It is important to notice that, the reactive compensation does not need to be made by capacitors, if the system presents an excess of reactive power, the capacitor bank can be replaced by a reactor.
How does a reactive power compensation system work?
With a reactive power compensation system with power capacitors directly connected to the low voltage network and close to the power consumer, transmission facilities can be relieved as the reactive power is no longer supplied from the network but provided by the capacitors (Figure 2).
How does a capacitor bank provide reactive power compensation?
Capacitor banks provide reactive power compensation by introducing capacitive reactive power into the system, which is especially useful for counteracting the inductive reactive power typically drawn by motors and transformers. Capacitors store electrical energy in the electric field created between their plates when a voltage is applied.
What are the benefits of adding capacitors to a power system?
By adding capacitors, the overall power factor of the system is improved towards unity, which means less reactive power is drawn from the supply. This reduction in reactive power demand leads to reduced losses in power transmission and distribution and improved voltage levels along the network.
To provide reactive VAr control in order to support the power supply system voltage and to filter the harmonic currents in accordance with Electricity Authority recommendations, which prescribe the permissible voltage fluctuations and harmonic distortions, reactive power (VAr) compensators are required.
Can reactive power compensators solve transmission and distribution problems?
To be honest, transmission and distribution networks are full of problems. But that's nothing new, and you already knew that. This technical article will shed some light on solving some pretty severe problems in transmission and distribution networks by using reactive power (VAr) compensators.
What is a single compensation capacitor?
In single compensation, the capacitors are directly connected to the terminals of the individual power consumers and switched on together with them via a common switching device. Here, the capacitor power must be precisely adjusted to the respective consumers. Single compensation is frequently used for induction motors (Figure 4).