• Tropical Electronic Equipment Co

Thyristor Switched Capacitor Banks

Tropical Electronic Equipment Co offers Thyristor Switched Capacitor Banks for automatic power factor correction. Salient features: advanced technology of thyristor switched capacitor banks; ultra fast reactive power compensation; accurate control of power factor of the system by means of closed loop control and measuring circuits; no harmonics and voltage spikes due to thyristorised zero-current switching of the capacitors; display of various electrical parameters; reliable performance and maintenance free operation; and RS 232C serial port (optional) facility available to read out voltage, current, capacitor current, PF, active, reactive, apparent and capacitive power. The total power supplied by electric utilities consists of real power (kW), which produces energy and reactive power (kVAR) generated by inductive machines which decreases loading capacity and the efficiency of the supply system. The power factor is defined as the ratio between the real power and the total power. The conventional PFC system cannot take care of rapidly varying loads due to their inherent slow response because of the contactor switching of the capacitors. When capacitors are switched at any point in the waveform other than that at zero-current crossing, instantly very high short circuit current flows in the system causing serious stress on capacitors, transformers, and switchgear contacts. In such situation, blowing of fuses, fast deterioration of capacitors, and wear and tear of switchgear contacts are regular phenomenon. Also the high voltage spikes generated by repeated inrush current caused by the capacitor switching adversely affect all types of sophisticated electronic installations like computers, PLCs, etc., and result ultimately in their failure. To overcome all the shortcomings of conventional means of PF correction, the company employs the latest technology of zero-current thyristor switching of capacitor banks in response to kVAR demand computed by a microcontroller-based PF controller. In this scheme, a high speed reactive load compensation on cycle to cycle basis is possible to effect the maximum saving in electrical power.