You are on page 1of 5

Residential Power Factor Correction

Mohammad Faizal Bin Mustafar


Electrical Engineering Department,
National Defense University of Malaysia,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Faizalmustafar91@gmail.com.my

Abstract Power factor improvement is a need in
heavy loads of power system network. The power factor
improvement can helps to reduce the current consumption
of the devices and hence saving electrical energy. The aim
of this project is to develop an automatic power factor
improvement system using embedded technology. The
automatic power factor improvement device developed in
this project can detect the drops of power factor and
automatic trigger the capacitors added into the circuit so
that a new power factor is obtained. There will be one
LCD display to show the power factor reading before and
after compensate. The current sensor is used to sense the
current from the load and hence its output multiplied with
a constant voltage to get the power reading. By taking the
ratio of the load power to the one multiplied with current,
the power factor result is obtained. Compare the
programmed power factor in the embedded system, the
system is able to make decision whether it needs to trigger
the capacitor add in or maintain the origin of the circuit.
!or ease of demonstration, three capacitors and three
loads are used in the prototype. The system will be
programmed to auto correct the power factor if the
detected power factor is less than ".#$.
I. INTRODUCTION


A. Power Factor
The actie !ower is a main concerned in the
electrical en"ineerin" and !ower flows control. The actie
!ower can #e transformed into arious ener"ies such as
li"ht$ heat$ sound$ mechanical or een the d%namic ener"%.
&ince the actie !ower can #e transformed into other form
of ener"ies$ so it is sometimes called useful !ower.
'hen the actie or useful !ower is transformed into
other form of ener"ies$ there is alwa%s a concern on the
current consum!tion. In theor%$ the lar"er the current$ the
hi"her the !ower consumed. The relationshi! #etween
!ower and current can #e !roed usin" the !ower e(uation
as shown #elow)

P * +I cos ,-.-.

Note that e(uation -.- is a sin"le !hase /C !ower
e(uation. The cos is defined as !ower factor. The cos
#asicall% measure how much current or olta"e la" or lead
to each other. In !ractice and for ideal case$ there should
#e no la" or lead of olta"e and current on each other.
Both com!onents must in !hase on each other to ensure
ma0imum !ower transfer. Thus$ the !ower consum!tion is
de!ends on cos
B. apacitance
The ca!acitance can #e used to im!roe the !ower
factor #ecause it draws a leadin" current to cancel out the
la""in" current. In !ractice$ the la""in" current alwa%s
ha!!en due to the inductie loads. Because current
waeform is la" the olta"e waeform in the ector$ so the
!ower factor is low. 'hen !ower factor is low$ the !ower
is a#sor# #% the load also low and this causes the
ma"nitude of the current #ecomes hi"h.











Fi"ure -.-) +ector dia"ram of olta"e and current











Fi"ure -.1) The new current IR which is a resultant
current after I add with Ic ectorl%




. Automatic Power Factor !mprovement




Fi"ure -.2) /utomatic !ower factor im!roement s%stem
usin" microcontroller

From the dia"ram$ it is seen that the current sensor !la%s a
ma3or roles to detect the /C current. The current sensor has a
ca!a#ilit% to conert the /C current into the ariation of DC
olta"e. Thus$ each olta"e !roduced re!resents certain
am!ere. The resolution of am!ere !er olt can #e o#tained
from the datasheet of the current sensor.
'hen the microcontroller detects the olta"e from the
out!ut of the current sensor$ it com!utes the !ower factor #%
ta4in" a fi0ed load !ower and fi0ed load olta"e. The result of
!ower factor com!uted #% the microcontroller is then
com!ared with !ro"rammed !ower factor$ 5.67. If the
calculated !ower factor is less than 5.67$ the microcontroller
tri""ers the rela% so that the ca!acitor will add into the circuit
to im!roe the !ower factor. On the other hand$ if the
calculated !ower factor is "reater than 5.67$ the
microcontroller will not tri""er the rela% and thus the
ca!acitor will not add into the circuit.
The 8CD shown in the dia"ram is used to dis!la% the
!ower factor alue #efore and after im!roement.
Notice also that there is a feed#ac4 arrow from the
ca!acitor !ointin" to the current sensor. This feed#ac4 arrow
is to "ie a new current alue to the microcontroller when
ca!acitor is added into the circuit.


D. "#$ectives
-. To desi"n an automatic !ower factor im!roement
circuit usin" microcontroller technolo"% and
ca!acitors.
1. To show the ca!acitance does im!roe the !ower
factor when added into the circuit.
2. To show that different ca!acitance alues will result
with different current alues.






II. M9T:ODO8O;<
A. Automatic power factor correction system

Fi"ure 1.-)/utomatic !ower factor correction s%stem #loc4
dia"ram

B. Microcontroller system.









Fi"ure 1.1) Microcontroller #loc4 dia"ram

. Power Factor orrection simulation



Fi"ure 1.1) Power factor correction circuit


III. R9&U8T

The result shows the initial and after correction alue
of current and !ower factor with three aries of load.


A. "ne loa% connecte%



Fi"ure 2.-) One #ul#



Fi"ure 2.1) Before correction



Fi"ure 2.2)/fter correction

B. &wo loa% connecte%



Fi"ure 2.=) Two #ul#



Fi"ure 2.7) Before correction







Fi"ure 2.>) /fter correction


. &'ree loa% connecte%





Fi"ure 2.?) Three #ul#



Fi"ure 2.6) Before correction



Fi"ure 2.@) /fter correction






I+. CONC8U&ION

From the !ro3ect wor4s carried out$ it can #e seen that the
!ower factor correct s%stem can #e done usin" the
microcontroller. The microcontroller is carefull% !ro"rammed
so that the alues of current reads in will #e multi!lied with
the fi0ed /C 1=5 olta"e to "et true !ower. 'hen the the true
!ower diided #% the a!!arent !ower$ the result is !ower
factor.
B% usin" decision ma4in" function li4e AifA in the
!ro"rammin"$ the correction of the !ower factor will #e"in
throu"h the com!arison. :ere$ if the !ower factor is #elow
5.67$ the !ro"ram will force the microcontroller tri""er the
rela% so that the ca!acitor will added into the circuit to
!erform the !ower factor correction


/CBNO'89D;9M9NT

I would li4e to cone% m% outmost a!!reciation to m%
su!erisor$ Dr Mohd Taufi( Bin Isha4$ for his "uidance and
encoura"ements throu"hout the final %ear !ro3ect -. M%
a!!reciation also to m% !arents for their loe and su!!ort
durin" the course of stud%. I would li4e also than4s to m%
friends and other lecturer that willin" to "uide and "ie ideas
to com!lete the F<P-. 8astl%$ /lhamdulillah$ than4s to /llah
for "iin" me stren"th and health%. :o!efull%$ ma% :im
#lessed this !ro3ect until accom!lish. /min.




















R9F9R9NC9&

C-D ;.:.Chiew and F.;eor"e$ APro!osed New Power /nal%sisA$ !EEE
&ransaction on Power$ +ol.22. No. -$ !!. -1 E -=$ 15-5.
C1D D.Tiew and B.Fohn$ 9lectrical Power$ Mc;rawE:ill$ New <or4$ 15--.
C2D /.&andra and I.<.;o$ Power &%stem and /nal%sis$ PrenticeE:all$ New
<or4$ 15-1.
C=D F.Bwon" and C.Chen$ ANew 9ra of Powe FactorA$ !EEE &ransaction
on Power$ +ol. 1$ No. -1$ !!. -E=$ 15-1.
C7D 8ee.G and Giao.:$ APower Factor Im!roement Usin" &%nchronous
MotorA$ !nternational Fournal on 9n"ineerin" and &cience$ +ol.=$ No.
2$ !!. 15 E1-$ 15--.
C>D T.R.&hen" and '.&imon$ ANumerical /nal%sis on Power Factor
Im!roement Usin" Ca!acitor$ International Fournal on 9n"ineerin"
and Power Control$ +ol. 7$ No. -5$ !!. 2= E 2>$ 155@.
C?D T.<.Chon"$ 9lectrical Power 9n"ineerin"$ O0ford Press$ New <or4$
15-2.
C6D T.Thomas and C.Chin$ Introduction to Microcontroller$ PrenticeE:all$
New <or4$ 15-1.
C@D U.:ans and :ammin".D$ /danced Microcontroller$ 999$ India$ 155@.
C-5D &.G.Tan and F.:.Tiu$ Power Factor Correction Deices$ Mc;raw:ill$
New <or4$ 15-5.
C--D &u4ri./$ Power Factor Correction Usin" Fuzz% 8o"ic$ Final <ear
Thesis$ 8e"enda Colle"e$ 155@.
C-1D G.;.8ee$ Power Factor Correction Usin" D&P Method$ Final <ear
Thesis$ INTI International Uniersit%$ 15-5.
C-2D :atem.M$ Power Factor Correction usin" /rduino$ Final <ear Thesis$
UNIT9N$ 15-5.
C-=D Fatima.B.M$ Power Factor Correction usin" PIC microcontroller Final
<ear Thesis$ UiTM$ 15--.

You might also like