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Re: PF Correction (was RE- Cap Confusion)




From: 	John H. Couture[SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net]
Sent: 	Monday, November 24, 1997 3:01 AM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: PF Correction (was RE- Cap Confusion)


>>From: 	Malcolm Watts[SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
>>Sent: 	Thursday, November 20, 1997 2:11 PM
>>To: 	Tesla List
>>Subject: 	PF Correction (was RE-  Cap Confusion)

>I second what Ed says. Using power factor correction will save your 
>>house wiring, switches, circuit breakers and plug connections a lot 
>>of heating and stress and cut the bill mildly by eliminating 
>>unnecessary I^2.R heating in the above items. It also relieves a lot 
>>of stress on the variac. A single microwave transformer used on the 
>>
>>Malcolm

  Malcolm -

 The reactive current "I" and the resistance "R" do not register on your
wattmeter.  You will not "cut your bill midly" by installing PFC capacitors.
Only large electric energy users with low power factor and special meters
would save money on their billings by installing PFC capacitors. These PFC
systems must be carefully selected to prevent damaging resonance conditions. 

However, the total of tiny reactive current losses like in your electric
system will show up on the meters at the generators and will require an
extra amount of fuel for the generators. There are no electric losses that
do not have to be paid for by someone.  The electric company takes this into
consideration when establishing an electric rate cost for a typical
residential customer. A much larger cost to the electric company to get the
electricity to you are the losses in the transmission and distribution
systems from the generators to you. 

  John Couture