Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Is it OK to add power factor capacitors to a power system that supplies motor drives? PQM-103


Adjustable speed motor drives (ASDs. VFDs, VSDs) are non-linear loads that produce harmonic current distortion during their normal operation. Harmonics are currents flowing at frequencies which are multiples of the fundamental frequency (ie: 50Hz, 60Hz).  Since capacitive reactance (ohms) decreases as frequency increases, capacitors provide a low impedance path for harmonic currents. This can result in the power factor capacitors absorbing significant harmonic currents and becoming overloaded, leading to premature failure.  Capacitance also combines with system impedance (ie: power transformer) to form a tuned circuit.  If this circuit is tuned near one of the harmonic frequencies present, then a resonance condition occurs and either harmonic current or voltage can be amplified.
When adding power factor capacitors to a power system shared by both across the line started motors and adjustable speed drives, there are two choices.  1) apply harmonic filters to the drives, sufficient to suppress the system harmonic voltage distortion  to negligible levels,  2) use a detuned capacitor system (consists of a detuning reactor in series with capacitor to force the tuning point below the lowest order harmonic).

1 comment:

  1. Compared with the glass reactor with jacket, the high quality stone crusher has wide applications. Here: www.toption-china.com/products/glass-reactor-with-jacket-10l. Generally speaking, the stone crusher machine may include vibrating feeder, stone jaw crusher, pex jaw crusher, vertical shaft impact crusher, vibrating screen, sand washing machine etc.

    ReplyDelete