Dynamic Power Factor Correction using FC TCR – A Case Study of Academic Campus Distribution Network

This paper presents development of MATLAB simulation model for power factor improvement using fixed capacitor thyristor controlled reactor (FC-TCR). Electrical and Electronics Department, Basaveshwar Engineering College, Bagalkot laboratories include inductive loads which consume reactive power and run at low power factor about 0.6 lagging. Operation of these loads reduce power factor below unity. This will cause excessive losses i.e. for distribution of electrical power at same voltage conductor has to carry heavy currents. This issue is addressed by improving power factor to unity with proposed employment of FC-TCR circuit. Presently a 10 kVAr fixed capacitor bank is used to correct power factor of inductive loads. With loaded condition during the working hours of college, operating power factor is corrected and found to be 0.95 lagging. However, during offloaded condition in the evening and night hour’s power factor is found to be 0.3 leading. It is impossible to monitor unity power factor for the both cases. This is addressed and achieved in simulation by employing FC-TCR in the said load network. FC-TCR arrangement is achieved by connecting FC in parallel with TCR. The Simulation is carried out with EEE department 24 hours load data. Results indicate that, developed simulation model for power factor correction by FC-TCR has an effective task in monitoring unity power factor with and without loads.