PF Compensation?
- Thread starter justin
- Start date
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- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: PF Compensation?
A welder is a highly ?inductive? load. That means that it stores energy within a magnetic field, in a manner similar to that of a motor. This causes it to exchange current with the magnetic field of the power source (i.e., service transformer or generator). This ?extra current? is the reason there is a difference between ?real power? (KW) and ?reactive power? (KVA).
A capacitor bank (and certain other devices) will store energy within an electric field. If you install one of these devices downstream of the welder?s branch circuit breaker, then the magnetic field of the welder will exchange current with the electric field of the capacitor bank, instead of with the power source. Therefore, this ?extra current? will not pass through the circuit breaker, and you can use a smaller circuit breaker.
Do you want to do this? It's an economic choice. Compare the cost of the capacitor bank (include cost savings for reduced energy usage) against the cost of a larger OCPD and larger conductors. Then make your own decision.
A welder is a highly ?inductive? load. That means that it stores energy within a magnetic field, in a manner similar to that of a motor. This causes it to exchange current with the magnetic field of the power source (i.e., service transformer or generator). This ?extra current? is the reason there is a difference between ?real power? (KW) and ?reactive power? (KVA).
A capacitor bank (and certain other devices) will store energy within an electric field. If you install one of these devices downstream of the welder?s branch circuit breaker, then the magnetic field of the welder will exchange current with the electric field of the capacitor bank, instead of with the power source. Therefore, this ?extra current? will not pass through the circuit breaker, and you can use a smaller circuit breaker.
Do you want to do this? It's an economic choice. Compare the cost of the capacitor bank (include cost savings for reduced energy usage) against the cost of a larger OCPD and larger conductors. Then make your own decision.
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