Power Factor

Improvement
The following devices and equipments are
used for Power Factor Improvement.
• Static Capacitor
• Synchronous Condenser
• Phase Advancer
1. Static Capacitor
We know that most of the industries and
power system loads are inductive that take
lagging current which decrease the system
power factor . For Power factor improvement
purpose, Static capacitors are connected in
parallel with those devices which work on low
power factor.
2. Synchronous Condenser
When a Synchronous motor operates at No-Load
and over-exited then it’s called a synchronous
Condenser. Whenever a Synchronous motor is
over-exited then it provides leading current and
works like a capacitor. When a synchronous
condenser is connected across supply voltage (in
parallel) then it draws leading current and
partially eliminates the re-active component and
this way, power factor is improved. Generally,
synchronous condenser is used to improve the
power factor in large industries.
3. Phase Advancer
Phase advancer is a simple AC exciter which is
connected on the main shaft of the motor and
operates with the motor’s rotor circuit for power
factor improvement. Phase advancer is used to
improve the power factor of induction motor in
industries. As the stator windings of induction
motor takes lagging current 90° out of phase with
Voltage, therefore the power factor of induction
motor is low. If the exciting ampere-turns are
excited by external AC source, then there would
be no effect of exciting current on stator windings.
Therefore the power factor of induction motor will
be improved. This process is done by Phase
advancer.
 Three-Phase Drives
• The armature circuit is connected to the output of a three-phase
controlled rectifier.
• Three-phase drives are used for high-power applications up to
megawatt power levels.
• The ripple frequency of the armature voltage is higher than that of
single-phase drives and it requires less inductance in the armature
circuit to reduce the armature ripple current.
• The armature current is mostly continuous, and therefore the motor
performance is better compared with that of single-phase drives.
• Similar to the single-phase drives, three-phase drives may also be
subdivided into:
– Three-phase half-wave-converter drives.
– Three-phase semiconverter drives.
– Three-phase full-converter drives.
– Three-phase dual-converter drives.
Three-Phase Half-Wave-Converter Drives
 Three-Phase Full-Wave-Converter Drives
• A three-phase full-wave-converter drive is a two-quadrant drive without
any field reversal, and is limited to applications up to 1500 kW.
• During regeneration for reversing the direction of power
• However, the back emf of the motor is reversed by reversing the field
excitation.
• The converter in the field circuit should be a single- or three-phase full
converter.
 Three-Phase Dual-Converter Drives
• Two three-phase full-wave converters are connected in an arrangement
similar to Figure 15.15a.
• Either converter 1 operates to supply a positive armature voltage, Va or
converter 2 operates to supply a negative armature voltage, -Va.
• It is a four-quadrant drive and is limited to applications up to 1500 kW.
• The field converter can be a full-wave converter.
• If converter 1 operates with a delay angle of
 Closed-Loop Control of DC Drives
• The speed of dc motors changes with the load torque.
• To maintain a constant speed, the armature (and or field) voltage should be
varied continuously by varying the delay angle of ac-dc converters or duty
cycle of dc-dc converters.
• In practical drive systems it is required to operate the drive at a constant
torque or constant power; in addition, controlled acceleration and
deceleration are required.
• Most industrial drives operate as closed-loop feedback systems.
• A closed-loop control system has the advantages of improved accuracy,
fast dynamic response, and reduced effects of load disturbances and
system nonlinearities.
 Closed-Loop Control of DC Drives
• The block diagram of a closed-loop converter-fed separately excited dc
drive is shown in Figure 15.25.
• If the speed of the motor decreases due to the application of additional
load torque, the speed error Ve increases.
• The speed controller responses with an increased control signal Vc, change
the delay angle or duty cycle of the converter, and increase the armature
voltage of the motor.
• An increased armature voltage develops more torque to restore the motor
speed to the original value.
• The drive normally passes through a transient period until the developed
torque is equal to the load torque.