User talk:Arapchemoiwa

Power factor correction
1.POWER FACTOR CORRECTION

Power factor correction is the term given to a technology that has been used since the turn of the 20th century to restore the power factor to as close to unity as is economically viable. This is normally achieved by the addition of capacitors to the electricalnetwork which compensate for the reactive power demand of the inductive load and thus reduce the burden on the supply. There should be no effect on the operation of the equipment. To reduce losses in the distribution system, and to reduce the electricity bill, power factor correction, usually in the form of capacitors, is added to neutralize as much of the magnetizing current as possible. Capacitors contained in most power factor correction equipment draw current that leads the voltage, thus producing a leading power factor. If capacitors are connected to a circuit that operates at a nominally lagging power factor, the extent that the circuit lags is reduced proportionately. Typically the corrected power factor will be 0.92 to 0.95. Some power distributors offer incentives for operating with a power factor of better than 0.9, for example, and some penalize consumers with a poor power factor. There are many ways that this is metered but the net result is that in order to reduce wasted energy in the distribution system, the consumer is encouraged to apply power factor correction. Most Network Operating companies now penalize for power factors below 0.95 or 0.9.

HOW TO IMPROVE POWER FACTOR Power factor correction is achieved by the addition of capacitors in parallel with the connected motor  or lighting circuits and can be applied at the equipment, distribution board or at the origin of the installation. Static power factor correction can be applied at each individual motor by connecting the correction capacitors to the motor starter. A disadvantage can occur when the load on the motor changes and can result in under or over correction. Static power factor correction must not be applied at the output of a variable speed drive, solid state soft starter or inverter as the capacitors can cause serious damage to the electronic components. Over-correction should not occur if the power factor correction is correctly sized. Typically the power factor correction for an individual motor is based on the non load (magnetizing) power since the reactive load of a motor is comparatively constant compared to actual kW load over compensation should be avoided. Care should be taken when applying power factor correction star/delta type control so that the capacitors are not subjected to rapid on-off-on conditions. Typically the correction would be placed on either the Main or Delta contactor circuits. Power factor correction applied at the origin of the installation consists of a controller monitoring the VAr’s and this controller switches capacitors in or out to maintain the power factor better than a preset limit (typically 0.95). Where ‘bulk’ power factor correction is installed, other loads can in theory be connected anywhere on the network. Arapchemoiwa (talk) 17:48, 7 July 2023 (UTC)