Reactive power Analysis
Reactive power is an imaginary power, but still, it is needed in the Power System. If reactive power is in excess in Power System than voltage may go up and in case of shortage of reactive power voltage may be low. Reactive power (VAR) is required to maintain the voltage to deliver active power (Watt) through electrical distribution network. Managing the reactive power flow in addition to real power flow becomes a very important task for operators to ensure voltage stability throughout the system. In many industries, capacitors have been installed to compensate reactive power. While reducing reactive power to help improve the power factor and system efficiency. One of the disadvantages of reactive power is that a sufficient quantity of its required to control the voltage and overcome the losses in the network. This is because if the electrical network voltage is not high enough, active power cannot be supplied. But having too much reactive power flowing around in the network can cause excess heating. (I^2R Losses). The reactive power compensation is important to run power network system. We conduct detailed reactive power analysis using high end power measurement equipment’s.
Power Factor is a measure of how effectively electrical power is being (converted into useful work) used in the conversion of current to work. The higher Power Factor means more effectively electrical power is utilized, conversely lower power factor means ineffectively electrical power is utilized. Industrial customers have widely different power factor and for this reason, the electrical utility may have to take power factor of these industrial customers into account paying a penalty if their power factor drops below a prescribed value because it costs the utility companies more to supply industrial customers since larger infrastructure is required to handle the larger current. For Example, 100W of electrical power at 100V by taking 1 Amp current, considering power factor unity (1). If power factor is 0.5, then the current required will be double i.e. 2 Amp for delivering the same power of 100W. Now it is clear that if power factor is low, utility company has to supply us more current for delivering the same power. The utility company provides incentive to the consumers for maintaining power factor at close to unity and penalty too for maintaining low power factor. Therefore, it is essential to maintain power factor as close as unity.