Forcing Capacitor Bank to Act as Harmonic Filter

[fendy_wijaya]

Hi All,

Need your expert advice here: in many high-rise buildings nowadays, power factor (displacement) has been close to unity (0.95) which makes capacitor bank pretty much redundant. What do you think of setting the power factor (cos phi) target to the capacitive side (let's say 0.9 leading) to force the capacitor bank to switch-in and therefore reducing the harmonics content within the distribution system by acting as a passive harmonic filter. Of course, assuming the capacitor is equipped with suitable reactors.

Any thoughts?

 

[AnalogKid]

If a high-rise building with air conditioner motors, refrigerator motors, washing machine motors, dryer motors, and a butt-load of fluorescent lights has a power factor of 0.95, I'd call that a miracle and not do anything.

ak

 

[fendy_wijaya]

Hi AK,

Well, I guess miracle is true then . But seriously, the bulk of the load (nearly 50%) comes from VRF or chiller which has very good displacement power factor but terrible harmonics (and therefore poor true PF).

I am only concerned with generator synchronization issue with leading PF. What's you thought on this?