Power factor correction of electric arc furnace using active and passive compensation

Abstract

Electric Arc Furnaces have very fast changing current, rich in harmonic components, especially in the early stages of the melting process. This is why power factor correction of arc furnaces is a demanding task, involving complex power electronic devices with active control like STATCOMs, etc. In this paper, a mixed approach is described, where power factor correction of arc furnace is accomplished with a mix of active and passive power factor correction devices. As a result target power factor is reached at 50% the cost of using active devices exclusively. Final results show that reactive power of the EAF was reduced for 84.7% with final PF>0.98. Active energy input into the EAF increased for 16.7% In the paper results are presented in the form of before/after diagrams of voltage, current, active and reactive power and THD.