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Re: PF Correction (was RE- Cap Confusion)


From: 	Malcolm Watts[SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
Sent: 	Monday, November 24, 1997 9:46 PM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: PF Correction (was RE- Cap Confusion)

Hello John,

> 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. 

I hope you're not telling me that having peaks of 40 Amps in house 
wiring is causing no heating in that wiring? That is not reactive 
power. It is very real and your switches etc can feel it. I have lost 
count of the replacement of switches in computer rooms here where the 
poor power factor of a room full of computer power supplies has 
caused damage.

Malcolm

> 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
> 
> 
> 
>