at the load centers.
-In general, for a given load, the power factor is lagging if the load withdraws reactive power;
on the other hand, it is leading if the load supplies reactive power.
-An induction motor has a lagging power factor since it withdraws reactive power from the
source to meet its magnetizing requirements. But a capacitor (or an overexcited
synchronous motor) supplies reactive power and thus has a leading power factor.
-the power factor correction produces economic savings in capital expenditures and fuel
expenses through a release of kilovoltamperage capacity and reduction of power losses in all
the apparatus between the point of installation of the capacitors and the power plant source,
including distribution lines, substation transformers, and transmission lines.
-capacitors can be applied at almost any voltage level. capacitor units can be added in
parallel to achieve the desired kilovar capacity and can be added in series to achieve the
required kilovolt voltage. They are employed at or near rated voltage for economic reasons.
-The cumulative data gathered for the whole utility industry indicate that approximately
60% of the capacitors is applied to the feeders, 30% to the substation buses, and the
remaining 10% to the transmission system.
-In general, capacitors installed on feeders are pole-top banks with necessary group fusing.
The fusing applications restrict the size of the bank that can be used. Therefore, the
maximum sizes used are about 1800 kvar at 15 kV and 3600 kvar at higher voltage levels.
Usually, utilities do not install more than four capacitor banks (of equal sizes) on each
feeder.
-The switching process of capacitors can be done by manual control or by automatic control
using some type of control intelligence. Manual control (at the location or as remote control)
can be employed at distribution substations. The intelligence types that can be used in
automatic control include time–switch, voltage, current, voltage–time, voltage–current, and
temperature. The most popular types are the time–switch control, voltage control, and
voltage––current control. The time–switch control is the least-expensive one.
-Types of Three-Phase Capacitor-Bank Connections
A three-phase capacitor bank on a distribution feeder can be connected in (1) delta, (2)
grounded wye, or (3) ungrounded wye. The type of connection used depends upon the
following: 1. System type, that is, whether it is a grounded or an ungrounded system
2. Fusing requirements
3. Capacitor-bank location
4. Telephone interference considerations
-The economic benefits that can be derived from capacitor installation can be summarized
as follows:1. Released generation capacity
2. Released transmission capacity
3. Released distribution substation capacity
4. Additional advantages in distribution system
a. Reduced energy (copper) losses
b. Reduced voltage drop and consequently improved voltage regulation
c. Released capacity of feeder and associated apparatus
d. Postponement or elimination of capital expenditure due to system improvements and/
or expansions
e. Revenue increase due to voltage improvements
C= C=Capacitor (F)
Qcap=Capacitor rating in kVAR
Qcap=PL(Tan(𝛳1)-Tan(𝛳2)) f=frequency
Vl=Voltage line-line
PL=Power Load
Power Factor Correction using Synchronous Motor/Condenser
1.A 132 kV line three-phase system delivers 70.7 MVA of a balanced delta load of power
factor 70.7% lagging. Determine the reactance necessary to attain unity power factor.

2.A single-phase inductive load takes 50 kVA at 0.6 power factor lagging. Solve for the kVAR
of a capacitor required to improve the power factor to 1.

3.A single-phase load on 220 V takes 5 kW at 0.6 lagging power factor. Find the kVAR size of
capacitor, which maybe connected in parallel with this motor to bring the resultant of power
factor to 1.

4.A 5 hp, 220 V, 60 Hz, single-phase induction motor operates at an efficiency and power
factor of 0.88 and 0.8 respectively. What capacitance should be connected across the motor
in order for the feeder supplying this motor to operate at unity power factor.

5.Installed in one of the customers of MERALCO are two single-phase transformers each
rated 75 kVA are connected V or open delta to serve a 3-phase load of 120 kW at 0.8 pf
lagging. To prevent the overloading of the transformers, determine the size of the capacitor
in KVAR.
6.Three transformers each rated 100 kVA are connected delta supplying a load of 160 kW at
0.8 pf lagging. One of the transformers is taken for repair and the rest are connected open
delta. What kVAR minimum of capacitor must be connected with the load so that the load of
the remaining transformer will be 95% of their combined rated capacities.

7.Three-single phase transformers each rated 75 kVA are banked in delta and supplying a 3-
phase load drawing 160 kVA at 0.8 lagging power factor. If one transformer is removed for
repairs, solve for the minimum amount in kVAR of a capacitor needed to prevent
overloading of the remaining units.

8.Two single-phase transformers each rated 150 kVA are connected open delta supplying a
three-phase induction motor rated 250 hp, 0.7 lagging power factor and 80 percent
efficiency. Determine the minimum size in kVAR of a capacitor needed to prevent
overloading the transformer.
9.Two single-phase transformers are each rated 75 kVA are connected in V or open delta to
serve a 3-phase load of 120 kW at 0.8 power factor lagging. Determine the size in kVAR of
the capacitor needed to prevent overloading of the transformers.

10.A plant has a load of 290 kilowatts with an average power factor of 70%. The owner
request you to correct the power factor to reduce its consumption. How much capacitor
kVAR is required to increase the power factor to 90%?

11.A 150 kVA transformer bank will serve a load expected to draw a 135 kW at 0.8 lagging
power factor. Solve for the size of the capacitor bank needed to be added in order to prevent
overloading of the transformer bank.

12.A 3-phase generator has the following 3-phase loads: an inductive load drawing 400 kVA
at 0.6 power factor and a resistive load drawing 80 kVA at 1 power factor. Solve for the size
in kVAR of the capacitor bank needed to improve the power factor of the combined loads to
0.85 lagging.
13.A load of 10,000 kVA, 80% power factor lagging is connected to a 13,200 volt line. How
much capacitive reactive power is needed to correct the power factor to 0.97 lagging?

14.A short, 3-phase, 3-wire transmission line has a receiving end voltage of 4160 V phase to
neutral and serving a balanced 3-phase load of 998,400 Volt-Ampere at 0.82 pf lagging. At
the receiving end voltage is 4600 V, phase to neutral and the pf is 0.7 lagging. Solve for the
size in kVAR of a capacitor needed to improve the receiving end pf to 0.9 lagging maintaining
4160 V.

15.A three-phase, 3-wire transmission line has an impedance per wire of 3 + j7 ohms, the
receiving end load is 1950 kW, 0.65 pf lagging with the line voltage of 13,200 V. Determine
the kVAR of the capacitor to be connected at the receiving end to make the pf at that end to
0.8 lagging.

16.A balanced, 500 kVA, 3-phase, 440 volt, 60 Hz, inductive load operates at a pf of 75%.
Determine the capacitor kVAR required improving the pf to 95%.
17.A single-phase induction motor is rated 5 hp, 75% power factor and 220 volts. What
approximate size of capacitor is necessary to raise the power factor to about 95%.

18.A balanced 3-phase load draws 150 A phase current at 7.5 kV phase to neutral, 0.891
power factor lagging. It is desired to raise the power factor to 0.96 leading. Solve for the
amount of capacitor kVAR needed to achieve such p.f.

19.A 3-phase, 3-wire, short transmission line has a resistance of 3 ohms and a reactance of 8
ohms per wire. At the receiving end, a balanced 3-phase load draws a line current of 60 A, at
13,500 volts line to line, 0.9 power factor lagging. Assuming the receiving end voltage is
maintained at 13,500 volts. Solve the size in kVAR of capacitors needed to raise the power
factor at receiving end to 0.95 leading.
20. It is desired to correct the 2,400 kVA 0.65-lagging- Power-Factor Load in a plant to Unity
by the installation of a Synchronous Converters. Calculate the Kilovolt-ampere rating of the
latter. What should be the rating of the synchronous motor if the over-all power factor is to
be 0.92?

21.An electrical system has a load of 5,000 kW at lagging power factor of 0.67. If a 3000 kVA
synchronous condenser is installed for power factor correction purposes, calculate: a. the
over-all power factor, b. The total kilovolt-amperes on the system.

22.An industrial plant has a load of 800 kW at a power factor of 0.8 lagging. It is desired to
purchase a synchronous motor of sufficient capacity to deliver a load of 200 kW and also
serve to correct the over-all plant power-factor to, 0.92. Assuming that the synchronous
motor has an efficiency of 91 percent, Determine its kilovolt-ampere input rating and the
power factor at which it will operate.
23.A factory takes a load of 2,400 kVA at 0.6 lagging power factor. A synchronous motor
having an input rating of 1,500 kVA is to be installed to carry an additional load of 1,200 kW
output and also to improve the power factor. Assuming a motor efficiency of 92.4 per cent,
Calculate: a. The over-all kilovolt-ampere load b. The over-all power factor c. The
synchronous motor power factor.

24. A factory load of 900 kW at 0.6 power factor lagging is to be increased by the addition of
a synchronous motor that takes 450 kW. At what power factor must this motor operate and
what must be its kilovolt-ampere input if the over-all power factor is to be 09 lagging?