Optimization Techniques for Improved Power Factor and Energy Efficiency
K. Umamaheswari1, Ramachandran M2, Sathya.S 3, Preetha Sukumar4

1Dr. K. Uma Maheswari, Associate Professor, Department of Electronics & Electrical Engineering, V.S.B. Engineering College, Karur (Tamil Nadu), India.
2Ramachandran M, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics & Electrical Engineering, V.S.B. Engineering College, Karur (Tamil Nadu), India.
3Sathya S, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics & Electrical Engineering, V.S.B. Engineering College, Karur (Tamil Nadu), India.
4Preetha Sukumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics & Electrical Engineering, V.S.B. Engineering College, Karur (Tamil Nadu), India.

Manuscript received on September 15, 2018. | Revised Manuscript received on September 19, 2018. | Manuscript published on November 30, 2018. | PP: 48-52 | Volume-8 Issue-4, November 2018. | Retrieval Number: D3171118418/2018©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: Poor power quality like reduced power factor and elevated levels of harmonic distortion generate a number of problems for electrical utilities, and large industrial consumers are typically charged consequently. Condensed power factor is such a common problem based on typical loads that techniques are frequently applied to improve power factor when it is less than certain levels. Traditional procedures for increased power factor typically consist of adding power factor correction capacitors to deliver the reactive volt-ampere reactive (VARs) near the location that inductive loads are absorbing VARs. In adding up to inductive loads creating reduced lagging power factor, power electronic devices often reduce power factor similarly. Power electronic devices have become so commonly used that sophisticated techniques have been developed to improve power factor and reduce current total harmonic distortion for such devices. A common technique utilized for processes that must provide a large range of possible voltages is to include added transformer taps coupled with the power electronic devices. In addition to traditional methods for increasing power factor, by careful consideration during the design phase of processes and load cycles that have a repetitive nature, power factor can be improved. Such a method uses a computer algorithm approach to find the ideal compromise of the relevant design parameters for improved energy efficiency and power factor.
Keywords: Power Factor, Energy Efficiency, THD, Industrial Process, Optimization Technique, VAR.