Placement of Capacitors in the Electrical Distribution System to Improve the Voltage Profile and Reduce Active Power Losses and Reactive Power Losses

In distribution systems, the generation and transmission of reactive power over long distances are economically impractical. However, this study proposes an efficient solution to meet the demand for reactive power by strategically integrating capacitor banks at load centers. Distribution systems commonly face issues such as high power losses and poor voltage profiles, primarily due to low power factors resulting in increased current and additional active power losses. This article focuses on assessing the static effects of capacitor bank integration in distribution systems. The study involves the deployment of 3.42MVAr capacitor banks in 20kV, 4-bus-bar systems and 1.164MVar capacitor banks in 0.4kV, 2-bus-bar systems. The impact is thoroughly analyzed through measurements and pre/post-installation studies. Load flow analysis, conducted using Power World software for simulation modeling, predicts power flows, voltage levels, and active power losses across system branches. We draw a comprehensive comparison between distribution systems with and without capacitor banks, encompassing both technical and economic aspects. The evaluation includes power flow magnitudes, voltage profiles, and active power losses. The proposed approach offers numerous benefits, including power factor correction, reactive power support, reduced losses, and enhanced voltage profiles in the distribution system.