Investigation of Capacitor-Bank Type Controller to Enhance the Power Quality in the Low Voltage Distribution Networks.

Abstract

This paper studies the effect of implementing different technologies of capacitor bank manufacturing on the power quality of the low voltage distribution networks. With the widespread of power factor correction in the industrial sites, the customers have to choose between different types of capacitor banks in the market. These types are classified according to the existing harmonic levels existed in the low voltage switchboard. The ratio between the non-linear loads and the rating of medium voltage to Low voltage (MV/LV) transformer determines put forward the suitable type of the capacitor bank. The implementation of the capacitor banks in the distribution network has a direct impact on the harmonic levels; this may lead to destroy the capacitor itself due to thermal effect of that harmonics. In the research, by realizing HARENA software, the impact of different types of the capacitor bank on a main low voltage distribution board (MLVDB) is illustrated, also, the MATLAB software is applied to investigate a controller that automatically switches the suitable capacitor bank type according to online measurements of the total harmonic distortion in voltage (THD­) existed in the level of the MLVDB, accordingly, the capacitor-bank type is recommended to withstand or attenuate the harmonics and the power quality is enhanced