Automatic Cap Banks

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Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
RaiderUM...

Another Caveat if you chose to apply PFC to individual motor loads: Don't forget to adjust any thermal overload device for line-current reduction!

Phil
And another good reason to have individual PFC upstream of motor protection devices.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Besoeker

Do you not believe me???

Phil

Here's actual data from a 7000kW compressor drive:

7000kWMotor.jpg


You can clearly see the difference between full load torque and virtually no load torque.

Now, how about you reciprocate with motor type and name plate data for your application just to be sure that we are comparing apples with apples?
 
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Phil Corso

Senior Member
Mivey...
Are you a disbeliever as well? You should know the nameplate does not list no-load current. Regarding your "motor alone" question; the motor alone, of course. Did you expect a shaft-coupled wound-rotor starting-motor, too?"

Beseoker...
You too should know nameplate does not list no-load curent! However, if you also want proof of its size would a copy of the manufacturer's circle diagram, developed from FAT, suffice? The manufacturer is well known in this world. The FAT data conforms to GE-625, Test Procedures, based on IEEE Std 112-1966! Or will you claim it's outdated?

Regards, Phil Corso
 

raiderUM

Member
Location
Ohio
According to the demand and PF you posted you need a total of 5000 kvar to get the PF to 0.96. If these caps
were off line during billing, then they should be online and that would leave you 3800 kvar additional to add.

True, but you have to understand WHO I am working with here. Admin people do not understand anything that I am telling them. They need to see $$$$$$ savings before they go investing a bunch of money into something.

Also, I don't know the exact number but we have a couple thousand Kvar fixed bank units at individual buildings all across campus in addition to the Kvar on the Primary side. These smaller fixed banks range from 100 to 250 Kvar. All of these are already installed, but turned off and just waiting to be used. That is why I'm trying to figure out a good way to control them, so we don;t have to invest a lot of money and resources.
 

raiderUM

Member
Location
Ohio
I took time back-reading and really believe your problem is about finding the best setup that allows your BAS to respond to whatever load PF you will be experiencing for a wide range seasons! Without knowing how your building automation system is capable of (does it initiate 'raise' or 'lower' signal to your PFC controls, are these power factor devices operate on its own, etc.), it would be best to tabulate each of your building loads and it's PFs and start your analysis from there.

My own experience with a 900 kVAr, 12-step, automatic power factor control on a multi-function rooms convention center gave me headaches as under and over-correction always occurred when the building was first used. I managed to solve the frequent capacitor contactors hunting when I tweaked the amount of kVAr that can be switched-in at different PFs caused by HVAC cycling. It was a 75 kVAr per step but that setup led to over/under correction. We have to lump more caps on one bank than the others while some were made to cut-in less than 75 kVArs.

Hope that helps you.

Yes this does help! Thank you.
The company that built the graphics and organized the BAS system also built me a Trending page. It allows me to track PF from each building so I can see how things change. But I've only been doing this for a couple months.
 

raiderUM

Member
Location
Ohio
See post #54.
I don't know if I explained it very well.
As it happens, I was a question I was asked on site today.
I've spent the last three days on site with my guys getting a couple of 3,000HP, 11,000V variable speed fan drives back up and running after a major supply problem had taken out much of the electronics.
Centrifugal fans have a cube law curve for power. Double the speed, eight times the power. (2^3)
So, at half rated speed, the motor ought to be at one eighth of rated power.
In this case, the speed range is from half speed to full speed. Ought to be under 400kW at minimum speed.
One guy, a sharp cookie from the customer's side asked why the stator current was still relatively high at such a relatively light load.
The answer is simply that the power factor is so much worse on lighter loads.

Yes you explained it very well. Thanks
 

raiderUM

Member
Location
Ohio
RaiderUM...

Another Caveat if you chose to apply PFC to individual motor loads: Don't forget to adjust any thermal overload device for line-current reduction!

Phil

Thanks for the Heads Up!

There is no way they are going to let me do anything though. I just need to know enough, so that when we do bring someone in to look at things I know if its right or wrong.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Beseoker...
By "upstream" do you mean upstream of the OL, but downstream of the contactor?
Phil
I'm not sure quite what you mean.
But just to be clear, the motor overcurrent protection should be looking at the motor current only.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Beseoker...
You too should know nameplate does not list no-load curent! However, if you also want proof of its size would a copy of the manufacturer's circle diagram, developed from FAT, suffice?
Just the data recorded at the FAT would be fine rather than anything developed from it.
Can you do that?

Added edit...

This is typical what we would expect from the motor manufacturer.

TorqueandCurrentvs.jpg


Real motor. Real application. In this case 6,600kW. Also on a compressor.
 
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topgone

Senior Member
Of course it varies.
I was simply pointing out that your suggested15% was rather atypical of no load kVA.

Besoeker...

Tit-For-Tat, huh :happyyes:

How about an 11,400 kW (15,300 Hp) ethelene compressor-drive, having a no-load current of 135A and a full-load current of 750A. NL/FL ratio is 18%. Closer to 15% than 30%.

Regards, Phil

Y'all:
Care to read faithfully what you both have posted? You could be talking about the same thing, IMO.
Bes said "15% was rather atypical of no-load kVA" while Phil said "having a no-load current of 135A and a full-load of 750A"! Anybody can reconcile no-load kVA with No-load current! Discussions may be put to rest right there.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Y'all:
Care to read faithfully what you both have posted? You could be talking about the same thing, IMO.
Bes said "15% was rather atypical of no-load kVA" while Phil said "having a no-load current of 135A and a full-load of 750A"! Anybody can reconcile no-load kVA with No-load current! Discussions may be put to rest right there.
Don't really think so.
kVA.
k is constant. V is constant. Thus kVA is proportional to current in this case. So the ratio of off-load and on-load kVA would be the same as off-load and on-load A.
Unless, of course, the voltage is different on and off load. But then you'd have two different circle diagrams.
Perhaps protagonist Phil could provide Corso confirmation of these constants or contrary ciphering to confound the conventional, customary, and current contention.


.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Besoeker...

The curves you expect fromthe mfgr will not reveal the I values. So I ask again, "... do you want corroborating documentation?"

Phil

This is the data that was provided to me at the design stage:

IMData01.jpg


No load current is given and in this case is about 21% (not 15%) and it's the lowest NLC/FLC I've encountered. In 40 years in this field.
Now, since your motor had a FAT, perhaps you could reciprocate by providing the data from that. I see no reason for your seeming reticence about it.
 

Phil Corso

Senior Member
Beseoker...

Having difficulty attaching Official Test Data (6pgs). HF message says 'size too large'!

Mfg was ASEA (has since joined with Brown-Boveri as ABB) Date was June 1968! Official Data Form lists Inl = 136A, and Ifl = 744A. Thus NL/FL ratio I originally posted has changed from 18 to 18.3!

Any ideas regarding getting full-attachment to you!

Phil
 

mivey

Senior Member
Bes & Phil,

So we are getting to around 20% with these big 1,000's of HP motors (kW for Bes). How applicable do you think that is to the OP's 100's of HP? I have seen the 200-500 HP motors in chiller plants before but do not have any specific motor data.


Bes,

You mentioned in an earlier post about not putting PFC behind the motor protection. I have always thought that was where they were recommended since you save on separate protection for the caps. I'm pretty sure I have read that more than once.
 
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