Power factor control

[kunalw]

I want to contineously check the p.f. then if it goes below the particular value i would like to improve it buy adding required amout of capacitance to it.idea is to control these activities using software[may be using C language interfacing].<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;i am not much aware of hardware required for it<br>Please convey any information about above idea.<br>Thanking you for kind consideration.<br>

 

[T]

What voltages and what amperages are you working with?&nbsp;&nbsp;How much money can you afford to spend to measure and adjust the PF?<br><br>T

 

[kunalw]

THANKING you for the responce<br><br>For the time being considering my load as 1 HP induction motor.I can afford any amount for this but definatly preffer it economical .<br><br>regaurds<br><br>kunal

 

[ambertec]

There is a facet of power factorcorrection which should be mentioned. Assuming a sinusoidal input voltage, the wattage consumed by some load is the product of the that sinusoidal voltage times that part of the current waveform which comprises a sinusoidal current in phase with that input voltage.<br><br>If you use a motor speed control which in any way chops or clips waveforms and renders them non-sinusoidal, the resulting harmonics can degrade the power factor. <br><br>This is why power factor correction ICs offered by several companies for switch-mode power supplies are designed to restore the sinusoidal nature of input current in response to sinusoidal input AC line voltage. Input rectifier currents in such supplies tend to be extremely non-sinusoidal.<br><br>Power correction capacitors sound like the right approach in your situation, but such capacitors are not a universally appropriate power factor correction remedy.<br><br>John Dunn<br>Ambertec, Inc.