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AUTOMATIC POWER FACTOR CORRECTION

ROSLINA BINTI MOHD RAZAK

UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

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I hereby declare that I have read this project report and in my opinion this project report is
sufficient in terms of scope and quality for awarding the degree of Bachelor of Electrical
Engineering (Industrial Power)

Signature: ..........................................................................

Name of Supervisor: En. Azhar Bin Ahmad

Date: 8 May 2009

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AUTOMATIC POWER FACTOR CORRECTION

ROSLINA BINTI MOHD. RAZAK

A project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for awarding the
degree of Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Power Industry)

Faculty of Electrical Engineering

UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

MAY 2009
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I declare that this project report entitled Automatic Power Factor Correction is the result of
my own research except as cited in the references. The project report has not been accepted for
any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature of any other degree.

Signature: ....
Name: Roslina Binti Mohd Razak

Date: 8 May 2009

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To my beloved family and friends...

Thank You
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Alhamdulillah. I am greatly indebted to Allah on His mercy and blessing for making
this project successful.

Secondly, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my degree project supervisor,

En. Azhar Bin Ahmad for his encouragement, guidance and valuable advices, without his
continued support and interest, this project report would not have been the same as presented
here.

Next, I would like express my thankful to Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka

(UTeM) and their staffs, for the opportunity and encouragement to pursue my study.

My sincere appreciation also extends to all my lectures and entire staffs in Utem for
their assistance at various occasions. Their views, comments and tips are very helpful in
completing this project.

Finally, I am also very grateful to all my family and friends for their continuous
encouragement and support, thank you very much.
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ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the design, implementation and analysis of a single phase
(240V, 50Hz) capacitor bank controller unit. Power factor correction using capacitor banks
reduces reactive power consumption which will lead to minimization of losses and at the
same time increases the electrical systems efficiency. Power saving issues and reactive
power management has brought to the creation of single phase capacitor banks for
domestic applications. The development of this project is to enhance and upgrade the
operation of single phase capacitor banks by developing a micro-processor based control
system. The control unit will be able to control capacitor bank operating steps based on the
varying load current. Current transformer is used to measure the load current for sampling
purposes. This project applies the Peripheral Interface Controller ( PIC ) microcontroller to
produce switching commands in order to control the capacitor bank steps. Intelligent
control using this micro-processor control unit ensures even utilization of capacitor steps,
minimizes number of switching operations and optimizes power factor correction.
Fluorescent lamp will be use as loads in this single phase capacitor bank developments.
That fluorescent lamp shall be divided into different load value to enable capacitor bank
model is controlled systematically.
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ABSTRAK

Tesis ini membincangkan rekabentuk, pembangunan serta analisa keberkesanan

unit pengawal bank kapasitor satu fasa (240V,50Hz). Pembetulan faktor kuasa
menggunakan bank kapasitor berupaya mengurangkan penggunaan kuasa reaktif yang
secara tidak langsung mengurangkan kehilangan kuasa dan dalam pada masa yang sama
meningkatkan kecekapan sistem elektrik satu fasa. Dalam usaha menjimatkan tenaga, kini
kapasitor bank bagi litar satu fasa untuk kegunaan domestik dihasilkan. Pembangunan
projek ini antara lain bertujuan meningkatkan serta memperbaiki pengoperasian bank
kapasitor satu fasa yang sedia ada dengan menggunakan miropengawal. Unit pengawal
yang akan dihasilkan ini berupaya mengawal turutan operasi bank kapasitor bergantung
kepada arus yang berubah mengikut beban. Transformer arus digunakan bagi
menghasilkan arahan pensuisan untuk menambah atau mengurangkan turutan kapasitor.
Projek ini akan mengaplikasikan penggunaan mikropengawal PIC (Peripheral Interface
Controller) yang akan memproses data dan mengawal pengoperasian bank kapasitor.
Kawalan pintar menggunakan unit pengawal membolehkan turutan bank kapasitor dikawal
secara teratur, meminimakan operasi pensuisan serta mengoptimumkan pembetulan faktor
kuasa. Lampu kalimantang akan digunakan sebagai beban dalam pembangunan pengawal
bank kapasitor satu fasa ini. Lampu tersebut akan dibahagikan kepada beban yang
berlainan nilai bagi membolehkan turutan bank kapasitor dikawal secara teratur.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

Intro i
Declaration from supervisor ii
Exclusiveness iii
Declaration of original iv
Dedication v
Acknowledgement vi
Abstract vii
Abstrak ix
List of Table xii
List of Figure xiv
List of Symbol xvi
List of Appendix xvii

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Project Background 1

1.2 Problem Statement 2
1.3 Target and Objective 2
1.4 Scope of Project 3
1.5 Project Report Outline 3
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2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction 5
2.2 Literature review 5
2.3 Conclusion 6

3 PROJECT METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction 8
3.2 Project Methodology 8

4 BASIC CONCEPT OF POWER SYSTEM

4.1 Theory and Concept of Power System Basic 12
4.2 Definition and Terms 12
4.3 Basic Concept of Power System 13
4.3.1 Real Power 14
4.3.2 Reactive Power 14
4.3.3 Apparent Power 14
4.4 Power Factor 15
4.4.1 Consideration of Loads Types 17
4.4.2 Cause of Low Power Factor 18
4.4.3 Effect of Low Power Factor 19
4.4.4 Advantage of Good Power Factor 19
4.5 Theory of Power Factor Correction 20
4.6 Capacitor Bank 21
4.6.1 Automatic Power Factor Controller 22
4.6.2 Fixed Capacitor Bank 23
4.7 Utility Bill analysis 24
4.8 Energy Loss Reduction 25
4.8.1 Demand Reduction 26
4.9 Types of Control 26
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5 DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS PROJECT

5.1 Introduction 28
5.2 Hardware Development 28
5.3 Circuit Design 30
5.3.1 Power Circuit Design 31
5.3.2 Input Current Circuit 32
5.3.3 Control Circuit 33
5.4 Flow Charts Programs Project 34
5.5 Main Hardware Component 35
5.5.1 PIC 16F877 Microcontroller 35
5.5.2 Current Transformer (CT) 37
5.5.3 Fluorescent Lamp 38
5.5.4 Capacitor 39
5.6 Software development 40
5.6.1 Proteus Software 41
5.6.2 Micro C (programming language) 42

6 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

6.1 Calculation for Capacitor Value 44

6.1.1 Calculation to the First Load 46
6.1.2 Calculation to the Second Load 47
6.1.3 Calculation to the Third Load 49
6.2 Results before and after Power Factor Correction 52
6.3 Graph before and after Power Factor Correction 53
6.4 Discussion 54

7 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

7.1 Conclusion 55
7.2 Recommendation 56

REFERENCE 57
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LIST OF TABLE

NO TITLE PAGE

4.1 Advantages and disadvantages of Individual

Capacitors, Fixed Banks, Automatic Banks
and Combination 24

4.2 Types of Power and Typical Loads 24

4.3 Basic Types of Utility Billing Protocols 25

6.1 Average reading loads data fluorescent lamp

by using magnetic ballast 44

6.2 Average reading current (A), real power (P),

and power factor to determine a first value of capacitor 45

6.3 Average reading current (A), real power (P),

and power factor to determine a second value of capacitor.47

6.4 Average reading current (A), real power (P),

and power factor to determine a third value of capacitor.49

NO TITLE PAGE
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6.5 Data for first load (3nos. Magnetic Fluorescent Lamp)

before and after Power Factor Correction 52

6.6 Data for Second load (6nos. Magnetic Fluorescent Lamp)

before and after Power Factor Correction 52

6.7 Data for Third load (6nos. Magnetic Fluorescent Lamp)

before and after Power Factor Correction 53
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LIST OF FIGURE

NO TITLE PAGE

3.1 Project Methodology Flow Chart 9

4.1 Power Triangle 13
4.2 Displacement Angle 15
4.3 Power triangles with (a) lagging power factor and
(b) leading power factor. 16
4.4 Load that creates lagging PF 17
4.5 Load that creates leading PF 18
4.6 Power triangles before and after power factor correction 20
4.7 Schematic diagram of an automatically controlled capacitor
bank with power factor controller 22
4.8 Connection scheme comprising fixed capacitors
and automatically controlled capacitor bank 23
4.9 Reactive load current without capacitor and with capacitor 26
5.1 Flow block diagram project hardware 29
5.2 Schematic circuit that combine power supply circuit,
input current circuit and control circuit 30
5.3 Power supply circuit with output 5V and 12V 31
5.4 Input Current Circuit 32
5.5 Control Circuit 33
5.6 Flow Chart Programs Project 34
5.7 Microcontroller PIC16F877. 36
5.8 Microcontroller based system 36
5.9 Basic circuit PIC16F877 and configuration pin 37
5.10 Current Transformer 38
5.11 Fluorescent Lamp 38
5.12 AC Capacitor 39
NO TITLE PAGE
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5.13 Proteus software's main window 42

5.14 MikroC software's main window. 43
6.1 Graph before and after Power Factor Correction 53
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LIST OF SYMBOL

A - Ampere
V - Voltan
P - Real Power
Q - Reactive Power
S - Apparent Power
PCB - Printed Circuit Board
PIC - Peripheral Interface Controller
IEEE - Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
IC - Integrated Circuit
SPI - Serial Peripheral Interface
TNB - Tenaga Nasional Berhad
R - Resistor or resistance
L - Inductor
C - Capacitor
X - Reactance
Z - Impedance
kW - kilo-Watt
kVA - kilo-Volt-Ampere
kVAR - kilo-volt-Ampere-Reactive
P.F - Power Factor
I - Current
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APPENDIX

REFERENCE TITLE PAGE

A Connection without and with Single Phase Capacitor

Bank Circuit to the Load 58

B Result without and with Single Phase capacitor

Bank Circuit to the load. (Measured load value). 63

C Current Transformer Characteristic 67

D PIC16F877 Data Sheet 68

E Programming of Power Factor Correction 73

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Project Background

Electrical energy efficiency is of prime importance to industrial and commercial

companies operating in today's competitive markets. Optimum use of plant and equipment
is one of the main concerns that industry tries to balance with energy efficiency, for both
economical and environmental reasons. As society becomes increasingly conscious of its
impact on the environment, reduced energy consumption becomes more desirable, which,
is an achievable goal for everyone. Through the use of measures such as power factor
correction, electricity consumption is optimized, which ultimately leads to reduced energy
consumption and reduced CO2 greenhouse gas emissions.

Within a cost conscious market, payback considerations are also important. This
report identifies the most appropriate application for power factor correction based on
energy consumption, tariff metering, cost payback and emission reduction. Power factor
correction is an appropriate means by which to improve the power quality of an
installation. Its application is dependent though on the size of the installation and the extent
that power factor correction needs to be applied. The opportunity however exists to make a
significant environmental contribution whilst simultaneously providing economic benefit.

Currently, the effective of the capacitor bank as power factor correction device was
produced a capacitor bank to domestic use. Also known as energy stability, it will correct
power factor base capacitor concept as compensator reactive current in the single phase
electric circuit. However, this device is less efficiency because the static operation and did
not control load change.
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The project titled Automatic Power Factor Correction was developed to enable
operation single phase capacitor bank to control follow load change. The operation of
present single phase capacitor bank was not able to operate base of current change
according the increase or reduction load. Because the present system could not detect load
rating that changed, the operation inefficient and power factor correction not be optimum.
This project is using fluorescent magnetic ballast as the load.

1.2 Problem Statement

This project developed to improve the weakness of static capacitor bank. Static
capacitor bank is a traditional method was used to improve the power factor by using
capacitor bank. In the configuration of static capacitor bank, the value of capacitor was
fixed and cannot to control. The weakness of the static capacitor bank, which the
operations:
i. Capacitive compensation does not change according to increase or reduction
in loads.
ii. Could not detect load rating that change inefficiency
iii. Operation and power factor correction not optimized.

1.3 Target and Objectives of the Project

There are four objectives of this project, which is stated in the following texts:
i. To learn the way of power factor correction in power systems.
ii. To learn and identify methods to control capacitor banks.
iii. Identify one method of power factor correction with the low cost and
practical.
iv. To provide an automatically controlled PFC unit that will bring the power
factor to as near to unity as practical (typically 0.9) and have sufficient
capacity for future PFC requirements or expansion.

1.4 Scope of the Project

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In order to achieve this project objective, the following scopes will be covered:

1) Operation single phase capacitor bank (240V, 50Hz).

2) This project also will apply microcontroller Peripheral Interface Controller
(PIC) 16F877 by using programming language C.
3) This project was developed to apply technique control base current by using
current transformer which current adjust according to load change. This
project will develop consecutive capacitor bank control by changing current.

1.5 Project Report Outline

Generally this project report is divided into six chapters, where it consists:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Chapter 3: Project Methodology
Chapter 4: Basic Concept of Power System
Chapter 5: Development and Analysis
Chapter 6: Results and Discussions
Chapter 7: Conclusion and Recommendation

Chapter 1 is an overview of the research project in whole, the problem statement,

objective and scope of research project are defined. The research project that will be done
are based on the objectives and scopes that been stated earlier.

Chapter 2 presents the literature review of the automatic power factor correction project.
Studies on literature review helps in understanding the fundamental of the project. Main
hardware component, software and calculation will be discussed in this chapter.

Chapter 3 will discuss about the methodology that shall adopted for this project work
which basically defined the planning process flow and principles that is essential guide to
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produce a well planning project. Besides, selected approach or methodology will describe
the activities that might be done in every stage.

Chapter 4 in this chapter the theoretical and concept of power system will be explained. It
was to provide the basic concept of power system constructs.

Chapter 5 covers the major parts of the hardware and software implementation. The
hardware development and circuit design will be discussed in detail in this chapter.
Concept and operation circuit combination power supply, current input circuit and control
circuit discussed with more advanced in this chapter.

Chapter 6 will be discussed the project testing and result. Where the collected data from
experimental work will be gathered before the analysis will be performed. The 5 final
sections from this chapter are the discussion for the gathered data will be explained.

Chapter 7 will conclude all the works and had been presented in previous chapter and all
the results of the project. This is followed by recommendations for the future study work.
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CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

In this chapter, literature review that related to this study case will be identify and study.
Generally, these papers are related with the topic power factor correction by using
capacitor bank. Power factor correction is an appropriate means by which to improve the
power quality of an installation. These papers researches about capacitor bank that a
purpose to get scientific information, analysis and study the weakness concept and method
how to improve the present power factor through the developing project.

2.2 Literature review

[1]
In this thesis, a hardware configuration and software specification for two
prototypes that was developed and able to control voltage, reactive power control (Q) and
protection system of capacitor bank would be identify and study. The first prototype is to
monitor bus voltage, power flow and power factor to specify whether capacitor bank will
operate or not. Second prototype is monitoring impedance obvious phase and null
sequence capacitor bank current to detect flamed fuse in capacitor fund. Both software
combination prototypes will produce one system that can control and protect capacitor
bank from over voltage that will cause the fuse capacitor flamed.

[2]
It is also to explain a control capacitor bank which used traditional
microcontroller by using relay. Majority relay use currently was combined protection
system function and traditional logic function in one device. This concept was applied in
this paper to develop a basic control scheme for a capacitor bank with five consecutive
models which use one microcontroller with relay. An application special relay is a control
consecutive capacitor bank which can be activated required consecutive to accommodate
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voltage. A controller's instrument is required to monitor bus voltage and will activate
consecutive capacitor bank follow voltage will. This paper develop basic concept of
control to control capacitor bank on staggered method.

[3]
Therefore, this thesis also to explain the effect of installation capacitor bank for
improvement power factor. This paper explains a power system theoretical basis and
important parameters in power system as active power (P), apparent power (S) and reactive
power (Q). Power triangle and power factor also be discussed. This paper also discusses
when low power factor, consumer having to pay too much. Low power factor too is
indicator that system is not efficient and will be electricity loss. Advantage or good
correction power factor also be discussed. Through the process power factor improvement,
demand for apparent power (S) and reactive power (Q) could be reduced to both generator
and consumers. Lost electricity also could be reduced and system voltage can be increased.
Power factor corrections methods discuss include method synchronous motor, static
capacitor bank and automatic capacitor bank. Capacitor bank, either static or automatic use
by widespread base low material cost and easy maintenance. This paper also discusses
case-study carried out to study effect location of capacitor bank, size, and voltage increase.

2.3 Conclusion

Installation capacitor bank for power factor correction will obtain profitable both sides
consumer and electric flow. Thesis also shows capacitor bank was used extensively by the
high-power user as industry sector and commercial. Installation of capacitor bank can
reduce reactive current consumption further minimize a losses. There were various types of
connection and protection to optimize efficiency and life span of capacitor bank. Apart
from that, capacitor bank operation for power factor correction will control with variety of
techniques. However, this paper more focuses to the three phase system capacitor bank.
Based on literature review those carried out, single phase power factor correction by using
capacitor bank was still new and not as much of discuss. Project Automatic Power Factor
Correction this was developed based on idea and basic concept of three phase automatic
capacitor bank. Idea and basic of control concept automatic capacitor bank are using
microcontroller and switching operation use relay was applied in this project development.
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However, capacitor bank controller was applying traditional microcontroller while this
project will apply modern microcontroller which easier and efficient.