PFC Upgrade at Community College, Crawley
During a planned maintenance visit to the college’s LV distribution system, engineers discovered a complete failure of the existing power factor correction (PFC) equipment. All six 25 kVAr capacitor units had failed, and four 100 A DIN fuses were found to have blown. This failure left the site operating with no functional PFC, increasing the risk of higher reactive power charges and potential strain on the electrical infrastructure.
A detailed site load test was carried out to establish the actual reactive power requirements under normal operating conditions. The results confirmed that a total of 100 kVAr correction capacity would be more than sufficient to consistently maintain a site power factor above 0.96, comfortably within recommended efficiency standards.
To modernize and simplify the installation, the three failed ABB 25/25 kVAr modules were decommissioned and removed. These were replaced with a single 100 kVAr SBA tray, configured with four independently switched 25 kVAr soft-switching steps. This modular setup ensures greater flexibility, smoother operation, and reduced electrical stress compared to the original equipment.
In addition, the outdated reactive control relay was upgraded to a fully digital Lovato DCRL5 controller. This modern unit provides advanced monitoring, automatic step regulation, and improved accuracy in managing reactive power demand.
The upgrade not only restores reliable PFC capability but also improves system efficiency, reduces electrical losses, and minimizes the likelihood of future reactive energy penalties.
