Volume 9, Issue 4, April – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24APR537

Automatic Power Factor Controller

1
Swati Haridas Bhure; 2J. R. Rana
1
M.Tech student; 2Professor
Department of Electrical Power System
Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Abstract:- Automatic Power Factor Controllers  The automatic Power factor controller Panel maintains
(APFCs) play a crucial role in modern electrical systems the power factor unity of the system. It will
by ensuring efficient electrical power and improving automatically switch on the capacitance and feed the
power quality. This paper presents a comprehensive reactive power to the system as per the required value.
overview of the Design, implementation, and
performance analysis of an APFC system. The proposed The main objective of our project is to design and
APFC system employs advanced control techniques to construct a contactor-based system that will help us find
regulate the power factor of the electrical load, thereby power factors automatically. A dip in the Power Factor can
minimizing reactive power consumption and optimizing attract operational losses and a penalty from the electricity
overall system efficiency. The design process board responsible for the electricity supply. APFC Panels
encompasses the selection of suitable power electronics can effectively and automatically manage quickly changing
converters, control algorithms, and sensing techniques and scattered loads along with the retention of high Power
tailored to the requirements of an application. The Factor. The target is to design and develop an APFC panel
results demonstrate significant improvements in power that handles the task described.
quality, energy utilization, and system stability, thereby
highlighting the practical relevance and applicability of II. LITERATURE REVIEW
the developed APFC technology.
The data is survey to receive basic ideas and
Keywords:- Automatic Power Factor Controller (APFC), knowledge of the project topic, Automatic Power Factor
Power Factor, Current Transformer, Circuit Breaker, Controller Panel (APFC Panel).
Sensors, Display Unit, Load Bank, Power Supply, PCB,
Microcontroller.  StandardPublication International Journal of
Innovations in Engineering Research and Technology
I. INTRODUCTION [IJIERT] ISSN: 2394-3696 Volume 2, Issue 5, May
2015, the topic of Automatic Power Factor Correction
The power factor is the ratio between the Kw and the published by Gopal Reddy K. This paper presents the
KVA drawn by an electrical load where the Kw is the actual control to correct the power factor automatically
load power, and Kva is the apparent load power. It counts without any human presence. It automatically increases
how effectively the current converts into functional work and decreases in power factor. It also helps the
output of the individual indicator of the load current on the industries to continue even during peak hours. Different
efficiency of the supply system. In an organization, most of parts of the power factor contain the ripple current.
the load is inductive load. The result is a lagging power  The International Journal of Engineering Trends and
factor loss and wastage of energy. Which results in high Technology (IJETT) on the topic of“Power Factor
power bills and heavy penalties from electricity boards. If Improvement using dual Boost Converter” The author
the load is uneven, it is hard to maintain the unity power published by Prof. D. D. Ahire.The paper involves
factor. To overcome APFC, use a panel that maintains a simulation of power electronics analysis of the current
unity power factor. So, in industries, they require automatic and voltage waveforms. The Apfc incorporated a
power factor control systems. Automatic power factor breaker switch capacitor bank into a small design using
control system, used for the enhancement of power factor. a low-cost sensing element and an intelligent control
The power factor proportion is called active power to device. The device provided more accurate voltage
apparent power. And the critical factor in measuring control and power factor correction than traditional
electrical consumption. Everyone knows how costly shunt capacitor bank installation.
electricity has become in the present time.  The International Journal of Advance Research and
Innovative Ideas in Education on the topic of
A. Objectives "Automatic Power Factor control using Arduino UNO"
was published by Prof. Kunal Shah.This paper presents
 Aim of the Project: a Contactor-based APFC system that can sustain up to
the rating of 20-25 Kva of the industrial load. The
 The project aims to design and build a panel system that model will serve the purpose of the variation in power
defines the control power factor of the system. factor and automatically use the matching KVAr.
Shuffling presents an intelligent power factor

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Volume 9, Issue 4, April – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24APR537

compensator that performs the power factor correction

without existing harmonic resonance under varying
demand conditions.
 In the International Journal of Advance
Research(IJAR). The topic of"Automatic power factor
correction and monitoring by using microcontrollers"
was published byAparna Sarkar and Umesh Hi wase.
The topic of this paper is an advanced method of power
factor correction that utilizes a microcontroller. As
switching of capacitors is done automatically, we get
better accurate results of power factor control
techniques that make the system stable, and that
improves power factor efficiency also increases. The
compensator in a power electronic system operating
with poor service power factor can be controlled vector-
wise by phase and quadrature components of the supply
current.
 The International Journal of Innovations in
EngineeringResearch and Technology(IJIERT). The
topic of Design and simulation of an activepower factor
controller using "Boost Converter" was published by
Sujata Nazarkar.The decoupling allows for more control
freedom by utilizing a freewheeling interval. Current
stress was increased by reducing inductor-current ripple
and improving current handling capability at heavy
loads, demonstrating a fast transient response. Boost
PFC converter is much simpler and has better dynamic Fig 2: Circuit Design
performance than the PCCM boost PFC converter
against load disturbance while maintaining low input- This diagram illustrates the main components of an
current distortion. APFC system:
III. METHODOLOGY
 Voltage Sensor (V sense): Measures the voltage across
the load.
 Current Sensor (I sense): Measures the current
flowing through the load.
 Comparator (Error Amp): Compares the actual power
factor with the desired setpoint and generates an error
signal.
 Controller: Receives the error signal and determines
the appropriate corrective action using control
algorithms such as PID, fuzzy logic, or adaptive control.
 Power Electronics Converters: Modify the reactive
power delivered to the load by the controller control
signals.
 Load: This represents the electrical load, which 1q may
be inductive, capacitive, or resistive.

IV. PROPOSED METHODOLOGY

 The controller can receive two signals (voltage and

current) from the line when using a current transformer.
The power factor is low when the load is inductive.
 The current is behind the voltage by a significant angle
because of the low power factor. The controller
calculates the phase angle between these two signals by
measuring the time interval with a timer. The controller
calculates the power factor by formula (Cos X phase
angle). After that, it calculates the required
compensation.
Fig 1: Block Diagram Of APFC

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Volume 9, Issue 4, April – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24APR537

 The controller acts as the brain of the circuit; it  Capacitor Bank Design:
performs all the mathematical operations.
 When the difference is detected, the controller closes  Design the capacitor bank to provide the required
the contactors, which act as a switch between the reactive power compensation. Determine the number of
capacitor and the supply. capacitor stages and their ratings based on load
 Required capacitors are added to the system to improve variations and power factor correction needs.
the power factor of the load.
 Adding capacitors results in an increase in the power  Control Strategy Development:
factor to the desired value.
 The controller panel display shows the improved Power  Develop control algorithms to continuously monitor the
factor. power factor and activate/deactivate capacitor stages
 Disconnecting the capacitor from the load side and accordingly.
discharging the remaining charge into the resistor  Implement strategies to prevent rapid switching and
occurs when the power factor is improved. minimize wear on the switching devices.
 Failure to discharge the capacitor may result in damage
and shock.  Safety Features Implementation:

V. SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT  To ensure system components are safe, include safety

features such as overcurrent protection, overvoltage
 Requirement Analysis: protection, and short-circuit protection.

 Understand the power consumption patterns and  Testing and Validation:

requirements of the electrical system.
 Determine the target power factor and reactive power  Conduct comprehensive testing of the APFC system
compensation needed to improve power efficiency. under various operating conditions and load scenarios.
Identify the types of loads and their varying power  Check the accuracy of sensor readings, the efficiency of
factor characteristics. control algorithms, and the reliability of switching
operations
 System Design:  Perform testing in simulated environments and real-
world conditions to validate system performance.
 Consider voltage levels, load types, and system capacity
when designing the APFC system architecture.  Installation and Commissioning:
 Choose the suitable components, like capacitors,
reactors, contactors, and controllers, according to the  Install the APFC system at the intended location in the
system requirements. electrical distribution network.
 Design the control algorithm for automatic adjustment  Configure controller settings, calibrate sensors and
of power factor correction. verify proper operation.
 Trained personnel on how to operate, maintain, and
 Controller Selection: troubleshoot systems.

 Choose a suitable controller that can monitor the power  Maintenance and Support:
factor in real time and control the switching of
capacitors accordingly.  Establish a maintenance schedule for routine inspection,
 Consider controllers with features like digital signal calibration, and servicing of the APFC system.
processing, communication interfaces, and protection  Provide ongoing support to address any issues or
mechanisms. optimize system performance as needed.

 Sensor Integration: VI. CONCLUSION

 Integrate sensors such as voltage and current  From our Project, We Observed that this APFC Panel
transformers or transducers to measure parameters like will Help us in Finding
voltage, current, and power factor.
 Effective control requires accurate and reliable sensor  Raising the power factor has been proven to help
readings. utilities and end users use electricity more efficiently.
 It reduces the consumer's electricity bills.
 It also helps to reduce the cable size and circuit breaker
size.
 It can concluded that the power factor correction
technique can be applied to industries, power systems,
and households to ensure their stability, resulting in the

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Volume 9, Issue 4, April – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24APR537

system becoming stable and the efficiency of the

systems and apparatus increasing. If the compensator
rating is less than the load observed by the detected
power, it will improve the power given by the AC
supply and reduce the power consumption. Better power
quality is achieved by reducing the apparent power
drawn from the AC supply and minimizing the power
transmission losses. Hence, the efficiency of both the
systems and apparatus increases.

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