power factor correction

Thread Starter

GPinNZ

Joined May 31, 2004
1
I have an off-grid power system.
I use a diesel generator when the sun isn't shining and for battery maintenance.
The generator is 4Kw at 230 VAC
when an 18amp pure resistive load (ie 4 Kw heaters) voltage drops to 220VAC
When the charger is pulling 6 amps the voltage drops to 220VAC
when charger is programmed to pull only 10 amps the voltage drops to 200 VAC
The charger draws a variable current depending on state of charge etc.
I am trying to find out if a circuit is availble to electronically corrrect this.
The current and voltage waveforms are well out of sink.
Normal correction technique is capacitors. However a bank of capacitors and automatic controller to switch different banks in and out is a bit of an overkill for a small system like this.

Does anyone know of any circuits that will fix this problem?
 

bipin

Joined Mar 21, 2004
80
hi,
Your charger is probably a linear one (thats the reason you are getting so much of lag in the current.) There is a way to have a switching converter based charged incorporated with pf correction(in which I am not that familiar, you can get information from some Compact flurescent lamp makers). You can have your search in that path. To my limited knowlegde cap banks are the only available methode other than this.
bipin
 
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